NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
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(registrant)
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Dated: April 2, 2019
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By:
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/s/ Herbjørn Hansson
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Herbjørn Hansson
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Chief Executive Officer
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1 April 2019
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Ref. 29796.0020
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2.1 |
Terms defined in the Agreement have the same meaning when used in this opinion, unless otherwise defined in this opinion.
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2.2 |
In this opinion, the following terms have the following meanings:
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(a) |
“Bermuda Subsidiaries” means those companies whose names are listed in Schedule 1 hereto;
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(b) |
the “Companies Act” means the Companies Act, 1981, as amended;
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(c) |
the “Foreign Courts” means the courts of the State of New York; and
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(d) |
the “Foreign Laws” means the laws of the State of New York.
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3.1 |
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) included therein;
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3.2 |
a scanned copy of the supplement to the Prospectus dated 29 March 2019 (the “Prospectus Supplement”);
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3.3 |
a scanned copy of the executed Agreement;
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3.4 |
copies of minutes of a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company held on 15 February 2019 (the “Resolutions”);
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3.5 |
a copy of the following documents for the Company, as certified by the secretary of the Company on 1 April 2019:
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(a) |
Certificate of Incorporation;
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(b) |
Certificate of Amalgamation;
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(c) |
Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name;
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(d) |
Memorandum of Association;
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(e) |
Bye-laws;
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(f) |
Register of Directors and Officers;
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(g) |
Register of Members; and
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(h) |
Tax Assurance Certificate;
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3.6 |
a Certificate of Compliance issued by the Registrar of Companies on 1 April 2019 in respect of the Company; and
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3.7 |
such other documents as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion (together hereinafter referred to as the “Documents”).
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6.1 |
the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of all of the Documents (including, without limitation, public records) submitted to us as originals and the
conformity to authentic original documents of all of the Documents submitted to us as certified, electronic or photostatic copies;
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6.2 |
the genuineness of all signatures on the Documents submitted to us;
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6.3 |
the truth, accuracy and completeness as at the date hereof of all representations as to factual matters, warranties and statements of fact or law, other than
as to the laws of Bermuda, made in any of the Documents;
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6.4 |
that the Resolutions certified as being true and accurate and provided to us in connection with the giving of this opinion were duly adopted by the duly
elected or appointed directors of the Company or any duly constituted committee thereof; that any provisions contained in the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda, as amended (the “Companies Act”), or the bye-laws of the Company relating to the declaration of directors’
interests and the convening of, the quorum required for, and voting at the meetings of the directors were duly observed; and that such Resolutions have not been amended or rescinded, either in whole or in part, and are in full force and
effect;
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6.5 |
that there are no provisions of the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction other than Bermuda which would be contravened by any actions taken by the Company
in connection with the Registration Statement or which would have any implication in relation to the opinions expressed herein and that, in so far as any obligation under, or action to be taken under, the Registration Statement is
required to be performed or taken in any jurisdiction outside Bermuda, the performance of such obligation or the taking of such action will constitute a valid and binding obligation of each of the parties thereto under the laws of that
jurisdiction and will not be illegal by virtue of the laws of that jurisdiction;
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6.6 |
that the information disclosed by the Searches has not been materially altered and that the Searches did not fail to disclose any material information which
had been delivered for filing or registration, but was not disclosed or did not appear on the public file at the time of the Searches;
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6.7 |
that no petition has been presented to or order made by a court for the winding up or dissolution of the Company and that no receiver or manager has been
appointed in respect of theV Company or any of its assets which in any such case has not been revealed by the Searches;
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6.8 |
when issued, all Shares will be issued in compliance with all matters of, and will represent valid and enforceable obligations under, applicable U.S. federal
and state securities laws and other laws (other than the laws of Bermuda, in respect of which we are opining);
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6.9 |
that, as of each and every time any of the Shares are issued in accordance with the Agreement, the Company will have a sufficient number of authorised and
unissued Shares available for issuance; and
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6.10 |
the Prospectus Supplement has, and any amendments thereto have, been filed with the Commission.
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7.1 |
the Company is duly incorporated for an indefinite period as an exempted limited company, and is validly existing and in ‘good standing’ under the laws of
Bermuda;
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7.2 |
the Shares, when issued, sold and paid for as contemplated in the Prospectus and the Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and
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7.3 |
so far as can be ascertained from the Searches, the Company is not engaged in or threatened with any action, suit, or proceeding before any court in Bermuda.
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8.1 |
In Section 7.1 above, the expression “good standing” means that the Company and each of the Bermuda Subsidiaries has received a Certificate of Compliance from
the ROC.
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8.2 |
Searches of the Register of Charges at the office of the ROC and of the Supreme Court Cause Book at the Registry of the Supreme Court are not conclusive and
it should be noted that the Register of Charges and the Supreme Court Cause Book do not reveal:
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(a) |
whether an application to the Supreme Court for a winding up petition or for the appointment of a receiver or manager has been prepared but not yet been
presented or has been presented but does not appear in the Cause Book at the date and time the search is concluded;
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(b) |
whether any arbitration or administrative proceedings are pending or whether any proceedings are threatened, or whether any arbitrator has been appointed;
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(c) |
whether any Supreme Court, arbitration or administrative proceedings are threatened;
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(d) |
details of matters which have been lodged for filing or registration which as a matter of general practice of the ROC would have or should have been disclosed
on the public file but have not actually been registered or to the extent that they have been registered have not been disclosed or do not appear in the public records at the date and time the search is concluded;
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(e) |
details of matters which should have been lodged for registration but have not been lodged for registration at the date the search is concluded; or
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(f) |
whether a receiver or manager has been appointed privately pursuant to the provisions of a debenture or other security, unless notice of the fact has been
entered in the Register of Charges in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act.
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8.3 |
Any reference in this opinion to shares being “non-assessable” means, in relation to fully-paid shares of the Company and subject to any contrary provision in
any agreement in writing between the Company and the holder of shares, that: no shareholder shall be obliged to contribute further amounts to the capital of the Company, either in order to complete payment for their shares, to satisfy
claims of creditors of the Company, or otherwise; and no shareholder shall be bound by an alteration of the Memorandum of Association or Bye-Laws of the Company after the date on which he became a shareholder, if and so far as the
alteration requires him to take, or subscribe for additional shares, or in any way increases his liability to contribute to the share capital of, or otherwise to pay money to, the Company.
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