Exhibit 4.8

 

DESCRIPTION OF SONNET BIOTHERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS, INC.’S SECURITIES

REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

As of September 30, 2023, Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) had two classes of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: our voting common stock, $0.0001 par value per share and preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following is a summary of information concerning capital stock of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (“us,” “our,” “we” or the “Company”) and does not purport to be complete. The summary is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc.’s certificate of incorporation, as amended, bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). You are urged to read our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, amended and restated bylaws and the applicable provisions of the DGCL for additional information.

 

General

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of:

 

  125,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; and
     
  5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which, as of the date of this report, none of which shares have been designated.

 

As of close of business on December 11, 2023, 3,069,516 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding.

 

The additional shares of our authorized stock available for issuance may be issued at times and under circumstances so as to have a dilutive effect on earnings per share and on the equity ownership of the holders of our Common Stock. The ability of our board of directors to issue additional shares of stock could enhance the board’s ability to negotiate on behalf of the stockholders in a takeover situation but could also be used by the board to make a change-in-control more difficult, thereby denying stockholders the potential to sell their shares at a premium and entrenching current management. The following description is a summary of the material provisions of our capital stock. You should refer to our certificate of incorporation, as amended and bylaws, both of which are on file with the SEC as exhibits to previous SEC filings, for additional information. The summary below is qualified by provisions of applicable law.

 

Common Stock

 

Holders of our Common Stock are each entitled to cast one vote for each share held of record on all matters presented to stockholders. Cumulative voting is not allowed; the holders of a majority of our outstanding shares of Common Stock may elect all directors. Holders of our Common Stock are entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared by our board out of funds legally available and, in the event of liquidation, to share pro rata in any distribution of our assets after payment of liabilities. Our directors are not obligated to declare a dividend. It is not anticipated that we will pau dividends in the foreseeable future. Holders of our do not have preemptive rights to subscribe to any additional shares we may issue in the future. There are no conversion, redemption, sinking fund or similar provisions regarding the Common Stock. All outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

 

The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of Common Stock are subject to the rights of the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock.

 

 

 

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Securities Transfer Corporation. The transfer agent address is Securities Transfer Corporation, 2901 N Dallas Parkway, Suite 380, Plano, TX 75093, (469) 633-0101.

 

Preferred Stock

 

We are authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, all of which are undesignated. Our board of directors has the authority to issue preferred stock in one or more classes or series and to fix the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion right, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any class or series, without further vote or action by the stockholders. Although we have no present plans to issue any other shares of preferred stock, the issuance of shares of preferred stock, or the issuance of rights to purchase such shares, could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock, could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the common stock, and could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change of control of us or an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The preferred stock may provide for an adjustment of the conversion price in the event of an issuance or deemed issuance at a price less than the applicable conversion price, subject to certain exceptions.

 

If we offer a specific series of preferred stock under this prospectus, we will describe the terms of the preferred stock in the prospectus supplement for such offering and will file a copy of the certificate establishing the terms of the preferred stock with the SEC. To the extent required, this description will include:

 

  the title and stated value;
     
  the number of shares offered, the liquidation preference per share and the purchase price;
     
  the dividend rate(s), period(s) and/or payment date(s), or method(s) of calculation for such dividends;
     
  whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends will accumulate;
     
  the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any;
     
  the provisions for a sinking fund, if any;
     
  the provisions for redemption, if applicable;
     
  any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange or market;
     
  whether the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, and, if applicable, the conversion price (or how it will be calculated) and conversion period;
     
  whether the preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt securities, and, if applicable, the exchange price (or how it will be calculated) and exchange period;
     
  voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock;
     
  a discussion of any material and/or special U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock;
     
  the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; and
     
  any material limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar for Preferred Stock

 

The transfer agent and registrar for any series or class of preferred stock will be set forth in each applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Anti-takeover Effects of Delaware Law and our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and Bylaws

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Bylaws, as amended contain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or tender offers or delaying or preventing a change of control. These provisions are as follows:

 

  they provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by the President, the board of directors or at the request by stockholders of record owning at least thirty-three and one-third (33 1/3%) percent of the issued and outstanding voting shares of our Common Stock;

 

 

 

 

  they do not include a provision for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Under cumulative voting, a minority stockholder holding a sufficient number of shares may be able to ensure the election of one or more directors. The absence of cumulative voting may have the effect of limiting the ability of minority stockholders to effect changes in our board of directors; and
     
  they allow us to issue, without stockholder approval, up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock that could adversely affect the rights and powers of the holders of our Common Stock.

 

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, an anti-takeover law. Subject to certain exceptions, the statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder unless:

 

  prior to such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
     
  upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least eighty-five percent 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding those shares owned (1) by persons who are directors and also officers and (2) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or
     
  on or after such date, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

Generally, for purposes of Section 203, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three (3) years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, owned fifteen percent (15%) or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting securities.

 

Potential Effects of Authorized but Unissued Stock

 

We have shares of Common Stock and preferred stock available for future issuance without stockholder approval. We may utilize these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, to facilitate corporate acquisitions or payment as a dividend on the capital stock.

 

The existence of unissued and unreserved Common Stock and preferred stock may enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management or to issue preferred stock with terms that could render more difficult or discourage a third-party attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, thereby protecting the continuity of our management. In addition, the board of directors has the discretion to determine designations, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences of each series of preferred stock, all to the fullest extent permissible under the DGCL and subject to any limitations set forth in our Certificate of Incorporation. The purpose of authorizing the board of directors to issue preferred stock and to determine the rights and preferences applicable to such preferred stock is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible financings, acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or could discourage a third-party from acquiring, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.

 

Nasdaq Listing

 

Our common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SONN.”

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 21.1

 

Subsidiaries of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc.

 

Name:   Jurisdiction of Organization
Sonnet BioTherapeutics, Inc.   New Jersey
Sonnet BioTherapeutics CH SA   Switzerland
SonnetBio Pty Ltd   Australia

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (Nos. 333-238542, 333-256183, 333-264832 and 333-274122) on Form S-8, (Nos. 333-235301, 333-237795, 333-237354, 333-251406, 333-252049 and 333-267171) on Form S-3, and (Nos. 333-258092, 333-269307, 333-273516 and 333-274581) on Form S-1 of our report dated December 14, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc.

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 14, 2023

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Pankaj Mohan certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the “Registrant”);

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:

 

a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b. designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c. evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d. disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: December 14, 2023  
  /s/ Pankaj Mohan
  Pankaj Mohan
  President and Chief Executive Officer
  (Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Jay Cross certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the “Registrant”);

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:

 

a. designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b. designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c. evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d. disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The Registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: December 14, 2023  
  /s/ Jay Cross
  Jay Cross
  Chief Financial Officer
  (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the annual report of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Pankaj Mohan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

  (1)The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

  (2)The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: December 14, 2023

 

/s/ Pankaj Mohan  
Pankaj Mohan  
President and Chief Executive Officer  

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the annual report of Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Jay Cross, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

  (1)The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

  (2)The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: December 14, 2023

 

/s/ Jay Cross  
Jay Cross  
Chief Financial Officer  
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)  

 

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 97.1

 

SONNET BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY

 

(Adopted and approved on November 21, 2023)

 

1. Purpose

 

Sonnet BioTherapeutics, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) is committed to promoting high standards of honest and ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. As part of this commitment, the Company has adopted this Compensation Recovery Policy (this “Policy”). This Policy is designed to comply with the requirements of Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Rule 10D-1 promulgated thereunder and the rules of the national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are traded and explains when the Company will pursue recovery of Incentive Compensation awarded or paid to a Covered Person. Please refer to Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Definitions Exhibit”) for the definitions of capitalized terms used throughout this Policy.

 

2. Recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation

 

In the event of a Restatement, the Company will pursue, reasonably promptly, recovery of all Recoverable Incentive Compensation from a Covered Person without regard to such Covered Person’s individual knowledge or responsibility related to the Restatement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is otherwise required by this Policy to undertake a Restatement, the Company will not be required to recover the Recoverable Incentive Compensation if the Compensation Committee determines, after exercising a normal due process review of all the relevant facts and circumstances, that (a) a Recovery Exception exists and (b) it would be impracticable to seek such recovery under such facts and circumstances.

 

If such Recoverable Incentive Compensation was not awarded or paid on a formulaic basis, the Company will pursue recovery of the amount that the Compensation Committee determines in good faith should be recovered.

 

3. Other Actions

 

The Compensation Committee may, subject to applicable law, pursue recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation in the manner it chooses, including by pursuing reimbursement from the Covered Person of all or part of the compensation awarded or paid, by electing to withhold unpaid compensation, by set-off, or by rescinding or canceling unvested stock or option awards.

 

In the reasonable exercise of its business judgment under this Policy, the Compensation Committee may in its sole discretion determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the circumstances surrounding a Restatement to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence and to impose such other discipline as it deems appropriate.

 

 
 

 

4. No Indemnification or Reimbursement

 

As required by applicable law, notwithstanding the terms of any other policy, program, agreement or arrangement, in no event will the Company or any of its affiliates indemnify or reimburse a Covered Person for any loss of Recoverable Incentive Compensation under this Policy and, to the extent prohibited by law, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates will pay premiums on any insurance policy that would cover a Covered Person’s potential obligations with respect to Recoverable Incentive Compensation under this Policy.

 

5. Administration of Policy

 

The Compensation Committee will have full authority to administer this Policy. The Compensation Committee will, subject to the provisions of this Policy and Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act, and the Company’s applicable exchange listing standards, make such determinations and interpretations and take such actions in connection with this Policy as it deems necessary, appropriate or advisable. It is intended that this Policy be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, Rule 10D-1 thereunder and any applicable rules or standards adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed. All determinations and interpretations made by the Compensation Committee will be final, binding and conclusive.

 

6. Other Claims and Rights

 

The requirements of this Policy are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any legal and equitable claims the Company or any of its affiliates may have or any actions that may be imposed by law enforcement agencies, regulators, administrative bodies, or other authorities. Further, the exercise by the Compensation Committee of any rights pursuant to this Policy will not impact any other rights that the Company or any of its affiliates may have with respect to any Covered Person subject to this Policy.

 

7. Acknowledgement by Covered Persons; Condition to Eligibility for Incentive Compensation

 

The Company will provide notice and seek acknowledgement of this Policy from each Covered Person, provided that the failure to provide such notice or obtain such acknowledgement will have no impact on the applicability or enforceability of this Policy. After the Effective Date (and also with respect to any Incentive Compensation Received on or after October 2, 2023 pursuant to a preexisting contract or arrangement), any grant of Incentive Compensation to a Covered Person will be deemed to have been made subject to the terms of this Policy, whether or not such Policy is specifically referenced in the documentation relating to such grant and this Policy shall be deemed to constitute an integral part of the terms of any such grant. All Incentive Compensation subject to this Policy will remain subject to this policy, even if already paid, until the Policy ceases to apply to such Incentive Compensation and any other vesting conditions applicable to such Incentive Compensation are satisfied.

 

8. Amendment; Termination

 

The Board or the Compensation Committee may amend or terminate this Policy at any time. In the event that Section 10D of the Exchange Act, Rule 10D-1 thereunder or the rules of the national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are traded are modified or supplemented, whether by law, regulation or legal interpretation, such modification or supplement shall be deemed to modify or supplement this Policy to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

 

9. Effectiveness

 

Except as otherwise determined in writing by the Compensation Committee, this Policy will apply to any Incentive Compensation that is Received by a Covered Person on or after the Effective Date. This Policy will survive and continue notwithstanding any termination of a Covered Person’s employment with the Company and its affiliates.

 

10. Successors

 

This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Persons and their successors, beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives.

 

 
 

 

Exhibit A

 

SONNET BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY

 

DEFINITIONS EXHIBIT

 

Applicable Period” means the three completed fiscal years of the Company immediately preceding the earlier of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes (or reasonably should have concluded) that a Restatement is required or (ii) the date a court, regulator, or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Restatement. The “Applicable Period” also includes any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following the three completed fiscal years identified in the preceding sentence.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Compensation Committee” means the Company’s committee of independent directors responsible for executive compensation decisions, or in the absence of such a committee, a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board.

 

Covered Person” means any person who is, or was at any time, during the Applicable Period, an Executive Officer of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, a Covered Person may include a former Executive Officer that left the Company, retired, or transitioned to an employee role (including after serving as an Executive Officer in an interim capacity) during the Applicable Period.

 

Effective Date” means December 1, 2023.

 

Executive Officer” means the Company’s president, principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person (including an officer of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries) who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company.

 

Financial Reporting Measure” means a measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measure that is derived wholly or in part from such measure (including but not limited to, “non-GAAP” financial measures, such as those appearing in the Company’s earnings releases or Management Discussion and Analysis). Stock price and total shareholder return (and any measures derived wholly or in part therefrom) shall be considered Financial Reporting Measures.

 

 
 

 

Recovery Exception:” A recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation shall be subject to a “Recovery Exception” if the Compensation Committee determines in good faith that: (i) pursuing such recovery would violate home country law of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022 and the Company provides an opinion of home country counsel to that effect acceptable to the Company’s applicable listing exchange; (ii) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing this Policy would exceed the Recoverable Incentive Compensation and the Company has (A) made a reasonable attempt to recover such amounts and (B) provided documentation of such attempts to recover to the Company’s applicable listing exchange; or (iii) recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of Section 401(a)(13) or Section 411(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations thereunder.

 

Incentive Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure. Incentive Compensation does not include any base salaries (except with respect to any salary increases earned wholly or in part based on the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure performance goal); bonuses paid solely at the discretion of the Compensation Committee or Board that are not paid from a “bonus pool” that is determined by satisfying a Financial Reporting Measure performance goal; bonuses paid solely upon satisfying one or more subjective standards and/or completion of a specified employment period; non-equity incentive plan awards earned solely upon satisfying one or more strategic measures or operational measures; and equity awards that vest solely based on the passage of time and/or attaining one or more non-Financial Reporting Measures. Incentive Compensation includes any Incentive Compensation Received on or after October 2, 2023 pursuant to a preexisting contract or arrangement.

 

Received:” Incentive Compensation is deemed “Received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of the Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.

 

Recoverable Incentive Compensation” means the amount of any Incentive Compensation (calculated on a pre-tax basis) Received by a Covered Person during the Applicable Period that is in excess of the amount that otherwise would have been Received if the calculation were based on the Restatement. For Incentive Compensation based on (or derived from) stock price or total shareholder return where the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the applicable Restatement, the amount will be determined by the Compensation Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive Compensation was Received (in which case, the Company will maintain documentation of such determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to the Company’s applicable listing exchange).

 

Restatement” means an accounting restatement of any of the Company’s financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under U.S. securities laws, regardless of whether the Company or Covered Person misconduct was the cause for such restatement. “Restatement” includes any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements (commonly referred to as “Big R” restatements), or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (commonly referred to as “little r” restatements).