Exhibit 5.1
Campbells Legal (BVI) Limited Road Town, Tortola VG-1110 | |
HEBRON TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD Road Town Tortola VG1110 British Virgin Islands | T +1 284 852 4823 E rspencer@campbellslegal.com
campbellslegal.com
Our Ref:
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CAYMAN | BVI | HONG KONG |
2 March 2020
Dear Sirs
HEBRON TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD (the “Company”)
We have acted as the Company’s British Virgin Islands legal advisers in connection with the registration statement on Form S-8 (the“Registration Statement”)to be filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the“SEC”)under the US Securities Act of 1933 (the“Securities Act”).The Registration Statement relates to the issuance of up to one million Class A common shares of US$0.001 par value in the Company (the“Shares”)under the Company’s 2019 One Million Share Incentive Plan (the“Share Plan”).
The Company has asked us to provide this opinion in connection with the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares.
1 Documents, searches and definitions
1.1 | We have reviewed a copy of each of the following documents for the purposes of this opinion (together, the“Documents”): |
a) | the Registration Statement; |
b) | the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Third Amended and Restated Memorandum and First Amended and Restated Articles of Association obtained from the Company Search (defined below); |
c) | the resolutions in writing of the directors of the Company passed on 20 November 2019 (the “Director Resolutions”); |
d) | a certificate of the Company’s registered agent dated 25 February 2020 (the “Registered Agent’s Certificate”), confirming amongst other things the Company’s register of directors; and |
e) | a copy of the Company’s register of members (the“Register of Members”) prepared by the Company’s transfer agent and which is attached to the Registered Agent’s Certificate. |
1.2 | We have carried out the following searches (together, the “Searches”) in relation to the Company: |
a) | a search of the records maintained by the Registrar (defined below) that were on file and available for public inspection on 28 February 2020 (the “Company Search”); and |
b) | a search of the records of proceedings in the BVI Courts (defined below) available for public inspection contained in the judicial enforcement management system (the “Electronic Register of Proceedings”) maintained at the registry of the High Court of Justice of the Virgin Islands (the “High Court”) on 28 February 2020 (the “High Court Search”). |
1.3 | In this opinion: |
a) | BVImeans the territory of the British Virgin Islands; |
b) | BVI Courtsmeans the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Court of Appeal (Virgin Islands) and the High Court (Civil and Commercial Divisions), and BVI Court means any of them; |
c) | Companies Actmeans the BVI Business Companies Act 2004; |
d) | executedmeans (unless the context requires otherwise) that a document has been signed, dated and unconditionally delivered; |
e) | Insolvency Actmeans the Insolvency Act 2003; |
f) | non-assessablemeans, in relation to an Share, that the purchase price for which the Company agreed to issue that Share has been paid in full to the Company and that no further sum is payable to the Company in respect of that Share; |
g) | Prospectusmeans the prospectus that forms part of the Registration Statement; |
h) | Registrarmeans the Registrar of Corporate Affairs appointed under the Companies Act; and |
i) | signedmeans that a document has been duly signed or sealed. |
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2 Assumptions
We have assumed (and have not independently verified) that:
2.1 | Each document examined by us: |
a) | whether it is an original or copy, is (along with any date, signature, initial, stamp or seal on it) genuine and complete, up-to-date and (where applicable) in full force and effect; and |
b) | was (where it was executed after we reviewed it) executed in materially the same form as the last draft of that document examined by us. |
2.2 | In approving the issuance of the Shares in accordance with the Registration Statement, each director of the Company: |
a) | acted honestly, in good faith and in what the director believed to be the best interests of the Company; |
b) | exercised the director’s powers as a director for a proper purpose; and |
c) | exercised the care, diligence and skill that a reasonable director would exercise in the same circumstances. |
2.3 | Each director of the Company (and any alternate director) has disclosed to each other director any interest of that director (or alternate director) in the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement in accordance with the Company’s memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act. |
2.4 | The Director Resolutions were duly passed, are in full force and effect and have not been amended, revoked or superseded and any meeting at which those resolutions were passed was duly convened, held and quorate throughout. |
2.5 | Each document examined by us that has been signed by the Company: |
a) | has been signed by the person(s) authorised by the Company to sign it; |
b) | (where any signatory is a body corporate) it has been signed in accordance with that body corporate’s constitution and then current signing authorities; and |
c) | has been dated and unconditionally delivered by the Company. |
2.6 | There are no documents or arrangements to which the Company is party or resolutions of the Company’s directors or shareholders that conflict with, or would be breached by, any term of the Registration Statement or the issuance of the Shares. |
2.7 | The Company is not insolvent (as defined in the Insolvency Act) and will not become insolvent as a result of executing, or performing its obligations under, the Registration Statement and no steps have been taken, or resolutions passed, to appoint a liquidator of the Company or a receiver in respect of the Company or any of its assets. |
2.8 | None of our opinions will be affected by the laws or public policy of any foreign jurisdiction. |
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2.9 | In relation to the Searches: |
a) | all public records of the Company we have examined are complete and accurate; |
b) | all filings required to be made in relation to the Company with the Registrar have been made and there was no information which had been filed that did not appear on the records of the Company at the time of the Company Search; and |
c) | the information disclosed by the Searches was at the time of each search, and continues to be, accurate and complete. |
2.10 | Each of the Registered Agent’s Certificate and the Register of Members was and remains at the date of this opinion accurate and complete. |
3 Opinion
Subject to the assumptions, observations, qualifications and limitations set out in this opinion, and to matters not disclosed to us, we are of the opinion that:
3.1 | Status:the Company is registered under the Companies Act, validly exists under the laws of the BVI and is in good standing with the Registrar. For the purposes of this opinion, good standing means only that the Company is listed on the register of companies maintained by the Registrar and has paid its annual fee to the Registrar for the current year. |
3.2 | Issuance of Shares: |
a) | the Company has duly authorised the issuance of the Shares; |
b) | when the Shares have been issued and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement, they will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and |
c) | under the Companies Act, shares in the Company are deemed to be issued when the name of the shareholder is entered in the Company’s register of members. |
4Qualifications and observations
This opinion is subject to the following qualifications and observations.
4.1 | This opinion is subject to all laws relating to bankruptcy, dissolution, insolvency, re- organisation, liquidation, moratorium, court schemes and other laws and legal procedures of general application affecting or relating to the rights of creditors. |
4.2 | Where a director fails, in accordance with the Companies Act, to disclose an interest in atransactionentered into by a BVI company, the transaction is voidable. |
4.3 | The Company Search will not reveal any document which has not been filed with the Registrar or which was filed but was not registered or did not appear on the Company’s file at the time of the Company Search. |
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4.4 | The High Court Search will not reveal (among other things) if there are any: |
a) | proceedings or appointments that have not been filed or that have been filed but have not been recorded in the High Court’s judicial enforcement management system; |
b) | proceedings commenced prior to 1 January 2000 if no document has been filed since that date; |
c) | proceedings against the Company that have been threatened but not filed; |
d) | files that have been sealed pursuant to a court order; or |
e) | arbitration proceedings in which the Company is a defendant or respondent. |
4.5 | The Insolvency Act requires a receiver appointed in respect of a BVI company (or any of its assets) to file a notice of appointment with the Registrar and (if the company is or has been a regulated person (as defined in the Insolvency Act)) with the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission. If the receiver fails to do so, the receiver will be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine. This does not, however, invalidate the receiver’s appointment. |
5 Limitations
5.1 | This opinion is limited to the matters expressly stated in it and it is given solely in connection with the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares. |
5.2 | For the purposes of this opinion, we have only examined the Documents listed in paragraph 1.1 above and carried out the Searches. We have not examined any term or document incorporated by reference, or otherwise referred to, whether in whole or part, in the Registration Statement and we offer no opinion on any such term or document. |
5.3 | We have made no investigation of, and express no opinion with respect to, the laws of any jurisdiction other than the BVI or the effect of the Registration Statement under those laws. In particular, we express no opinion as to the meaning or effect of any foreign statutes referred to in the Registration Statement. |
5.4 | We assume no obligation to advise the Company (or any person we give consent to rely on this opinion) in relation to changes of fact or law that may have a bearing on the continuing accuracy of this opinion. |
6 Governing law
This opinion and any non-contractual obligations arising out of it are governed by, and to be interpreted in accordance with, BVI laws in force on the date of this opinion.
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7 Consent
7.1 | This opinion is addressed to, and for the benefit of, the Company in connection with the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Shares. |
7.2 | We consent to: |
a) | the filing of a copy of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement; and |
b) | reference to us being made in the Registration Statement. |
In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
Yours sincerely
Campbells
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