The following transactions are exempted from the provisions of Section 25110 and Section 25120:
(a) Any negotiations or agreements prior to general solicitation of approval by the holders of equity securities, and subject to that approval, of (1) a change in the rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of or on outstanding securities, (2) a merger, consolidation, or sale of assets in consideration of the issuance of securities, or (3) an entity conversion transaction.
(b) Any change in the rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of or on outstanding securities or any entity conversion transaction, unless the holders of at least 25 percent of the outstanding shares or units of any class of securities that will be directly or indirectly affected substantially and adversely by that change or transaction have addresses in this state according to the records of the issuer.
(c) Any exchange incident to a merger, consolidation, or sale of assets in consideration of the issuance of securities of another issuer, unless at least 25 percent of the outstanding securities of any class, any holders of which are to receive securities in the exchange, are held by persons who have addresses in this state according to the records of the issuer of which they are holders. This exemption is not available for a rollup transaction as defined by Section 25014.6. The exemption is also not available for a transaction excluded from the definition of rollup transaction by virtue of paragraph (5) or (6) of subdivision (b) of Section 25014.6 if the transaction is one of a series of transactions that directly or indirectly through acquisition or otherwise involves the combination or reorganization of one or more rollup participants.
(d) For the purposes of subdivision (b) and subdivision (c) of this section, (1) any securities held to the knowledge of the issuer in the names of broker-dealers or nominees of broker-dealers and (2) any securities controlled by any one person who controls directly or indirectly 50 percent or more of the outstanding securities of that class shall not be considered outstanding. The determination of whether 25 percent of the outstanding securities are held by persons having addresses in this state, for the purposes of subdivision (b) and subdivision (c) of this section, shall be made as of the record date for the determination of the security holders entitled to vote on or consent to the action, if approval of those holders is required, or, if not, as of the date of directors’ approval of that action.
(e) Any change (other than a stock split or reverse stock split) in the rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of or on outstanding equity securities, except the following if they materially and adversely affect any class of equity securities: (1) to add, change, or delete assessment provisions; (2) to change the rights to dividends thereon; (3) to change the redemption provisions; (4) to make them redeemable; (5) to change the amount payable on liquidation; (6) to change, add, or delete conversion rights; (7) to change, add, or delete voting rights; (8) to change, add, or delete preemptive rights; (9) to change, add, or delete sinking fund provisions; (10) to rearrange the relative priorities of outstanding equity securities; (11) to impose, change, or delete restrictions upon the transfer of equity securities in the organizational documents for the entity; (12) to change the right of holders of equity securities with respect to the calling of special meetings of holders of equity securities; and (13) to change, add, or delete any rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of, or on, the outstanding shares or memberships of a mutual water company or other corporation or entity organized primarily to provide services or facilities to its shareholders or members. Changes in the rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of or on outstanding equity securities do not materially and adversely affect any class of holders of equity securities within the meaning of this subdivision if they arise from (i) the addition to articles of incorporation of the provisions described or referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 158 upon the conversion of an existing corporation to a close corporation pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 158, (ii) the deletion from the articles of incorporation of the provisions described or referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 158 upon the voluntary termination of close corporation status pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (e) of Section 158, (iii) the involuntary cessation of close corporation status pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 158, or (iv) the termination of a shareholders’ agreement pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 300.
(f) Any stock split or reverse stock split, except the following: (1) any stock split or reverse stock split if the corporation has more than one class of shares outstanding and the split would have a material effect on the proportionate interests of the respective classes as to voting, dividends, or distributions; (2) any stock split of a stock that is traded in the market and its market price as of the date of directors’ approval of the stock split adjusted to give effect to the split was less than two dollars ($2) per share; and (3) any reverse stock split if the corporation has the option of paying cash for any fractional shares created by the reverse split and as a result of that action the proportionate interests of the shareholders would be substantially altered. Any shares issued upon a stock split or reverse stock split exempted by this subdivision shall be subject to any conditions previously imposed by the commissioner applicable to the shares with respect to which they are issued.
(g) Any change in the rights of outstanding debt securities, except the following if they substantially and adversely affect any class of securities: (1) to change the rights to interest thereon; (2) to change their redemption provisions; (3) to make them redeemable; (4) to extend the maturity thereof or to change the amount payable thereon at maturity; (5) to change their voting rights; (6) to change their conversion rights; (7) to change sinking fund provisions; and (8) to make them subordinate to other indebtedness.
(h) Any exchange incident to a merger, consolidation, or sale of assets, other than a rollup transaction (as defined in Section 25014.6), in consideration of the issuance of equity securities of another entity or any entity conversion transaction that meets the following conditions:
(1) The exchange incident to a merger, consolidation, or sale of assets or the entity conversion transaction, had the exchange transaction involved the issuance of a security in a transaction subject to the provisions of Section 25110, would have been exempt from qualification by subdivision (f) of Section 25102, without giving effect to paragraph (3) thereof, and either of the following is applicable:
(A) (i) Not less than 75 percent of the outstanding equity securities of each constituent or converting entity entitled to vote on the proposed transaction voted in favor of the transaction, (ii) not more than 10 percent of the outstanding equity securities of each constituent or converting entity entitled to vote on the proposed transaction voted against the transaction, and (iii) each constituent or converting entity whose security holders are entitled to vote on the proposed transaction is subject to a state statute that has provisions for dissenters’ rights for holders of equity securities entitled to vote on the proposed transaction that do not vote in favor of or voted against the transaction.
(B) (i) The transaction is solely for the purposes of changing the issuer’s state of incorporation or organization, or form of organization, (ii) all the securities of the same class or series, unless all the security holders of the class or series consent, are treated equally, and (iii) the holders of nonredeemable voting equity securities receive nonredeemable voting equity securities.
(2) The commissioner may, by rule, require the acquiring or surviving entity to file a notice of transaction under this section. However, the failure to file the notice or the failure to file the notice within the time specified by the rule of the commissioner shall not affect the availability of this exemption. An acquiring or surviving entity that fails to file the notice as provided by rule of the commissioner shall, within 15 business days after demand by the commissioner, file the notice and pay to the commissioner a fee equal to the fee payable had the transaction been qualified under Section 25110 or 25120.
(i) Any exchange of securities in connection with any merger or consolidation or sale of corporate assets in consideration wholly or in part of the issuance of securities or any entity conversion transaction under, or pursuant to, a plan of reorganization that pursuant to the provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) has been confirmed or is subject to confirmation by the decree or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 500, Sec. 29. (AB 1059) Effective January 1, 2010.)