Exhibit 5.1
Our ref: AWE/760568-000002/25490308v4
EZGO Technologies Ltd.
Kingston Chambers
PO Box 173
Road Town
Tortola, VG1110
British Virgin Islands
[●] 2020
Dear Sirs
EZGO Technologies Ltd. (the “Company”)
We have acted as counsel as to British Virgin Islands law to the Company and have been asked to provide this legal opinion in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the “SEC Act”), as amended (the “Registration Statement”), in respect of the proposed issuance of (a) up to 2,800,000 ordinary shares of the Company of US$0.001 par value each (the “Ordinary Shares”), (b) warrants to the Underwriter (as defined below) to purchase up to 10% of the number of shares sold in the offering at a per share exercise price equal to 110% of the public offering price (the “Underwriter’s Warrants”) and (c) up to an additional 420,000 Ordinary Shares which may be purchased pursuant to the Underwriters’ over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment Shares”). Such issuance is being underwritten pursuant to an underwriting agreement to be entered into between the Company and ViewTrade Securities, Inc. (the “Underwriter”).
1 | Documents Reviewed |
We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:
1.1 | The public records of the Company on file and available for public inspection at the Registry of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands (the “Registry of Corporate Affairs”) on [●] 2020 and updated on [●] 2020, including the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and its Memorandum and Articles of Association (the “Memorandum and Articles”). |
1.2 | The records of proceedings available from a search of the electronic records maintained on the Judicial Enforcement Management System from 1 January 2000 and available for inspection on [●] 2020 at the British Virgin Islands High Court Registry (the “High Court Registry”). |
1.3 | The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated [●] 2020 and the written resolution of the members of the Company dated [●] 2020 (the “Resolutions”). |
1.4 | A Certificate of Incumbency dated [●] 2020, issued by Maples Corporate Services (BVI) Limited, the Company’s registered agent (a copy of which is attached as Annexure A) (the “Registered Agent’s Certificate”). |
1.5 | A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Corporate Affairs dated [●] 2020 (the “Certificate of Good Standing”). |
1.6 | A certificate from a director of the Company (the “Director’s Certificate”). |
1.7 | The Registration Statement. |
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 British Virgin 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 Registered Agent’s Certificate, 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 | 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. |
2.2 | All signatures, initials and seals are genuine. |
2.3 | That all public records of the Company which we have examined are accurate and that the information disclosed by the searches which we conducted against the Company at the Registry of Corporate Affairs and the High Court Registry is true and complete and that such information has not since then been altered and that such searches did not fail to disclose any information which had been delivered for registration but did not appear on the public records at the date of our searches. |
2.4 | No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the British Virgin Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares, the Underwriter’s Warrants, or the Over-Allotment Shares. |
2.5 | The Company is not a sovereign entity of any state and is not a subsidiary, direct or indirect of any sovereign entity or state. |
2.6 | There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the Relevant Law. |
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2.7 | The Company 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. |
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.
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 is a company limited by shares incorporated with limited liability under the BVI Business Companies Act (as amended) (the “Act”), is in good standing at the Registry of Corporate Affairs, is validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and possesses the capacity to sue and be sued in its own name. |
3.2 | The Ordinary Shares to be offered and issued by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement have been duly authorised for issue, and when issued by the Company against payment in full of the consideration as set out in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the terms set out in the Registration Statement, such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of British Virgin Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members. |
3.3 | The statements included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the heading “Taxation”, insofar as such statements summarise the laws of the British Virgin Islands and the Memorandum and Articles, are accurate and fairly represent in all material respects summaries of British Virgin Islands laws and regulations and the Memorandum and Articles. |
4 | Qualifications |
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:
4.1 | To maintain the Company in good standing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, annual filing fees must be paid to the Registry of Corporate Affairs. |
4.2 | Under British Virgin Islands law, the register of members 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 British Virgin Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the British Virgin 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 British Virgin Islands and for the purposes of the opinion given in paragraph 3.2, 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 Ordinary Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a British Virgin Islands court. |
4.3 | 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 or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions the subject of this opinion. |
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4.4 | In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the issuance of shares, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant shares and in the absence of a contractual arrangement, or an obligation pursuant to the memorandum and articles of association, to the contrary, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company’s assets (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). |
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” 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 SEC Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
This opinion is addressed to you and may be relied upon by you, your counsel and purchasers of Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement. This opinion is limited to the matters detailed herein and is not to be read as an opinion with respect to any other matter.
Yours faithfully
Maples and Calder
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Annexure A
Registered Agent’s Certificate
[See attached]
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