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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 27, 2021
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
| British Columbia (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
Not Applicable (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
545 Speedvale Avenue West
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1K 1E6
Tel: (1-519) 837-1881
(Address and telephone number of registrant's principal executive offices)
C T Corporation System
28 Liberty Street
New York, New York 10005
(212) 894-8940
(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)
Copies to:
David T. Zhang, Esq.
Benjamin W. James, Esq.
c/o Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
26th Floor, Gloucester Tower
The Landmark
15 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong
+852 3761-3318
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ý
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. o
- †
- The term "new or revised financial accounting standard" refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
| Title of each class of securities to be registered(1) |
Amount To Be Registered(2) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee(2) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common shares with no par value |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Preferred shares |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Warrants |
— | — | — | — | ||||
|
||||||||
- (1)
- Includes
(i) securities initially offered and sold outside the United States that may be resold from time to time in the United States either as part of their
distribution or within 40 days after the later of the effective date of this registration statement and the date the securities are first bona fide offered to the public and
(ii) securities that may be purchased by the underwriters pursuant to an over-allotment option. These securities are not being registered for the purposes of sales outside of the United States.
- (2)
- An indeterminate aggregate number of securities is being registered as may from time to time be sold at indeterminate prices. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the Registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee.
PROSPECTUS
Canadian Solar Inc.
Common Shares
Preferred Shares
Warrants
We may offer and sell from time to time common shares, preferred shares and warrants of Canadian Solar Inc. in any combination from time to time in one or more offerings. The preferred shares and warrants may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common shares or other securities. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer.
In addition, from time to time, selling shareholders named in a prospectus supplement may offer and sell our common shares held by them. We will not receive any proceeds from the sales of our common shares by selling shareholders.
Each time we sell the securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and any supplement, as well as any documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable supplement, before you invest in any of our securities.
We may sell the securities independently or together with any other securities registered hereunder through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis. See "Plan of Distribution." If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements between or among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our common shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "CSIQ."
Investing in our securities involves risks. See the "Risk Factors" section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate by reference in this prospectus to read about factors you should consider before investing in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the disclosures in this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 27, 2021
i
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
Before purchasing any of the securities, you should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information About Us" and "Incorporation of Documents by Reference."
In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires,
- •
- "we," "us," "our company," "our" or "Canadian Solar" refers to Canadian Solar Inc., a company continued in the Province of British
Columbia, Canada, its predecessor entities and its subsidiaries;
- •
- "China" or "PRC" refers to the People's Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, Taiwan
and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau;
- •
- "shares" or "common shares" refers to common shares of Canadian Solar Inc. with no par value;
- •
- "$," "US$" and "U.S. dollars" refers to the legal currency of the United States;
- •
- "RMB" and "Renminbi" refers to the legal currency of China;
- •
- "C$," "CAD" and "Canadian dollars" refers to the legal currency of Canada; and
- •
- "€" and "Euro" are to the legal currency of the European Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union.
This prospectus is part of an "automatic shelf" registration statement that we filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as a "well-known seasoned issuer" as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, using a "shelf" registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we or any selling shareholders may sell our shares, preferred shares and warrants or any combination of any of the foregoing from time to time in one or more offerings on a continuous or delayed basis. This prospectus only provides you with a summary description of these securities. Each time we or any selling shareholders sell the securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and the specific terms of that offering. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the prospectus supplement.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We will not make an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as indicated below. Forms of documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters.
The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov.
Our website address is http://www.canadiansolar.com. The information on our website, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.
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INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information we file with them. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus and should be read with the same care. When we update the information contained in documents that have been incorporated by reference by making future filings with the SEC, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus is considered to be automatically updated and superseded. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information contained in this prospectus and information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:
- •
- our annual report on
Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on April 19, 2021; and
- •
- with respect to each offering of the securities under this prospectus, all our subsequent annual reports on Form 20-F and any report on Form 6-K that indicates that it is being incorporated by reference, in each case, that we file or furnish with the SEC on or after the date on which the registration statement is first filed with the SEC and until the termination or completion of the offering under this prospectus.
Our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed on April 19, 2021 contains a description of our business and audited consolidated financial statements with a report by our independent auditors. These financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP.
Unless expressly incorporated by reference, nothing in this prospectus shall be deemed to incorporate by reference information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC. Copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, who receives a copy of this prospectus on the written or oral request of that person made to:
Huifeng
Chang, Director and Chief Financial Officer
Canadian Solar Inc.
545 Speedvale Avenue West
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1K 1E6
Tel: (1-519) 837-1881
You should rely only on the information that we incorporate by reference or provide in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making any offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the information incorporated herein and therein by reference may contain "forward-looking" statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are not statements of historical fact, may contain estimates, assumptions, projections and/or expectations regarding future events, which may or may not occur. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "should," "will," "would," or similar expressions, which refer to future events and trends, identify forward-looking statements. For instance, we make forward-looking statements such as our expected manufacturing capacity, our estimated silicon raw material requirements and our estimated silicon consumption rate. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement will happen as described or that they will happen at all. You should read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement completely and with the understanding that actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation, beyond that required by law, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made, even though our situation may change in the future.
Whether actual results will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and reflect future business decisions that are subject to change. Some of the assumptions, future results and levels of performance expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements we make inevitably will not materialize, and unanticipated events may occur which will affect our results. The "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus directs you to a description of the principal contingencies and uncertainties to which we believe we are subject.
This prospectus also contains or incorporates by reference data related to the solar power market in several countries, including China. These market data, including industry demand and product pricing, include projections that are based on a number of assumptions. Demand for solar generated electricity may not ultimately increase at the rates expected, or at all. The failure of the market to grow at the projected rates may materially and adversely affect our business and the market price of our securities. In addition, the rapidly changing nature of the solar power market and related regulatory regimes subjects any projections or estimates relating to the growth prospects or future condition of our market to significant uncertainties. If any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data proves to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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Overview
We are one of the world's largest solar power companies and a leading vertically-integrated provider of solar power products, services and system solutions with operations in North America, South America, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. We are continued in British Columbia, Canada, and conduct most of our manufacturing operations in China and Southeast Asia.
Our business consists of the following two business segments: CSI Solar segment and Global Energy segment. Our CSI Solar Segment involves the design, development, manufacturing and sale of a wide range of solar power products, including solar modules, solar system kits, battery energy storage solutions, China energy (including solar projects, EPC services and electricity revenue in China), and other materials, components and services (including EPC). Our Global Energy Segment primarily consists of global solar and energy storage power projects (excluding China), O&M and asset management services, global electricity revenue (excluding China), as well as other development services.
Under our CSI Solar business segment, we design, develop and manufacture solar ingots, wafers, cells, modules and other solar power products. Our solar power products include standard solar modules and specialty solar products. Our products include a range of solar modules built to general specifications for use in a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial solar power generation systems. Specialty solar products consist of customized solar modules that our customers incorporate into their own products and complete specialty products, such as portable solar home systems. We employ a flexible, vertically integrated business model that combines internal manufacturing capacity with direct material purchases of both cells and wafers. We believe this approach has benefited us by lowering the cost of materials of our solar module products. We also believe that this approach provides us with greater flexibility to respond to short-term demand increases.
Our competitive advantage is driven by our strong brand, defined as being rated the number one "most bankable brand" by Bloomberg New Energy Finance over the past four consecutive annual bankability surveys. We also have one of the most globally diverse end markets, shipping to over 70 countries on an average quarter, including the U.S., Japan, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Spain, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands. Our customers are primarily distributors, system integrators, project developers and installers/EPC companies, but our markets are over-indexed to premium markets and segments, such as the distributed generation segment which accounted for 54% of our total shipments in 2020. This was significantly higher than the share of the distributed generation segment overall, which accounted for 38% of the global market.
Our Global Energy segment primarily comprises solar power project development and sale, solar power projects operation and sales of electricity globally outside of China, and our CSI Solar segment comprises solar power project development and sale, solar power projects operation, and sale of electricity in China. While we plan to continue to monetize our current portfolio of solar power projects in operation, we also intend to grow our energy business by expanding our project pipeline. In March 2015, we acquired Recurrent Energy, LLC, or Recurrent, a leading solar energy developer with solar power projects located principally in California and Texas, and thereby significantly increased our solar project pipeline.
In October 2017, our Japanese subsidiary sponsored the listing of the Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It currently remains as the largest publicly listed solar infrastructure fund in Japan, which is one of our key markets.
As of March 31, 2021, our project backlog (formerly called late-stage, utility-scale, solar project pipeline), which refers to projects that have passed their Risk Cliff Date and are expected to be built in the next one to four years, totaled approximately 3.7 gigawatt peak, or GWp, with 744 megawatt peak,
5
or MWp, in North America, 2,098 MWp in Latin America, 191 MWp in Asia Pacific excluding China, 400 MWp in EMEA, and 80 MWp in China. The Risk Cliff Date depends on the country where a project is located and is defined as the date on which the project passes the last of the high-risk development stages (usually receipt of all required environmental approvals, interconnection agreements, FITs and PPAs. As of March 31, 2021, our project pipeline (formerly called our early-to-mid- stage, utility-scale, solar project pipeline) totaled 15.4 GW. In addition to our project backlog and project pipeline, as of March 31, 2021, we had 1,809 MWp of solar projects in construction; and a portfolio of solar power projects in operation totaling 477 MWp with an estimated resale value of approximately $420 million.
Canadian Solar is one of the first movers in developing and supplying energy storage solutions and projects. Given the exponential market opportunities driven by rapid technology improvements, declining battery storage costs, rising penetration of renewable energy and accelerating retirements of fossil fuel capacity, we have been developing our technology and expertise in battery storage solutions over the past few years, strategically positioned the Company both in solar plus battery storage as well as in stand-alone storage opportunities. We have a unique advantage in tapping into the large energy storage market opportunities given our strong position as a global leader both in module manufacturing as well as a solar project development. Thus, both the CSI Solar and Global Energy segments have focused strategically on their respective energy storage businesses.
The battery storage system integration team, currently under CSI Solar, focuses on delivering bankable, end-to-end, integrated battery storage solutions for utility scale, commercial and industrial, as well as residential applications. These systems solutions will be complemented with long-term service agreements, including future battery capacity augmentation services. In this business, we had 861 MWh of battery storage projects contracted or under construction, 1.4 GWh in high probability forecast and 4.8 GWh of early- to mid-stage pipeline as of March 31, 2021.
The energy storage project development team, currently under Global Energy, is now fully integrated within the main solar development team, building our pipeline of utility-scale energy storage projects, both co-located with solar PV as well as stand-alone opportunities. In this business, we had 3 MWh of battery storage projects in operation, 1.2 GWh in construction, 1.1 GWh of backlog and 14.6 GWh of early- to mid-stage pipeline as of March 31, 2021.
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Please see the factors set forth under the heading "Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors" in our most recently filed annual report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated in this prospectus by reference, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and, if applicable, in any accompanying prospectus supplement before investing in any of the securities that may be offered or sold pursuant to this prospectus.
7
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities registered as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We were incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada in October 2001. We changed our jurisdiction by continuing under the Canada Business Corporations Act, in June 2006. In July 2020, we filed articles of continuance, or the articles, to change our jurisdiction from the federal jurisdiction of Canada to the provincial jurisdiction of the Province of British Columbia under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), or the BCBCA.
Most of our directors and officers and some of the experts named in this prospectus reside principally outside the United States. Because these persons are located outside the United States, it may not be possible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon those persons. Furthermore, it may not be possible for you to enforce against us or them, in the United States, judgments obtained in U.S. courts, because all or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons are located outside the United States. We have been advised by WeirFoulds LLP, our Canadian counsel, that there are defenses that can be raised to the enforceability, in original actions in Canadian courts, of liabilities based upon the U.S. federal securities laws and to the enforceability in Canadian courts of judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions based upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws, such that the enforcement in Canada of such liabilities and judgments is not certain. Therefore, it may not be possible to enforce in Canada those actions against us, our directors and officers or the experts named in this prospectus.
Our constituent documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated.A significant portion of our current operations are conducted in China, and a significant portion of our assets are located in China. A majority of our directors and officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States, and a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon us or such persons, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Zhong Lun Law Firm, our counsel as to PRC law, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would:
- •
- recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability
provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or
- •
- entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Zhong Lun Law Firm has advised us further that the recognition and enforcement of foreign civil judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign civil judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties or arrangements between the PRC and the country where the judgment is made or on reciprocity between jurisdictions, among others. Currently, China does not have any treaties or other arrangements that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign civil judgments with the United States or Canada. As a result, it is generally difficult to recognize and enforce in China a civil judgment rendered by a court in either of these two jurisdictions.
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Material income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offering of those securities.
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Selling shareholders to be named in a prospectus supplement may, from time to time, offer and sell common shares of our company held by them pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. Such selling shareholders may sell common shares to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers or as otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. See "Plan of Distribution." Such selling shareholders may also sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of common shares in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
If any selling shareholder is to offer and sell common shares pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that sets forth the name of each such selling shareholder and the number of common shares beneficially owned by each such selling shareholder. The prospectus supplement also will disclose whether any of the selling shareholders have held any position or office with, have been employed by, or otherwise have had a material relationship with us during the three years prior to the date of the prospectus supplement.
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We are a British Columbia corporation, and our affairs are governed by our notice of articles and our articles, each as amended from time to time, and the provisions of the BCBCA.
As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized share capital consists of an unlimited number of common shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares, issuable in series. As of March 31, 2021, 59,869,460 common shares and no preferred shares were issued and outstanding.
The following summary description of our share capital does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our notice of articles and articles. If you would like more information on our common shares, you should review our notice of articles, articles and the BCBCA.
Common Shares
General
All of our common shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our common shares are issued in registered form and may or may not be certificated although every shareholder is entitled at their option to a share certificate that complies with the BCBCA. Except as provided in the Investment Canada Act (Canada), there are no limitations on the rights of shareholders who are not residents of Canada to hold and vote common shares.
Dividends
Holders of our common shares are entitled to receive, from funds legally available therefor, dividends when and as declared by the board of directors, subject to any prior rights of the holders of our preferred shares if issued. The BCBCA provides that a corporation may not declare or pay a dividend if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the corporation is, or would be after the payment of the dividend, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due or the realizable value of its assets would thereby be less than the aggregate of its liabilities and stated capital of all classes of shares of its capital. These rights are subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to any other series or class of shares ranking senior in priority to or on a pro rata basis with the holders of common shares with respect to dividends.
Voting Rights
Each common share is entitled to one vote on all matters upon which the common shares are entitled to vote.
Liquidation
With respect to a distribution of assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or any other distribution of our assets for the purposes of winding up our affairs, assets available for distribution among the holders of common shares shall be distributed among the holders of the common shares on a pro rata basis, subject to any prior rights of the holders of our preferred shares if issued.
Variations of Rights of Shares
The articles provide that all or any of the rights attached to our common shares may, subject to the provisions of the BCBCA, be amended or varied by way of special resolution passed at a meeting of the holders of the shares of common shares or, in lieu thereof, by unanimous shareholder consent resolution.
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
Computershare Inc. is the transfer agent and registrar for our common shares. The address of Computershare Inc. is 150 Royal Street, Canton, MA, United States of America.
Shareholders' Rights
The BCBCA, our notice of articles and our articles govern us and our relations with our shareholders. The following is a summary of certain rights of holders of our common shares under our articles and the BCBCA. This summary is not intended to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the BCBCA, our notice of articles and articles.
Stated Objects or Purposes
Our articles do not contain any stated objects or purposes and do not place any limitations on the business that we may carry on.
Shareholder Meetings
Pursuant to the BCBCA, we must hold an annual meeting of our shareholders at least once every calendar year at a time and place determined by the board, provided that the meeting must not be held later than 15 months after the preceding annual meeting or later than six months after the end of our preceding financial year. A meeting of our shareholders may be held at any place within British Columbia or, if determined by our directors, any location outside British Columbia including, but not limited to, New York, New York, United States of America, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, London, England, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.
Subject to any special rights or restrictions attached to any shares, voting at a meeting of shareholders may be conducted by way of poll or by show of hands or, in certain other circumstances as required by the BCBCA, in any other manner that adequately discloses the intentions of the shareholders present. Accordingly, the articles provide that:
- (a)
- on
a poll, every shareholder entitled to vote has one vote in respect of each share held by that shareholder that carries the right to vote on that poll and may
exercise that vote either in person or by proxy; and
- (b)
- on a vote by show of hands, every person present who is a shareholder or proxy holder and entitled to vote at the meeting has one vote.
A poll may be demanded by the chairman of the meeting or by any shareholder present in person or by proxy. However, if such a poll is demanded, the poll must be taken at the meeting or within seven days after the date of the meeting, as the chair of the meeting so directs, and in the manner, at the time and at the place that the chair of the meeting directs.
A special resolution is a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote on the resolution at a meeting at which a quorum is present. An ordinary resolution is a resolution passed by not less than a simple majority of the votes cast by the shareholders entitled to vote on the resolution at a meeting at which a quorum is present.
Notice of Meeting of Shareholders
Our articles provide that we must send notice of the date, time and location of any meeting of shareholders or in such other manner, if any, as may be prescribed by ordinary resolution (whether previous notice of the resolution has been given or not), to each shareholder entitled to attend the meeting at least 21 days nor more than 2 months before the date of the meeting.
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Quorum
Under the BCBCA, unless the corporation's articles provide otherwise, a quorum is present at a meeting of shareholders if two shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting are present whether in person or represented by proxy. Our articles provide that, subject to the special rights and restrictions attached to the shares of any affected class or series of shares, the quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of shareholders is two or more persons, present in person or by proxy and together holding or representing by proxy shares carrying at least 331/3 percent of the votes entitled to be voted at the meeting.
Record Date for Notice of Meeting of Shareholders
Our board may fix, in advance, a date as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of a meeting of shareholders, but such record date shall not precede by more than 2 months or by less than 21 days the date on which the meeting is to be held. If no record date is fixed, the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of a meeting of shareholders shall be 5:00 p.m. on the day immediately preceding the day on which the notice is given or, if no notice is given, the beginning of the meeting.
Ability to Requisition Special Meetings of the Shareholders
The BCBCA provides that the holders of not less than five percent of the issued shares of a corporation that carry the right to vote at a meeting sought to be held may give notice to the directors requiring them to call a meeting for the purposes stated in the requisition.
Shareholder Proposals
A shareholder entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders who has held one or more shares with a fair market value of at least C$2,000 for an uninterrupted period of at least 2 years before the date of the signing of the proposal may submit to us a shareholder's proposal and discuss at the meeting any matter in respect of which the shareholder would have been entitled to submit in said proposal, including nominations for the election of directors.
Authorization of Certain Corporate Action
Under the BCBCA, certain substantive changes to the charter documents of the corporation, such as an alteration of the restrictions, if any, on the business carried on by the corporation, a change in the name of the corporation, an increase, reduction or elimination of the maximum number of shares that the corporation is authorized to issue out of any class or series of shares, an alteration of the special rights and restrictions attached to issued shares or the continuance of the corporation out of the jurisdiction of the BCBCA, require a resolution of the type specified in the articles. Accordingly, if the articles fail to specify the type of resolution or, if the articles do not contain such a provision, a special resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders on the resolution. Other fundamental changes such as a proposed amalgamation or arrangement require a similar special resolution passed by the holders of shares of each class entitled to vote at a general meeting and the holders of all classes of shares adversely affected by such changes.
Related Party Transactions
The BCBCA does not prohibit related party transactions. But see "Interested Directors Transactions".
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Dissent Rights
The BCBCA provides that our shareholders are entitled to exercise dissent rights and demand payment of the fair value of their shares in certain circumstances and provided that the procedures set out in the BCBCA are followed. For this purpose, there is no distinction between listed and unlisted shares. Dissent rights of holders of any class of our shares exist when we resolve to:
- •
- alter the articles to alter restrictions on our powers or on the business we are permitted to carry on;
- •
- adopt an amalgamation agreement;
- •
- approve an amalgamation into a foreign jurisdiction;
- •
- approve an arrangement, the terms of which arrangement permit dissent;
- •
- authorize or ratify the sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all our' undertaking;
- •
- authorize our continuation into a jurisdiction other than British Columbia; or
- •
- pass any other resolution, if dissent is authorized by the resolution.
In addition, a court order in connection with an arrangement proposed by us may permit shareholders to dissent if the arrangement is adopted.
Action by Written Consent
Under the BCBCA, shareholders can take action by written resolution and without a meeting only if all shareholders sign the written resolution.
Preferred Shares
General
The board has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue an unlimited number of preferred shares in one or more series at any time and from time to time. While the issuance of preferred shares provides us with flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions or other corporate purposes, it could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control transaction and could adversely affect the market price of our common shares and the notes that may be offered in this offering memorandum. We have no current plan to issue any preferred shares.
Ability to fix the Designations, Rights, Privileges, Restrictions and Conditions
Before it issues any series of preferred shares, the board may, by resolution, fix the number of preferred shares in, and determine the designations, rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the preferred shares of, such series, including without limitation:
- (a)
- the
issue price per share, which may be expressed in a foreign currency, provided that the issue price per share shall not be less than C$1.00 (or its equivalent in
a foreign currency at the date of issuance) or more than C$100.00 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency at the date of issuance);
- (b)
- the
rate, amount or method of calculation of dividends, including whether such rate, amount or method shall be subject to change or adjustment in the future;
- (c)
- the method of payment of dividends, including whether such dividends shall be cumulative, non-cumulative, partially cumulative, deferred or payable on some other basis;
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- (d)
- the
date or dates, manner and currency or currencies of payment of dividends;
- (e)
- the
restrictions, if any, on the payments of dividends on any Junior Shares (defined below);
- (f)
- the
rights and obligations, if any, that we have to redeem or purchase the shares, including the prices and other terms of redemption or purchase;
- (g)
- the
terms of any share purchase plan or sinking or similar fund providing for the purchase or redemption of the shares;
- (h)
- the
rights, if any, of the holders of the shares to retract the shares, including the prices and other terms of retraction;
- (i)
- the
rights, if any, of the holders of the shares or of us to convert or exchange the shares for other securities of ours or any other entity and the rates and other
terms of conversion or exchange;
- (j)
- the
voting rights, if any, attached to the shares; and
- (k)
- the preferences, if any, of the shares over any Junior Shares with respect to the distribution of our assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in the event of any other distribution of our property or assets among our shareholders for the purpose of winding up its affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary.
"Junior Shares" means the common shares and any other of our shares ranking junior to the preferred shares with respect to the payment of dividends and with respect to the distribution of assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in the event of any other distribution of our property or assets among our shareholders for the purpose of winding up its affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary.
Voting Rights
Except where the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to a series of our preferred shares otherwise provide, the holders of our preferred shares shall not be entitled as such to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, a meeting of our shareholders. Except where the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to a series of our preferred shares otherwise provide, on any poll taken at any meeting of the holders of preferred shares, whether as a class or a series or two or more series, each holder of preferred shares entitled to vote at the meeting shall have one one-hundredth of a vote in respect of each C$1.00 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency at the date of issuance) of the issue price for each preferred share held. Except where the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to a series of our preferred shares otherwise provide, the formalities to be observed with respect to the giving of notice of, and voting at, any meeting of holders of preferred shares, including without limitation, the quorum therefor, shall be those from time to time prescribed by our articles with respect to meetings of shareholders.
Creation of Additional Classes and Other Matters
Subject to the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to a series of our preferred shares, we may, without the approval or consent of the holders of the preferred shares voting separately as a class or series, at any time and from time to time:
- (a)
- create one or more other classes of shares ranking on a parity with the preferred shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in the event of any other distribution of our property or assets among our shareholders for the purpose of winding up our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary;
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- (b)
- if
all dividends on each outstanding series of preferred shares accrued to the most recently preceding date for the payment of dividends on such series shall have
been declared and paid or set apart for payment, create one or more other classes of shares ranking superior to the preferred shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of
assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in the event of any other distribution of our property or assets among our shareholders for the
purpose of winding up our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary;
- (c)
- increase
any maximum number of authorized shares of any other class of shares; and
- (d)
- effect an exchange, reclassification or cancellation of all or part of the preferred shares.
Liquidation
With respect to a distribution of assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or any other distribution of our assets for the purposes of winding up our affairs, before any amount shall be paid to, or any property distributed among, the holders of our common shares, the holders of our preferred shares shall be entitled to receive:
- (a)
- the
amount paid up on such shares or such other amount or amounts as have been provided for with respect to such shares;
- (b)
- the
premium, if any, provided for with respect to such shares;
- (c)
- in
the case of shares entitled to cumulative dividends, any unpaid cumulative dividends on such shares; and
- (d)
- in the case of shares entitled to non-cumulative dividends, any declared but unpaid non-cumulative dividends on such shares.
After payment of the amounts payable to them, the holders of our preferred shares shall not be entitled to share in any further distribution of our property and assets.
No Pre-Emptive Rights
The holders of our preferred shares shall not be entitled as such to subscribe for, purchase or receive any part of any issue of our securities, now or hereafter authorized, or any rights to acquire the same, otherwise than in accordance with any conversion, exchange or other rights which may from time to time be attached to any series of preferred shares.
Directors
Number of Directors and Election
Under the BCBCA, our charter documents consist of (i) the notice of articles, which sets forth the name of the corporation, the corporation's registered and records office, the names and addresses of our directors and the amount and type of authorized capital, and (ii) the articles, which govern the management of the corporation, set out any special rights or restrictions attached our shares and establishes the procedures for changing the number of directors on our board.
Accordingly, as we are a public company, as such term is defined in the BCBCA, the articles provide that the board must consist of the greater of three directors and such number of directors equal to the number of directors most recently elected by ordinary resolution at a meeting of shareholders. Our board of directors currently consists of six directors.
Our articles provide that our board may appoint one or more additional directors, who shall hold office for a term expiring not later than the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders, to fill any
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casual vacancy occurring on the board provided the total number of directors so appointed may not exceed one-third the number of directors elected at the previous annual meeting of shareholders.
Shareholders of a corporation governed by the BCBCA elect directors by ordinary resolution at each annual meeting of shareholders at which such an election is required.
Director Qualifications
Under the BCBCA a director must not be:
- •
- under eighteen years of age;
- •
- found by a court, in Canada or elsewhere, to be incapable of managing their own affairs;
- •
- an undischarged bankrupt; or
- •
- convicted in or out of the Province of British Columbia of an offence in connection with the promotion, formation or management of a
corporation or unincorporated business, or of an offence involving fraud, unless:
- (a)
- a
court orders otherwise,
- (b)
- 5 years
have elapsed since the last to occur of:
- (i)
- the
expiration of the period set for suspension of the passing of sentence without a sentence having been passed;
- (ii)
- the
imposition of a fine;
- (iii)
- the
conclusion of the term of any imprisonment; and
- (iv)
- the
conclusion of the term of any probation imposed, or
- (c)
- a pardon was granted or issued, or a record suspension was ordered, under the Criminal Records Act (Canada) and the pardon or record suspension, as the case may be, has not been revoked or ceased to have effect.
Removal of Directors
Under the BCBCA, a corporation's shareholders may, by special resolution, remove any director before the expiration of their term of office, and may, by ordinary resolution, elect or appoint a director to fill the resulting vacancy. If the shareholders do not contemporaneously elect or appoint a director to fill the vacancy created by the removal of a director, then the directors may appoint, or the shareholders may elect or appoint by ordinary resolution, a director to fill that vacancy for the remainder of such term.
Under the BCBCA, a director's term expires at the next annual meeting of shareholders. A director may be nominated for re-election to the board at the end of the director's term.
Vacancies on the Board of Directors
Under the BCBCA, vacancies that exist on the board, except a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number or the minimum or maximum number of directors or a failure to elect the number or minimum number of directors provided for in the articles, may be filled by the board if the remaining directors constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum, the remaining directors may only act for the purpose of appointing directors up to such number so as to establish quorum or summon a meeting of shareholders to fill any vacancies on the board or for any other purpose permitted by the BCBCA.
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Limitation of Personal Liability of Directors and Officers
Under the BCBCA, in exercising their powers and discharging their duties, directors and officers must act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the corporation and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. No provision in the corporation's articles, resolutions or contracts can relieve a director or officer from the duty to act in accordance with the BCBCA or relieve a director from liability for a breach thereof. However, a director will not be liable for breaching his or her duty to act in accordance with the BCBCA if the director relied in good faith on:
- •
- financial statements represented to them by an officer or in a written report of the auditor to fairly reflect the financial condition of the
corporation; or
- •
- a report of a person whose profession lends credibility to a statement made by such person.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Under Division 5 of Part 5 of the BCBCA, we may indemnify any present or former director or officer or an individual who acts or has acted at our request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity, of another corporation or entity, against all judgments, penalties or fines awarded or imposed in, or amounts paid in settlement of, a proceeding in which any such director, officer or other individual, by reason of him or her being or having been a director of officer of, or holding or having held a position equivalent to that of a director or officer of, our company or an associated corporation (a) is or may be joined as a party, or (b) is or may be liable for or in respect of a judgment, penalty or fine in, or expenses related to, the proceeding. In addition we may, after the final disposition of any such proceeding, pay the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by any such director, officer or other individual in respect of that proceeding, or in certain circumstances we may pay such expenses as they are incurred. However, Division 5 of Part 5 of the BCBCA also provides that we must not provide such indemnification or payment of expenses in certain circumstances including if, in relation to the subject matter of the proceeding, such director, officer or other individual did not act honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests, or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the associated corporation, and if, in the case of a proceeding other than a civil proceeding, such director, officer or other individual did not have reasonable grounds for believing that his or her conduct was lawful.
Under our articles, our board of directors must cause us to indemnify our directors and officers and former directors and officers, and their respective heirs and personal or other legal representatives to the greatest extent permitted by Division 5 of Part 5 of the BCBCA.
We have entered into indemnity agreements with each of our directors agreeing to indemnify them, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against all liability, loss, harm damage cost or expense, reasonably incurred by the director in respect of any threatened, pending, ongoing or completed claim or civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other action or proceeding made or commenced against him or in which he is or was involved by reason of the fact that he is or was a director of our company.
Sources of Dividends
Dividends may be declared at the discretion of the board. Under the BCBCA, the directors may not declare, and we may not pay, dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that (i) we are, or would after such payment be unable to pay our liabilities as they become due or (ii) the realizable value of our assets would be less than the aggregate of our liabilities and of our stated capital of all classes of shares.
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Amendments to the Notice of Articles and Articles
Subject to the articles and the BCBCA, our directors may by resolution:
- (a)
- change
the name of the corporation or adopt or change any translation of that name;
- (b)
- create
one or more classes or series of shares or, if none of the shares of a class or series of shares are allotted or issued, eliminate that class or series of
shares;
- (c)
- increase,
reduce or eliminate the maximum number of shares that we are authorized to issue out of any class or series of shares or establish a maximum number of
shares that we are authorized to issue out of any class or series of shares for which no maximum is established;
- (d)
- if
we are authorized to issue shares of a class of shares with par value:
- (i)
- decrease
the par value of those shares,
- (ii)
- if
none of the shares of that class of shares are allotted or issued, increase the par value of those shares,
- (iii)
- subdivide
all or any of its unissued or fully paid issued shares with par value into shares of smaller par value, or
- (iv)
- consolidate
all or any of its unissued or fully paid issued shares with par value into shares of larger par value;
- (e)
- subdivide
all or any of our unissued or fully paid issued shares without par value;
- (f)
- change
all or any of our unissued or fully paid issued shares with par value into shares without par value or all or any of its unissued shares without par value
into shares with par value;
- (g)
- alter
the identifying name of any of our shares;
- (h)
- consolidate
all or any of our unissued or fully paid issued shares without par value; or
- (i)
- otherwise alter our shares or authorized share structure when required or permitted to do so by the BCBCA.
See "—Authorization of Certain Corporate Action" for more details regarding the requirements to enact other substantive changes to our charter documents.
Interested Directors Transactions
Under the BCBCA, a director or senior officer of a company holds a disclosable interest in a contract or transaction if (a) the contract or transaction is material to the company, (b) the company has entered, or proposes to enter, into the contract or transaction, and (c) either the director or senior officer has a material interest in the contract or transaction, or the director or senior officer is a director or senior officer of, or has a material interest in, a person who has a material interest in the contract or transaction. A director who has a disclosable interest in a contract or transaction is not entitled to vote on any directors' resolution to approve that contract or transaction. Further, subject to the BCBCA, generally a director or senior officer of the company is liable to account to the company for any profit that accrues to him or her under or as a result of a contract or transaction in which he or she holds a disclosable interest. However in certain circumstances a director or senior officer of the company will not be liable to account for and may retain any such profit including if the contract or transaction is approved by the directors after the nature and extent of the disclosable interest has been disclosed to the directors, or if the contract or transaction is approved by a special resolution of the shareholders after the nature and extent of the disclosable interest has been disclosed to the shareholders entitled to vote on that resolution. The disclosure of the nature and extent of a
20
disclosable interest may be made to the company in writing or be evidenced in a consent resolution, the minutes of a meeting or other record deposited in the company's records office. '
Committees
Under the BCBCA and our articles, our directors may, by way of resolution, appoint one or more committees consisting of directors from their number or other persons, as desired, and delegate to such committee members certain powers of the directors.
Derivative Actions
Under the BCBCA, a complainant (as defined below) may, with leave of the court, prosecute or defend a legal proceeding in the name and on behalf of the corporation to enforce a right, duty or obligation owed to the corporation that could be enforced by the corporation itself or to obtain damages for any breach of such a right, duty or obligation. A "complainant" includes, in relation to us, a shareholder or director of the corporation. Accordingly, no such action may be brought and no such intervention in an action may be made unless the court is satisfied that:
- •
- the complainant has made reasonable efforts to cause our directors to prosecute or defend the legal proceeding,
- •
- notice of the application for leave has been given to us and to any other person the court may order,
- •
- the complainant is acting in good faith, and
- •
- it appears to the court that it is in the best interests of the company for the legal proceeding to be prosecuted or defended.
Under the BCBCA, the court in a derivative action may make any order it thinks fit, including orders pertaining to the awarding of costs and the indemnification of certain individuals, including the complainant. Further, no legal proceeding prosecuted or defended in regards to a derivative action brought forward by a complainant may be discontinued, settled or dismissed without the approval of the court under the BCBCA.
Oppression Remedy
Under the BCBCA, a shareholder of a corporation or any other person who, in the discretion of the court, is an appropriate person to make an application has the right to apply to the court on the grounds that:
- (a)
- the
affairs of the corporation are being or have been conducted, or that the powers of the directors are being or have been exercised, in a manner oppressive to one
or more of the shareholders, including the applicant; or
- (b)
- some act of the corporation has been done or is threatened, or that some resolution of the shareholders or of the shareholders holding shares of a class or series of shares has been passed or is proposed, that is unfairly prejudicial to one or more of the shareholders, including the applicant.
On such an application, the court can grant a variety of remedies, ranging from an order restraining the conduct complained of to an order requiring the corporation to repurchase the shareholder's shares or an order liquidating the corporation.
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Inspection of Books and Records
Under the BCBCA, our shareholders may examine, free of charge during normal business hours:
- •
- our notice of articles and articles and all amendments thereto;
- •
- the minutes and resolutions of our shareholders;
- •
- copies of all notices of directors filed under the BCBCA;
- •
- our register of directors; and
- •
- our central securities register.
Any of our shareholders may request copies of our notice of articles and articles and all amendments thereto free of charge.
Exchange Controls
Canada has no system of exchange controls. There are no Canadian restrictions on the repatriation of capital or earnings of a Canadian public company to non-resident investors. There are no laws of Canada or exchange restrictions affecting the remittance of dividends or similar payments to non-resident holders of our common shares, except as described under "Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—Canadian Federal Income Tax Considerations" in our most recently filed annual report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated in this prospectus by reference, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act.
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The following is a description of the terms and provisions of our shares, preferred shares and warrants to purchase shares or preferred shares, which we may offer and sell using this prospectus. These summaries are not meant to be a complete description of each security. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for each security. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the securities as described in this prospectus.
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We may issue our common shares either alone or underlying other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common shares.
Holders of our common shares are entitled to certain rights and subject to certain conditions as set forth in our articles and the BCBCA. See "Description of Share Capital."
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR PREFERRED SHARES
Our board of directors has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue an unlimited number of preferred shares in one or more series. Our board of directors may establish the number of shares to be included in each such series and may set the designations, preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred shares. Accordingly, our board of directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred shares with dividend, liquidation, conversion, redemption, voting or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common shares. The preferred shares could be utilized as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of Canadian Solar. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future.
As of the date of this document, there are no outstanding preferred shares of any series. The material terms of any series of preferred shares that we offer, together with any material U.S. and Canadian federal income tax considerations relating to such preferred shares, will be described in a prospectus supplement.
Holders of our preferred shares are entitled to certain rights and subject to certain conditions as set forth in our articles and the BCBCA. See "Description of Share Capital."
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We may issue and offer warrants under the material terms and conditions described in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the warrants as described in this prospectus.
General
We may issue warrants to purchase our common shares or preferred shares. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any securities and may be attached to or separate from those securities. The warrants will be issued under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all of which will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants we are offering. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not have any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.
Equity Warrants
Each equity warrant issued by us will entitle its holder to purchase the equity securities designated at an exercise price set forth in, or to be determinable as set forth in, the related prospectus supplement. Equity warrants may be issued separately or together with equity securities.
The equity warrants are to be issued under equity warrant agreements to be entered into between us and one or more banks or trust companies, as equity warrant agent, as will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and this prospectus.
The particular terms of the equity warrants, the equity warrant agreements relating to the equity warrants and the equity warrant certificates representing the equity warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, as applicable:
- •
- the title of the equity warrants;
- •
- the initial offering price;
- •
- the aggregate amount of equity warrants and the aggregate amount of equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the equity warrants;
- •
- the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;
- •
- if applicable, the designation and terms of the equity securities with which the equity warrants are issued, and the amount of equity warrants
issued with each equity security;
- •
- the date, if any, on and after which the equity warrants and the related equity security will be separately transferable;
- •
- if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the equity warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
- •
- the date on which the right to exercise the equity warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;
- •
- if applicable, a discussion of United States federal income tax, accounting or other considerations applicable to the equity warrants;
- •
- anti-dilution provisions of the equity warrants, if any;
- •
- redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the equity warrants; and
26
- •
- any additional terms of the equity warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the equity warrants.
Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled, solely by virtue of being holders, to vote, to consent, to receive dividends, to receive notice as shareholders with respect to any meeting of shareholders for the election of directors or any other matters, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as a holder of the equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the equity warrants.
27
We or any selling shareholders may sell or distribute the securities offered by this prospectus, from time to time, in one or more offerings, as follows:
- •
- through agents;
- •
- to or through dealers or underwriters;
- •
- directly to one or more purchasers; or
- •
- through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities may state or supplement the terms of the offering of the securities.
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders. In some cases, we or dealers acting for us or on our behalf may also repurchase securities and reoffer them to the public by one or more of the methods described above. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our securities distributed by any of these methods may be sold to the public, in one or more transactions, either:
- •
- at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;
- •
- at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
- •
- at prices related to prevailing market prices; or
- •
- at negotiated prices.
Sale through Underwriters or Dealers
If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account, including through underwriting, purchase, security lending or repurchase agreements with us. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. Underwriters may sell the securities in order to facilitate transactions in any of our other securities (described in this prospectus or otherwise), including other public or private transactions and short sales. Underwriters may offer the securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
If dealers are used in the sale of securities offered through this prospectus, we will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The applicable prospectus supplement will include the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.
Direct Sales and Sales through Agents
We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. Such securities may also be sold through agents designated from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the
28
offered securities and will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its commonly reasonable efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment. We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those shares. The terms of any such sales will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Offered securities may be sold at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be named, and any commissions payable by us to such agent will be set forth, in the supplement relating to that offering. Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular offering of securities, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
As one of the means of direct issuance of offered securities, we may utilize the services of an entity through which it may conduct an electronic "dutch auction" or similar offering of the offered securities among potential purchasers who are eligible to participate in the auction or offering of such offered securities, if so described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Delayed Delivery Contracts
If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.
Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, each series of offered securities will be a new issue and will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of offered securities on an exchange. Any underwriters that we use in the sale of offered securities may make a market in such securities, but may discontinue such market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot assure you that the securities will have a liquid trading market.
Any underwriter may also engage in stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Rule 104 under the Exchange Act. Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase the underlying security in the open market for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions.
Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.
Derivative Transactions and Hedging
We and the underwriters may engage in derivative transactions involving the securities. These derivatives may consist of short sale transactions and other hedging activities. The underwriters may
29
acquire a long or short position in the securities, hold or resell securities acquired and purchase options or futures on the securities and other derivative instruments with returns linked to or related to changes in the price of the securities. In order to facilitate these derivative transactions, we may enter into security lending or repurchase agreements with the underwriters. The underwriters may effect the derivative transactions through sales of the securities to the public, including short sales, or by lending the securities in order to facilitate short sale transactions by others. The underwriters may also use the securities purchased or borrowed from us or others (or, in the case of derivatives, securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives) to directly or indirectly settle sales of the securities or close out any related open borrowings of the securities.
Loans of Securities
We may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third parties that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement.
General Information
Agents, underwriters, and dealers may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification by us, against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the agents, underwriters, or dealers may be required to make. Our agents, underwriters, and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our affiliates, in the ordinary course of business for which they may receive customary compensation.
Agents, underwriters, and dealers that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any agents, underwriters or dealers used in the offer or sale of securities will be identified and their compensation described in an applicable prospectus supplement.
Conflicts of Interest
Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements with us, to indemnification by us relating to material misstatements and omissions in our offering documents. Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in their ordinary course of business.
Except for securities issued upon a reopening of a previous series, each series of offered securities will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom offered securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in such offered securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The offered securities may or may not be listed on a securities exchange. No assurance can be given that there will be a market for the offered securities.
30
The validity of the warrants offered by this prospectus, to the extent governed by the laws of the State of New York, will be passed upon for us by Kirkland & Ellis International LLP, our special United States counsel. The validity of the shares, preferred shares and warrants, to the extent governed by the laws of Canada, will be passed upon for us by WeirFoulds LLP, our special legal counsel as to Canadian law. Legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by Zhong Lun Law Firm, our counsel as to PRC law.
31
The financial statements, incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F, and the effectiveness of Canadian Solar Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The offices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP are located at 30th Floor, Bund Center, 222 Yan An Road East, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
32
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 8. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), and pursuant to our articles, we may indemnify any present or former director or officer or an individual who acts or acted at our request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity, of another entity, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by such individual in respect of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding in which the individual is involved because of that association with the corporation or other entity. In order to qualify for indemnification such director or officer must:
- •
- have acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests, or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the other entity for
which he or she acted as director or officer or in a similar capacity at our request; and
- •
- in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding enforced by a monetary penalty, have had reasonable grounds for believing that his or her conduct was lawful.
Indemnification will be provided to an eligible director or officer who meets both these tests and was substantially successful on the merits in his or her defense of the action.
A director or officer is entitled to indemnification from the company as a matter of right if he or she is not judged by the court or other competent authority to have committed any fault or omitted to do anything that the individual ought to have done and fulfilled the conditions set forth above.
Any underwriting agreement entered into in connection with an offering of securities will also provide for indemnification of us and our officers and directors in certain cases.
The exhibits to this registration statement are listed on the Index to Exhibits to this registration statement, which Index to Exhibits is hereby incorporated by reference.
(A) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or any decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and
II-1
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i), (A)(1)(ii) and (A)(1)(iii) of this item do not apply if the registration statement is on Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Exchange Act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Exchange Act or Rule 3-19 of Regulation S-K if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Form F-3.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof, provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any
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- (i)
- Any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
- (ii)
- Any
free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
- (iii)
- The
portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities
provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
- (iv)
- Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(B) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(C) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
II-3
- *
- To be filed as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange Act and incorporated herein by reference.
II-4
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Suzhou, People's Republic of China, on May 27, 2021.
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CANADIAN SOLAR INC. | |||||
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By: |
/s/ SHAWN (XIAOHUA) QU |
||||
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Name: | Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu | ||||
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Title: | Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||
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Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu and Huifeng Chang, and each of them, acting individually and without the other, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any and all related registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or its substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on May 27, 2021.
Signature
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Title
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|
|---|---|---|
| /s/ SHAWN (XIAOHUA) QU Name: Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu |
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) |
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/s/ HARRY E. RUDA Name: Harry E. Ruda |
Independent Director |
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/s/ ANDREW (LUEN CHEUNG) WONG Name: Andrew (Luen Cheung) Wong |
Independent Director |
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/s/ ARTHUR (LAP TAT) WONG Name: Arthur (Lap Tat) Wong |
Independent Director |
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/s/ LAUREN C. TEMPLETON Name: Lauren C. Templeton |
Independent Director |
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/s/ LESLIE LI HSIEN CHANG Name: Leslie Li Hsien Chang |
Independent Director |
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/s/ KARL E. OLSONI Name: Karl E. Olsoni |
Independent Director |
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/s/ YAN ZHUANG Name: Yan Zhuang |
Director |
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Signature
|
Title
|
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|---|---|---|
| /s/ HUIFENG CHANG Name: Huifeng Chang |
Director and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) |
| /s/ DONALD J. PUGLISI |
Authorized U.S. Representative | ||||
| Name: | Donald J. Puglisi | ||||
| Title: | Managing Director | ||||
| Puglisi & Associates | |||||
II-7
May 27, 2021
Canadian Solar Inc.
545 Speedvale Avenue West
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1K 1E6
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
Re: Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”)
We have acted as special legal counsel to the Company in Canada in connection with the filing of a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), on May 27, 2021 with respect to the issuance and sale from time to time by the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Act, of (i) common shares of the Company, no par value (the “Shares”), (ii) one or more series of preferred shares of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), and (iii) warrants representing the right to receive, upon exercise, Shares or Preferred Shares, which may be issued pursuant to one or more warrant agreements of the Company, proposed to be entered into with one or more warrant agents to be named therein (the “Warrants”). The Shares, Preferred Shares and Warrants are herein collectively called the “Securities”.
For the purposes of rendering the opinions set out below, we have examined a copy of the Registration Statement. We have also reviewed the Articles of Continuance of the Company dated July 23, 2020 (and all amendments thereto), and a certificate of an officer of the Company dated May 27, 2021 (a copy of which is annexed hereto) (the “Officer’s Certificate”) (collectively, the “Documents”) and made such inquiries and examined such questions of law as we have deemed necessary in order to render such opinions.
In rendering the opinion expressed in Paragraph 1 below, we have relied solely, as to the existence of the Company, upon a certificate of good standing dated May 27, 2021 issued with respect to the Company by the Registrar of Companies for British Columbia (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).
We have assumed (a) the genuineness and authenticity of all signatures and the conformity to originals of all copies (whether or not certified) examined by us, and the authenticity and completeness of the originals from which such copies were taken, (b) that where a document has been examined by us in draft form, it will be or has been executed and/or filed in the form of that draft, and where a number of drafts of a document have been examined by us, that all changes thereto have been marked or otherwise drawn to our attention, and (c) the accuracy and completeness of all factual representations made in the Registration Statement and other documents reviewed by us.
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4100 - 66 Wellington Street West, PO Box 35, Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M5K 1B7 |
T: 416-365-1110 F: 416-365-1876 |
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www.weirfoulds.com |
We have not been instructed to undertake and have not undertaken any further inquiry or due diligence in relation to the transaction or transactions which are the subject of this opinion. The opinions set out below are given only as to and based on circumstances and matters of fact existing as at the date hereof and of which we are aware consequent upon the instructions we have received in relation to the subject matter hereof and as to the laws of Canada as the same are in force at the date hereof. In giving this opinion, we have relied upon the completeness and accuracy (and assumed the continuing completeness and accuracy as of the date hereof) of the Officer’s Certificate as to matters of fact and the Certificate of Good Standing without further verification, and have relied upon the foregoing assumptions, which we have not independently verified.
We have made no investigation of and express no opinion in relation to the laws of any jurisdiction other than Canada. This opinion is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Canada and is limited to and is given on the basis of the current law and practice in Canada.
On the basis and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Company is a company organized, existing and in good standing under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act.
2. On the assumption that the Shares (which includes the Shares issuable upon due exercise of the exercise rights granted to holders of the Warrants) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, by the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of resolutions duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of such Shares) prior to the issuance of such Shares, and when the Shares have been issued, delivered and paid for in the manner described in and pursuant to the terms of the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and by such corporate action, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable common shares in the capital of the Company.
3. On the assumption that the Preferred Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, by the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of resolutions duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of such Preferred Shares) prior to the issuance of such Preferred Shares, and when the Preferred Shares have been issued, delivered and paid for in the manner described in and pursuant to the terms of the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and by such corporate action, the Preferred Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable preferred shares in the capital of the Company.
4. With respect to the Warrants to be issued in one or more series by the Company, (i) when the specific terms of any such Warrants have been duly established in accordance with applicable law and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, by the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of resolutions duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of such Warrants and the Securities that such Warrants may be exercisable for), and (ii) when any such Warrants have been duly executed and issued by the Company and such Warrants have been duly delivered by or on behalf of the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the Warrants and/or any warrant agreement and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and by such corporate action, such Warrants will be the legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
5. The statements contained under the heading “Description of Share Capital” of the Registration Statement insofar and to the extent that they constitute a summary or description of the applicable laws and regulations of British Columbia, Canada under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act and a summary of the terms of the share capital and the Articles of Continuance of the Company, are true and correct in all respects and nothing has been omitted from such statements which would make them misleading in any material respect.
The foregoing opinions are subject to the following qualifications and exceptions:
1. The enforceability of the Warrants is subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, winding-up, moratorium and other similar laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles, including the qualification that the availability of equitable remedies, such as injunctive relief and specific performance, is in the discretion of a court (regardless of whether the issue of enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
2. The enforceability of the Warrants may be limited by general principles of law relating to the conduct of the parties, including, without limitation, (i) undue influence; (ii) unconscionability, duress, misrepresentation and deceit, (iii) estoppel and waiver, (iv) laches and (v) reasonableness and good faith in the exercise of discretionary powers.
3. Provisions in the Warrants to the effect that payment may be immediately required or that enforcement or other action may take place without notice, on demand or unreasonably may not be enforceable or be subject to the requirement to act reasonably, in good faith or in compliance with statutory provisions regarding notice or otherwise.
4. We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any section of the Warrants which may be characterized by a court as an unenforceable penalty and not as a genuine pre-estimate of damages.
5. Any provision in any Warrants for recovery of fees, costs, damages or expenses may be limited or restricted by a court and counsel fees are subject to taxation/assessment and the ability to recover or claim for certain costs may be subject to judicial review.
6. The enforceability of the Warrants will be subject to the Limitations Act, 2012 (British Columbia).
7. A Canadian court may not grant a judgment in any currency other than the lawful money of Canada and such judgment may be based on a rate of exchange in existence on a day other than the day of payment.
8. We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any provision in any Warrants which purports to relieve a person from a liability or duty otherwise owed or to require compliance regardless of law, and provisions requiring indemnification or reimbursement may not be enforced by a court to the extent that they relate to the failure of such person to have performed such duty or liability.
9. The enforceability of the rights to indemnity contained in the Warrants may be limited or voided by applicable law and may not be ordered by a court on grounds of public policy.
10. We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any provision in the Warrants which suggests that modifications, amendments or waivers that are not in writing will not be effective.
11. We express no opinion as to any provision in any Warrants which provides that the provisions of such Warrants are severable.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the captions “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” and “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are experts within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act, or that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.
Yours truly,
/s/ WeirFoulds LLP
WeirFoulds LLP
26th Floor, Gloucester Tower
The Landmark
15 Queen’s Road Central
Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 3761 3300
Facsimile: +852 3761 3301
www.kirkland.com
May 27, 2021
Canadian Solar Inc.
545 Speedvale Avenue West Guelph,
Ontario, Canada N1K 1E6
Re: Canadian Solar Inc
Registration Statement on Form F-3
Dear Sirs:
We have acted as special United States counsel to Canadian Solar Inc., a British Columbia company (the “Company”), in connection with the filing of the shelf registration statement on Form F-3 on the date hereof (the “Registration Statement”) by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), with respect to the issuance and sale from time to time by the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Act, of (i) common shares of the Company, no par value (the “Shares”), (ii) one or more series of preferred shares of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), and (iii) warrants representing the right to receive, upon exercise, Shares or Preferred Shares, which may be issued pursuant to one or more warrant agreements of the Company, proposed to be entered into with one or more warrant agents to be named therein (the “Warrants”). The Shares, Preferred Shares and Warrants are herein collectively called the “Securities.” In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the Registration Statement and such other documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters.
Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth herein and in the Registration Statement, we are of the opinion as follows:
1. With respect to the Warrants to be issued in one or more series by the Company, (i) when the specific terms of any such Warrants have been duly established in accordance with applicable law and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company (including, without limitation, by the adoption by the board of directors of the Company of resolutions duly authorizing the issuance and delivery of such Warrants and the Securities that such Warrants may be exercisable for), and (ii) when any such Warrants have been duly executed and issued by the Company and such Warrants have been duly delivered by or on behalf of the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the Warrants and/or any warrant agreement and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the related prospectus and by such corporate action, such Warrants will be the legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
PARTNERS: Pierre-Luc Arsenault3 | Manas Chandrashekar6 | Lai Yi Chau | Justin M. Dolling6 | David Patrick Eich1,5,6 | Liu Gan2 | David G. Harrington8 | Karen K.Y. Ho | Damian C. Jacobs6 | Guang Li3 | Mengyu Lu3 | Neil E.M. McDonald | Kelly Naphtali | Ram Narayan3 | Amy Y.M. Ngan8 | Nicholas A. Norris6 | Paul S. Quinn | Michael D. Rackham6 | Fergus A. Saurin6 | Richard C.C. Sharpe | Jesse D. Sheley# | Li Chien Wong | Jacqueline B.N. Zheng3,6
REGISTERED FOREIGN LAWYERS: Gautam Agarwal6 | Joseph R. Casey10 | Michelle Cheh7 | Daniel Dusek3 | James A. Hill6 | Ju Huang3 | Benjamin W. James4 | Cori A. Lable2 | Wei Yang Lim6 | Daniel A. Margulies6 | Bo Peng9 | Wenchen Tang3 | Liyong Xing3 | Jiayuan Yu3 | David Zhang3
ADMITTED IN: 1 State of Illinois (U.S.A.); 2 Commonwealth of Massachusetts (U.S.A.); 3 State of New York (U.S.A.); 4 State of Texas (U.S.A.); 5 State of Wisconsin (U.S.A.); 6 England and Wales; 7 Victoria (Australia); 8 New South Wales (Australia); 9 State of Georgia (U.S.A.); 10 State of California (U.S.A.); # non-resident
Austin Bay Area Beijing Boston Chicago Dallas Houston London Los Angeles Munich New York Paris Shanghai Washington, D.C.
Each opinion (an “enforceability opinion”) in this letter that any Security is a valid and binding obligation or is enforceable in accordance with its terms is subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and other similar laws and judicially developed doctrines in this area such as substantive consolidation and equitable subordination; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity; and (iii) other commonly recognized statutory and judicial constraints on enforceability including statutes of limitations. In addition, we do not express any opinion as to the enforceability of any rights to contribution or indemnification which may be violative of public policy underlying any law, rule or regulation (including any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation). “General principles of equity” include, but are not limited to: principles limiting the availability of specific performance and injunctive relief; principles which limit the availability of a remedy under certain circumstances where another remedy has been elected; principles requiring reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing in the performance and enforcement of an agreement by the party seeking enforcement; principles which may permit a party to cure a material failure to perform its obligations; and principles affording equitable defenses such as waiver, laches and estoppel. We express no opinion with respect to the enforceability of any provision in the Warrants, which purports to waive the benefit of usury laws. It is possible that terms in a particular contract covered by our enforceability opinion may not prove enforceable for reasons other than those explicitly cited in this letter should an actual enforcement action be brought, but (subject to all the exceptions, qualifications, exclusions and other limitations contained in this letter) such unenforceability would not in our opinion prevent the party entitled to enforce that contract from realizing the principal benefits purported to be provided to that party by the terms in that contract which are covered by our enforceability opinion.
Except as noted below, our advice on every legal issue addressed in this letter is based exclusively on the internal law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States. For purposes of the opinions herein we have assumed, with your permission, that the governing law under the Warrants shall be the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion as to what law might be applied by any other courts to resolve any issue addressed by our opinion and we express no opinion as to whether any relevant differences exist between the laws upon which our opinions are based and any other laws which may actually be applied to resolve issues which may arise under the Warrants. The manner in which any particular issue would be treated in any actual court case would depend in part on facts and circumstances particular to the case and would also depend on how the court involved chose to exercise the wide discretionary authority generally available to it. This letter is not intended to guarantee the outcome of any legal dispute that may arise in the future. For purposes of the opinions herein we have assumed, with your permission, that each applicable party to the Warrants (i) is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, (ii) has adopted by requisite vote of its board of directors, board of managers or analogous governing body the resolutions or approvals necessary to authorize such party’s execution, delivery and performance of such Warrants, (iii) has duly authorized, executed and delivered such Warrants, (iv) has all corporate and other organizational power and authority (including without limitation the power and authority under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization) to execute and deliver such Warrants and perform its respective obligations under such Warrants and (v) is not required by any law to obtain any consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental agency in order to obtain the right to enter into such Warrants or to take any action taken by it in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Warrants in accordance with their terms, and the execution and delivery by such party of the Warrants, and that the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby in accordance with the terms thereof will not violate any existing provisions of the organizational documents of such party or any law or governmental regulation. For purposes of the opinions above, we have assumed, with your permission and without conducting any research or investigation with respect thereto, the corporate or other power of, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Warrants by, the Company, the absence of any conflicts with the organizational documents of the Company and the absence of any conflicts with, or consents required under, the laws, rules and regulations of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.
None of the opinions or other advice contained in this letter considers or covers: (a) any state securities (or “blue sky”) laws or regulations or securities laws or regulations of jurisdictions outside the United States; or (b) any financial statements or supporting schedules (or any notes to any such statements or schedules) or other financial or statistical information derived therefrom set forth in (or omitted from) the Registration Statement and/or the related prospectus. In addition, none of the opinions or other advice contained in this letter covers or otherwise addresses any of the following types of provisions which may be contained in the Warrants: (i) provisions mandating contribution towards judgments or settlements among various parties; (ii) waivers of benefits and rights to the extent they cannot be waived under applicable law; (iii) provisions providing for liquidated damages, late charges and prepayment charges, in each case if deemed to constitute penalties; or (iv) requirements in the Warrants specifying that provisions thereof may only be waived in writing (these provisions may not be valid, binding or enforceable to the extent that an oral agreement or an implied agreement by trade practice or course of conduct has been created modifying any provision of such documents).
This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, other than as to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us in the Registration Statement in the section “Legal Matters.” In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are “experts” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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Very truly yours, |
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/s/ Kirkland & Ellis |
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Kirkland & Ellis |
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form F-3 of our reports dated April 19, 2021, relating to the financial statements of Canadian Solar Inc. and the effectiveness of Canadian Solar Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP
Shanghai, China
May 27, 2021
May 27, 2021
Canadian Solar Inc.
545 Speedvale Avenue West
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1K 1E6
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We hereby consent to the use of our name under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” and “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the registration statement on Form F-3, filed by Canadian Solar Inc. on May 27, 2021, with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ Zhong Lun Law Firm
Zhong Lun Law Firm