EXPLANATION AND DEFINITION OF “SHELL COMPANY”
Rule 144(i)(1) prohibits the use of the rule for sales of restricted stock and stock held by affiliates into the public market if the issuing company is now or ever has been a “shell company”, unless the requirements of Rule 144(i)(2) are satisfied. The following explanation is qualified in its entirely by reference to the complete text of Rule 144* (see below).
Rule 144(i)(1) defines a shell company as a company± that is now or at any time previously has been an issuer, that has:
(A) No or nominal operations; and
(
Either:
(1) No or nominal assets;
(2) Assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents; or
(3) Assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets; or
± This does not include a development stage company pursuing an actual business, a business combination related shell company, as defined in Rule 405, or an asset-backed issuer, as defined in Item 1101(b) of Regulation S-K [AB].
Rule 144(i)(2) does permit the use of Rule 144 by stockholders of an issuing company has previously been but is not now a shell company if the issuing company [that] has been filing reports with the SEC for one year that contain information about its current operating (or development stage) business activities (not including shell company activities) and it is current in its reporting obligations at the time of the proposed sale in reliance on Rule 144.
*Rule144(i) Unavailability to securities of issuers with no or nominal operations and no or nominal non-cash assets.
(1) This section is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by an issuer defined below:
(i) An issuer, other than a business combination related shell company, as defined in §230.405, or an asset-backed issuer, as defined in Item 1101(b) of Regulation S-K [AB] (§229.1101(b) of this chapter), that has:
(A) No or nominal operations; and
( Either:
(1) No or nominal assets;
(2) Assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents;
or
(3) Assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets;
or
(ii) An issuer that has been at any time previously an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (i)(1), if the issuer of the securities previously had been an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i) but has ceased to be an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i); is subject to the reporting requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; has filed all reports and other materials required to be filed by section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports (§249.308 of this chapter); and has filed current “Form 10 information” with the Commission reflecting its status as an entity that is no longer an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i), then those securities may be sold subject to the requirements of this section after one year has elapsed from the date that the issuer filed “Form 10 information” with the Commission.
(3) The term “Form 10 information” means the information that is required by Form 10 or Form 20-F (§249.210 or §249.220f of this chapter), as applicable to the issuer of the securities, to register under the Exchange Act each class of securities being sold under this rule. The issuer may provide the Form 10 information in any filing of the issuer with the Commission. The Form 10 information is deemed filed when the initial filing is made with the Commission.
Rule 144(i)(1) prohibits the use of the rule for sales of restricted stock and stock held by affiliates into the public market if the issuing company is now or ever has been a “shell company”, unless the requirements of Rule 144(i)(2) are satisfied. The following explanation is qualified in its entirely by reference to the complete text of Rule 144* (see below).
Rule 144(i)(1) defines a shell company as a company± that is now or at any time previously has been an issuer, that has:
(A) No or nominal operations; and
(
Either: (1) No or nominal assets;
(2) Assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents; or
(3) Assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets; or
± This does not include a development stage company pursuing an actual business, a business combination related shell company, as defined in Rule 405, or an asset-backed issuer, as defined in Item 1101(b) of Regulation S-K [AB].
Rule 144(i)(2) does permit the use of Rule 144 by stockholders of an issuing company has previously been but is not now a shell company if the issuing company [that] has been filing reports with the SEC for one year that contain information about its current operating (or development stage) business activities (not including shell company activities) and it is current in its reporting obligations at the time of the proposed sale in reliance on Rule 144.
*Rule144(i) Unavailability to securities of issuers with no or nominal operations and no or nominal non-cash assets.
(1) This section is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by an issuer defined below:
(i) An issuer, other than a business combination related shell company, as defined in §230.405, or an asset-backed issuer, as defined in Item 1101(b) of Regulation S-K [AB] (§229.1101(b) of this chapter), that has:
(A) No or nominal operations; and
(
Either: (1) No or nominal assets;
(2) Assets consisting solely of cash and cash equivalents;
or
(3) Assets consisting of any amount of cash and cash equivalents and nominal other assets;
or
(ii) An issuer that has been at any time previously an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (i)(1), if the issuer of the securities previously had been an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i) but has ceased to be an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i); is subject to the reporting requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; has filed all reports and other materials required to be filed by section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports (§249.308 of this chapter); and has filed current “Form 10 information” with the Commission reflecting its status as an entity that is no longer an issuer described in paragraph (i)(1)(i), then those securities may be sold subject to the requirements of this section after one year has elapsed from the date that the issuer filed “Form 10 information” with the Commission.
(3) The term “Form 10 information” means the information that is required by Form 10 or Form 20-F (§249.210 or §249.220f of this chapter), as applicable to the issuer of the securities, to register under the Exchange Act each class of securities being sold under this rule. The issuer may provide the Form 10 information in any filing of the issuer with the Commission. The Form 10 information is deemed filed when the initial filing is made with the Commission.
