Exhibit 5.1
Our ref | ADN/680055-000001/71996404v2 |
Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited
PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman
KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
30 September 2022
Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited
We have acted as counsel as to Cayman Islands law to Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (including its exhibits and the base prospectus forming a part thereof, the “Registration Statement”) and the prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) in connection with the issuance and sale of ordinary shares of the Company of a par value of US$0.001 each (the “Ordinary Shares”) for an aggregate amount of up to US$6,300,000 pursuant to an Equity Distribution Agreement (the “EDA”) to be entered into among the Company and Maxim Group LLC, as agent.
1 | Documents Reviewed |
We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:
1.1 | The certificate of incorporation dated 4 April 2013 and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 19 December 2014 (the “Memorandum and Articles”). |
1.2 | The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 7 February 2022 and 23 September 2022 (together, the “Resolutions”) and the corporate records of the Company maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands. |
1.3 | A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Companies dated 22 September 2022 (the “Certificate of Good Standing”). |
1.4 | A certificate from a director of the Company a copy of which is attached to this opinion letter (the “Director’s Certificate”). |
1.5 | The EDA. |
1.6 | The Registration Statement. |
1.7 | The Prospectus Supplement. |
2 | Assumptions |
The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving the following opinions, we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as at the date of this opinion letter, of the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:
2.1 | The EDA has been or will be authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands). |
2.2 | The EDA is, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with its terms under the laws of the State of New York (the “Relevant Law”) and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands). |
2.3 | Where the EDA has been provided to us in draft or undated form, it will be duly executed, dated and unconditionally delivered by all parties thereto in materially the same form as the last version provided to us and, where we have been provided with successive drafts of the EDA marked to show changes to a previous draft, all such changes have been accurately marked. |
2.4 | Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals, and translations of documents provided to us are complete and accurate. |
2.5 | All signatures, initials and seals are genuine. |
2.6 | The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the EDA. |
2.7 | There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the EDA. |
2.8 | No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the EDA or any property received or disposed of by any party to the EDA in each case in connection with the EDA or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) and the Terrorism Act (As Revised), respectively). |
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2.9 | The Company has not entered into any mortgages or charges over its property or assets other than those entered in the register of mortgages and charges of the Company, or as contemplated by the EDA. |
2.10 | The Company will receive money or money’s worth in consideration for the issue of the Ordinary Shares and none of the Ordinary Shares will be issued for less than their par value. |
2.11 | There will be sufficient Ordinary Shares authorised for issue under the Memorandum and Articles. |
2.12 | The issue of the Ordinary Shares will be of commercial benefit to the Company. |
2.13 | The Ordinary Shares that will be issued and sold pursuant to the EDA will be duly registered, and will continue to be registered, in the Company’s register of members (shareholders). |
2.14 | No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares. |
2.15 | There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the Relevant Law. |
Save as aforesaid we have not been instructed to undertake and have not undertaken any further enquiry or due diligence in relation to the transaction the subject of this opinion letter.
3 | Opinions |
Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions and the qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
3.1 | The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands. |
3.2 | The Ordinary Shares to be issued by the Company as contemplated by the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement have been duly authorised for issue and when such Ordinary Shares are issued by the Company in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles and upon payment in full being made therefor as contemplated in the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement and such Ordinary Shares being entered as fully-paid on the register of members of the Company, such Shares will be validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders). |
4 | Qualifications |
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:
4.1 | The obligations assumed by the Company under the EDA will not necessarily be enforceable in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular: |
(a) | enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to, protecting or affecting the rights of creditors and/or contributories; |
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(b) | enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy; |
(c) | some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences; |
(d) | where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction; |
(e) | the courts of the Cayman Islands have jurisdiction to give judgment in the currency of the relevant obligation and statutory rates of interest payable upon judgments will vary according to the currency of the judgment. If the Company becomes insolvent and is made subject to a liquidation proceeding, the courts of the Cayman Islands will require all debts to be proved in a common currency, which is likely to be the “functional currency” of the Company determined in accordance with applicable accounting principles. Currency indemnity provisions have not been tested, so far as we are aware, in the courts of the Cayman Islands; |
(f) | arrangements that constitute penalties will not be enforceable; |
(g) | enforcement may be prevented by reason of fraud, coercion, duress, undue influence, misrepresentation, public policy or mistake or limited by the doctrine of frustration of contracts; |
(h) | provisions imposing confidentiality obligations may be overridden by compulsion of applicable law or the requirements of legal and/or regulatory process; |
(i) | the courts of the Cayman Islands may decline to exercise jurisdiction in relation to substantive proceedings brought under or in relation to the EDA in matters where they determine that such proceedings may be tried in a more appropriate forum; |
(j) | any provision in the EDA which is governed by Cayman Islands law purporting to impose obligations on a person who is not a party to such EDA (a “third party”) is unenforceable against that third party. Any provision in the EDA which is governed by Cayman Islands law purporting to grant rights to a third party is unenforceable by that third party, except to the extent that such Document expressly provides that the third party may, in its own right, enforce such rights (subject to and in accordance with the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act (As Revised)); |
(k) | any provision of the EDA which is governed by Cayman Islands law which expresses any matter to be determined by future agreement may be void or unenforceable; |
(l) | we reserve our opinion as to the enforceability of the relevant provisions of the EDA to the extent that they purport to grant exclusive jurisdiction as there may be circumstances in which the courts of the Cayman Islands would accept jurisdiction notwithstanding such provisions; |
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(m) | a company cannot, by agreement or in its articles of association, restrict the exercise of a statutory power and there is doubt as to the enforceability of any provision in the EDA whereby the Company covenants to restrict the exercise of powers specifically given to it under the Companies Act (As Revised) (the “Companies Act”), including, without limitation, the power to increase its authorised share capital, amend its memorandum and articles of association or present a petition to a Cayman Islands court for an order to wind up the Company; and |
(n) | if the Company becomes subject to Part XVIIA of the Companies Act, enforcement or performance of any provision in the EDA which relates, directly or indirectly, to an interest in the Company constituting shares, voting rights or director appointment rights in the Company may be prohibited or restricted if any such relevant interest is or becomes subject to a restrictions notice issued under the Companies Act. |
4.2 | Applicable court fees will be payable in respect of the enforcement of the EDA. |
4.3 | Cayman Islands stamp duty may be payable if the original EDA is brought to or executed in the Cayman Islands. |
4.4 | To maintain the Company in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Companies within the time frame prescribed by law. |
4.5 | We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations and any references to them in the EDA or the Ordinary Shares issuable thereunder. |
4.6 | Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members (shareholders) is prima facie evidence of title to shares and this register would not record a third party interest in such shares. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. As far as we are aware, such applications are rarely made in the Cayman Islands and there are no circumstances or matters of fact known to us on the date of this opinion letter which would properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company, but if such an application were made in respect of the Company’s Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court. |
4.7 | Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion letter or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions the subject of this opinion letter. |
4.8 | In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a shareholder, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil). |
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We express no view as to the commercial terms of the EDA, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus Supplement or whether such terms represent the intentions of the parties and make no comment with regard to warranties or representations that may be made by the Company.
We express no opinion with respect to any direct or indirect acquisition, disposal or exercise of rights by the Company of or in respect of any interest in any property governed by the laws of or situated in the Cayman Islands.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the headings “Legal Matters”, “Shareholders’ Suits” and “Enforcement of Civil Liabilities” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.
The opinions in this opinion letter are strictly limited to the matters contained in the opinions section above and do not extend to any other matters. We have not been asked to review and we therefore have not reviewed any of the ancillary documents relating to the EDA, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus Supplement or the Ordinary Shares issuable thereunder and express no opinion or observation upon the terms of any such document. This opinion letter may be relied upon by Foley & Lardner LLP for the purposes solely of any legal opinion that they may be required to give with respect to the Registration Statement.
Yours faithfully
/s/ Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP
Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP
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Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited
PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman
KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
30 September 2022
To: | Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP |
PO Box 309, Ugland House | |
Grand Cayman | |
KY1-1104 | |
Cayman Islands |
Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited (the “Company”)
I, the undersigned, being a director of the Company, am aware that you are being asked to provide an opinion letter (the “Opinion”) in relation to certain aspects of Cayman Islands law. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalised terms used in this certificate have the respective meanings given to them in the Opinion. I hereby certify that:
1 | The Memorandum and Articles remain in full force and effect and are unamended. |
2 | The Company has not entered into any mortgages or charges over its property or assets other than those entered in the register of mortgages and charges of the Company. |
3 | The Resolutions were duly passed in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles (including, without limitation, with respect to the disclosure of interests (if any) by directors of the Company) and have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect. |
4 | The shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”) have not restricted the powers of the directors of the Company in any way. |
5 | The directors of the Company at the date of the Resolutions and at the date of this certificate were and are as follows: Raymond Cabillot, Sanjay Madhu, Krishna Persaud, Lesley Thompson and Wrendon Timothy. |
6 | The minute book and corporate records of the Company as maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands and made available to you are complete and accurate in all material respects, and all minutes and resolutions filed therein represent a complete and accurate record of all meetings of the Shareholders and directors (or any committee thereof) of the Company (duly convened in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles) and all resolutions passed at the meetings or passed by written resolution or consent, as the case may be. |
7 | Prior to, at the time of, and immediately following the execution of the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement the Company was, or will be, able to pay its debts as they fell, or fall, due and has entered, or will enter, into the transactions the subject of the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement for proper value and not with an intention to defraud or wilfully defeat an obligation owed to any creditor or with a view to giving a creditor a preference. |
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8 | Each director of the Company considers the entry by the Company into the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement (including the transactions contemplated thereunder) to be of commercial benefit to the Company and has acted in good faith in the best interests of the Company, and for a proper purpose of the Company, in relation to the transactions which are the subject of the Opinion. |
9 | The Company has received or will receive money or money’s worth in consideration for the issue of the Ordinary Shares and none of the Ordinary Shares were or will be issued for less than par value. |
10 | To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, the Company is not the subject of legal, arbitral, administrative or other proceedings in any jurisdiction. Nor have the directors or Shareholders taken any steps to have the Company struck off or placed in liquidation, nor have any steps been taken to wind up the Company. Nor has any receiver been appointed over any of the Company’s property or assets. |
11 | The Company is not subject to the requirements of Part XVIIA of the Companies Act. |
12 | To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, there are no circumstances or matters of fact existing which may properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company. |
13 | The EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement have been, or will be, authorised and duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws. |
14 | No invitation has been made or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares. |
15 | The Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the EDA, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement have been, or will be, duly registered, and will continue to be registered, in the Company’s register of members (shareholders). |
16 | The Company is not a central bank, monetary authority or other sovereign entity of any state and is not a subsidiary, direct or indirect, of any sovereign entity or state. |
17 | There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the EDA, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus Supplement. |
(Signature Page follows)
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I confirm that you may continue to rely on this certificate as being true and correct on the day that you issue the Opinion unless I shall have previously notified you in writing personally to the contrary.
Signature: | /s/ Wrendon Timothy | |
Name: | Wrendon Timothy | |
Title: | Director |
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