S-3ASR
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 13, 2018

Registration No. 333-        

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware   20-2530195
(State Or Other Jurisdiction Of
Incorporation Or Organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

3000 Tannery Way

Santa Clara, California 95054

(408) 753-4000

(Address, Including Zip Code, And Telephone Number, Including Area Code, Of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Nikesh Arora

Chief Executive Officer

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

3000 Tannery Way

Santa Clara, California 95054

(408) 753-4000

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, And Telephone Number, Including Area Code, Of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Jeffrey D. Saper

Jose F. Macias

Michael A. Occhiolini

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Professional Corporation

650 Page Mill Road

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 493-9300

 

Jeffrey C. True

General Counsel

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

3000 Tannery Way

Santa Clara, California 95054

(408) 753-4000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large Accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

Title of Shares to be Registered  

Proposed

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering Price

  Amount of
Registration Fee

Common Stock

              (1)(2)(3)           (4)

Preferred Stock

              (1)(2)(3)           (4)

Debt Securities

          (1)(2)           (4)

Warrants

          (1)(2)           (4)

Purchase Contracts

          (1)(2)           (4)

Rights(5)

          (1)(2)           (4)

Units(6)

          (1)(2)           (4)

 

 

(1)

Omitted pursuant to Form S-3 General Instruction II.E.

(2)

An indeterminate amount of the securities of each identified class to be offered from time to time at indeterminate prices is being registered pursuant to this registration statement.

(3)

Includes rights to acquire common stock or preferred stock of the registrant under any shareholder rights plan then in effect, if applicable under the terms of any such plan.

(4)

The registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 456(b) and is omitting this information in reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r).

(5)

Rights may be issued to purchase common stock and/or any of the other securities registered hereunder. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement to be entered into between the registrant and a bank or trust company, as rights agent.

(6)

Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder.

 

 

 


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PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.

 

 

The following are types of securities that may be offered and sold by Palo Alto Networks, Inc. or by selling security holders under this prospectus from time to time:

 

•  Common stock

  

•  Purchase contracts

•  Preferred stock

  

•  Rights

•  Debt securities

  

•  Units

•  Warrants

  

The securities may be offered by us or by selling security holders in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of the offering. The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents, or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.

We will describe in a prospectus supplement, which must accompany this prospectus, the securities we are offering and selling, as well as the specific terms of the securities. Those terms may include:

 

•  Maturity

  

•  Redemption terms

 

•  Terms of conversion

•  Interest rate

  

•  Listing on a security exchange

 

•  Liquidation amounts

•  Currency of payments

  

•  Amount payable at maturity

 

•  Subsidiary guarantees

•  Dividends

  

•  Conversion or exchange rights

 

•  Sinking fund terms

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PANW.”

 

 

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and under similar headings in other documents which are incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is September 13, 2018


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

     2  

Where You Can Find More Information

     3  

Risk Factors

     4  

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

     4  

Use of Proceeds

     6  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     6  

Description of Capital Stock

     7  

Description of Debt Securities

     10  

Description of Warrants

     18  

Description of Purchase Contracts

     18  

Description of Rights

     18  

Description of Units

     18  

Forms of Securities

     19  

Plan of Distribution

     21  

Validity of Securities

     22  

Experts

     22  

We have not authorized anyone to provide you any information other than that contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the securities is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

Unless we have indicated otherwise or the context requires, references in this prospectus to “Palo Alto Networks,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and not to any of its existing or future subsidiaries.

 

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PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.

Our Business

We have pioneered the next generation of security through our innovative Security Operating Platform that empowers enterprises, service providers, and government entities to secure their organizations by safely enabling applications and data running in their networks, on their endpoints, and in the cloud, and by preventing breaches that stem from targeted cyberattacks. Our platform uses an innovative traffic classification engine that identifies network traffic by application, user, and content and provides consistent security across the network, endpoint, and cloud. Accordingly, our platform enables our end-customers to pursue transformative digital initiatives, like public cloud and mobility, that grow their business, while maintaining the visibility and control needed to protect their valued data and critical control systems. We believe the architecture of our platform offers superior performance compared to legacy approaches and reduces the total cost of ownership for organizations by simplifying their security operations and infrastructure and eliminating the need for multiple, stand-alone hardware and software security products, and consists of four primary security capabilities:

 

   

Security for networks through our Next-Generation Firewalls, available as physical appliances, virtual appliances (called VM-Series), or a cloud-delivered service (called GlobalProtect cloud service) and Panorama management delivered as an appliance or as a virtual machine for the public or private cloud.

 

   

Security for endpoints through our Traps advanced endpoint protection software, delivered as a light-weight software agent with cloud or on-premise management capabilities.

 

   

Security for the cloud through our VM-Series for in-line protection of workloads in public and private clouds, Traps for host-based public cloud infrastructure protection, Evident for infrastructure monitoring and compliance in public clouds, and Aperture for protecting software as a service (“SaaS”) applications. These products are delivered as software or SaaS applications.

 

   

Other security services, such as WildFire, Threat Prevention, URL Filtering, and GlobalProtect subscriptions that are delivered as attached software services to our appliances, as well as applications delivered in connection with our Application Framework, such as AutoFocus, Magnifier, and Logging Service that are delivered as SaaS applications.

Palo Alto Networks, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 in the State of Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 3000 Tannery Way, Santa Clara, California 95054 and our telephone number is (408) 753-4000. Our corporate website address is www.paloaltonetworks.com. The information on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

About this Prospectus

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings from time to time.

This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”



 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov, from which interested persons can electronically access the registration statement including the exhibits and schedules thereto.

As permitted by the SEC’s rules, this prospectus does not contain all the information that you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to that registration statement. The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and all documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (other than any portions of such documents that are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act in accordance with the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules), prior to the termination of the offering under this prospectus:

(a) our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018;

(b) our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 6, 2018 (to the extent such information is deemed filed); and

(c) the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on July 9, 2012, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

3000 Tannery Way

Santa Clara, California 95054

(408) 753-4000

Attention: Investor Relations

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may also be made in our documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus. These statements include, among other things:

 

   

expectations regarding drivers of and factors affecting growth in our business;

 

   

the performance advantages of our products and subscription and support offerings and the potential benefits to our customers;

 

   

trends in and expectations regarding billings, revenue (including our revenue mix), costs of revenue, gross margin, cash flows, interest expense, operating expenses (including future share-based compensation expense), income taxes (including our ongoing assessment of the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and any future adjustments), investment plans and liquidity;

 

   

our ability to and expectation that we will continue to grow our installed end-customer base;

 

   

expected recurring revenues resulting from expected growth in our installed base and increased adoption of our products and cloud-based subscription services;

 

   

our expectations regarding future investments in research and development, customer support, and in our sales force, including expectations regarding growth in our sales headcount;

 

   

our ability to develop or acquire new product, subscription, and support offerings, improve our existing product, subscription, and support offerings, and increase the value of our product, subscription, and support offerings, including through the deployment of new capabilities via security applications developed by third parties;

 

   

our expectation that we will continue to expand internationally;

 

   

our expectation that we will continue to renew existing contracts and increase sales to our existing customer base;

 

   

seasonal trends in our results of operations;

 

   

expected impact of the adoption of certain recent accounting pronouncements and the anticipated timing of adopting such standards;

 

   

our expectation that we will expand our facilities or add new facilities as we add employees and enter new geographic markets and expectations related to charges incurred in connection with exiting our former headquarter facilities;

 

   

our plans to use the upfront cash reimbursement received from our landlords against future rental payments;

 

   

the sufficiency of our cash flow from operations with existing cash and cash equivalents to meet our cash needs for the foreseeable future;

 

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future investments in product development, subscriptions, or technologies, and any related delays in the development or release of new product and subscription offerings;

 

   

our ability to successfully acquire and integrate companies and assets;

 

   

expectations and intentions with respect to the products and technologies that we acquire and introduce;

 

   

the timing and amount of capital expenditures and share repurchases; and

 

   

other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies.

Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” set forth in any accompanying prospectus supplement to this prospectus and other risk factors, uncertainties, assumptions and factors specified in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2018, as well as our consolidated financial statements, related notes and other information incorporated by reference in this propectus and our other filings with the SEC. We claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for all forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities issued pursuant to this registration statement for general corporate purposes, which may include stock repurchases, repayment of indebtedness and future acquisitions. If we decide to use the net proceeds from a particular offering of securities for a specific purpose, we will describe that purpose in the related prospectus supplement.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges for each of the periods indicated. The ratio of earnings to fixed charges is not disclosed given that our earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges for such periods.

For purposes of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of loss before income taxes plus fixed charges. Fixed charges represent interest expense, amortization of debt discount and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness, and estimated interest component of rental expense.

For the periods presented in the table below, we did not have any shares of preferred stock outstanding and did not declare, and were not otherwise required to pay, any dividends on preferred stock. Accordingly, the deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges and preferred dividends for any given period is equivalent to the deficiency amounts shown below.

 

     Year Ended July 31,
(in millions)
 
     2018      2017      2016      2015      2014  

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

     x        x        x        x        x  

Deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges

   $ 130.2      $ 194.1      $ 172.3      $ 121.9      $ 222.2  

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

The following is a summary of the rights of our common stock and preferred stock and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws as they are currently in effect. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC.

Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,100,000,000 shares, with a par value of $0.0001 per share, of which:

 

   

1,000,000,000 shares are designated as common stock; and

 

   

100,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock.

As of July 31, 2018, we had outstanding approximately 93.6 million shares of common stock, held by 78 holders of record. In addition, as of July 31, 2018, we had outstanding options to acquire approximately 2.2 million shares of our common stock and restricted stock units and performance-based stock units covering approximately 6.7 million shares of our common stock.

Common Stock

The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors may elect all of the directors standing for election. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of outstanding shares of common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our board of directors out of assets legally available. Upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

Preferred Stock

No shares of preferred stock are outstanding. Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue from time to time up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board of directors may designate the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of the preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of any series. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of the common stock, or delaying, deterring, or preventing a change in control. Such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock. We currently have no plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us.

 

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These provisions and certain provisions of Delaware law, which are summarized below, could discourage takeovers, coercive or otherwise. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us.

Undesignated preferred stock. As discussed above under “—Preferred Stock,” our board of directors has the ability to designate and issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could deter hostile takeovers or delay changes in our control or management.

Limits on ability of stockholders to act by written consent or call a special meeting. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent. This limit on the ability of stockholders to act by written consent may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions. As a result, the holders of a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend the amended and restated bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of stockholders called in accordance with the amended and restated bylaws.

In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairman of our board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), or our board of directors. A stockholder may not call a special meeting, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for holders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.

Requirements for advance notification of stockholder nominations and proposals. Our amended and restated bylaws contain advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of the board of directors. These advance notice procedures may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed and may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempt to obtain control of our company.

Board classification. Our board of directors is divided into three classes. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. This system of electing and removing directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

Delaware anti-takeover statute. We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless:

 

   

prior to the date of the transaction, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder, (1) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and (2) shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

 

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at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We also anticipate that Section 203 may discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.

The provisions of Delaware law and the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and as a consequence, they might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is also possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is ComputerShare Trust Company, N.A. The transfer agent’s address is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021, and its telephone number is (877) 373-6374.

Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PANW.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

We may offer debt securities under this prospectus. The following description summarizes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities. We will describe the specific terms of the debt securities and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions summarized below apply to any series of debt securities in the prospectus supplement relating to the series and any applicable free writing prospectus that we authorize to be delivered. When we refer to “the Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” in this section, we mean Palo Alto Networks, Inc. excluding, unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise expressly stated, our subsidiaries.

We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series under an indenture to be entered into between us and a trustee to be named in a prospectus supplement, which we refer to as the trustee. We expect that initially the trustee for the debt securities will be U.S. Bank National Association. The form of indenture is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. This prospectus briefly outlines some of the provisions of the indenture. The following summary of the material provisions of the indenture is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the indenture, including definitions of certain terms used in the indenture. Whenever we refer to particular sections or defined terms of the indenture, those sections or defined terms are incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement.

You should read the indenture and applicable board resolution and officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture (including the form of debt security) relating to the applicable series of debt securities for the provisions which may be important to you. The indenture is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

General

The indenture will not limit the amount of debt securities which we may issue. We have the right to “reopen” a previous issue of a series of debt securities by issuing additional debt securities of such series. We may issue debt securities up to such aggregate principal amount as we may authorize from time to time. The senior debt securities will constitute our unsecured and unsubordinated general obligations and will rank pari passu with our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations. Any subordinated debt securities issued pursuant to a supplemental indenture to the indenture will constitute our unsecured and subordinated obligations and will be junior in right of payment to our senior indebtedness (including our senior debt securities). Our secured debt, if any, will be effectively senior to the debt securities to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt. The debt securities will be exclusively our obligations (and not obligations of our subsidiaries) and, therefore, the debt securities will be structurally subordinate to the debt and liabilities of any of our subsidiaries.

The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any debt securities being offered, including:

 

   

the title;

 

   

whether the debt securities are senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, and with respect to any subordinated debt securities, the terms on which they are subordinated;

 

   

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount;

 

   

the date or dates on which the principal is payable;

 

   

the rate or rates at which the debt securities shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such rate shall be determined;

 

   

the date or dates from which interest shall accrue;

 

   

the date or dates on which interest shall be payable;

 

   

the record dates for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable;

 

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the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

 

   

the manner of paying principal and interest and the place or places where the principal of and any interest shall be payable;

 

   

the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which debt securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option;

 

   

our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or otherwise or at the option of a holder thereof and, if applicable, the price or prices at which and the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part;

 

   

the form of debt securities, including the form of trustee’s certification;

 

   

if other than denominations of $1,000 and any multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

   

the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be issued and, if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of such principal amount which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or provable in bankruptcy;

 

   

whether the debt securities are issuable under Rule 144A or Regulation S and, in such case, any provisions unique to such form of issuance including any transfer restrictions or exchange and registration rights;

 

   

any and all other terms of the series including any terms which may be required by or advisable under U.S. law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the debt securities;

 

   

whether the debt securities are issuable as global securities and, in such case, the identity for the depositary and the form of any required legends;

 

   

any deletion from, modification of or addition to the events of default or covenants;

 

   

any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs;

 

   

whether and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts on the debt securities held by a person who is not a U.S. person in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge withheld or deducted;

 

   

any special tax implications of the notes;

 

   

any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or any other agents with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

any guarantor or co-issuers;

 

   

any special interest premium or other premiums;

 

   

whether the debt securities are convertible or exchangeable into common stock or other of our equity securities and the terms and conditions upon which such conversion or exchange shall be effected;

 

   

whether and upon what terms the debt securities may be defeased or be subject to satisfaction and discharge, if different from such provisions set forth in this prospectus;

 

   

if the amount of principal or any premium or interest on the debt securities may be determined with reference to an index or pursuant to a formula, the manner in which such amounts will be determined;

 

   

the currency in which payments shall be made, if other than U.S. dollars; and

 

   

any and all additional, eliminated or changed terms that apply to the debt securities.

 

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Events of Default

When we use the term “Event of Default” in the indenture with respect to the debt securities of any series, here are some examples of what we mean:

(1) default in paying interest on the debt securities when it becomes due and the default continues for a period of 30 days or more;

(2) default in paying principal, or premium, if any, on the debt securities when due (including any sinking fund installments);

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant in the indenture (other than defaults specified in clause (1) or (2) above) and the default or breach continues for a period of 90 days or more after there has been given to us a written notice from the trustee or there has been given to us and the trustee a written notice from the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series;

(4) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, administration or similar proceedings with respect to us or any material subsidiary has occurred; or

(5) any other Events of Default set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to such series of debt securities.

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) with respect to us) under the indenture occurs with respect to the debt securities of any series and is continuing, then the trustee may and, at the direction of the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, will by written notice, require us to repay immediately the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any.

If an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (4) with respect to us occurs and is continuing, then the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities will automatically become due immediately and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder.

After a declaration of acceleration or any automatic acceleration under clause (4) described above, the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind this accelerated payment requirement if all existing Events of Default, except for nonpayment of the principal and interest on the debt securities of that series that has become due solely as a result of the accelerated payment requirement, have been cured or waived and if the rescission of acceleration would not conflict with any judgment or decree. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series also have the right to waive past defaults, except a default in paying principal or interest on any outstanding debt security, or in respect of a covenant or a provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of all holders of the debt securities of that series.

Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may seek to institute a proceeding only after they have made written request, and offered such indemnity as the trustee may reasonably require, to the trustee to institute a proceeding and the trustee has failed to do so within 60 days after it received this notice. In addition, within this 60-day period the trustee must not have received directions inconsistent with this written request by holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. These limitations do not apply, however, to a suit instituted by a holder of a debt security for the enforcement of the payment of principal, interest or any premium on or after the due dates for such payment.

During the existence of an Event of Default of which a responsible officer of the trustee has actual knowledge or has received written notice from us or any holder of the debt securities, the trustee is required to

 

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exercise the rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would under the circumstances in the conduct of that person’s own affairs. If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee is not under any obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any of the holders unless the holders have offered to the trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. Subject to certain provisions, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust, or power conferred on the trustee.

The trustee will, within 45 days after any default occurs, give notice of the default to the holders of the debt securities of that series, unless the default was already cured or waived. Unless there is a default in paying principal, interest or any premium when due, the trustee can withhold giving notice to the holders if it determines in good faith that the withholding of notice is in the interest of the holders.

We are required to furnish to the trustee an annual statement as to compliance with all conditions and covenants under the indenture.

Modification and Waiver

We and the trustee may amend or modify the indenture or the debt securities without the consent of any holder of debt securities in order to:

 

   

cure ambiguities, defects or inconsistencies;

 

   

provide for the assumption of our obligations in the case of a merger or consolidation and our discharge upon such assumption;

 

   

make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the holders of the debt securities of a series, including the addition of covenants of the Company and additional Events of Default that are for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities;

 

   

provide for or add guarantors with respect to the debt securities of any series;

 

   

secure the debt securities of a series;

 

   

establish the form or forms of debt securities of any series;

 

   

maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

   

conform any provision in the indenture to this “Description of Debt Securities”;

 

   

change or eliminate any provisions of the indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall not become effective with respect to any outstanding debt securities of any series created prior to such change or elimination which is entitled to the benefit of such provision;

 

   

provide for the issuance of debt securities or issue additional debt securities of any series;

 

   

evidence and provide for a successor Trustee and add to or change the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts under the indenture; or

 

   

make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder.

Other amendments and modifications of the indenture or the debt securities may be made with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the amendment or modification (voting as one class), and our compliance with any provision of the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities may be waived by written notice to the trustee by the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each

 

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series affected by the waiver (voting as one class). However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected:

 

   

reduce the principal amount, or extend the fixed maturity, of the debt securities, alter or waive the redemption provisions of the debt securities;

 

   

change the currency in which principal, any premium or interest is paid;

 

   

reduce the percentage in principal amount outstanding of debt securities of any series which must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver or consent to take any action;

 

   

impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on the debt securities;

 

   

waive a payment default with respect to the debt securities or any guarantor;

 

   

reduce the interest rate or extend the time for payment of interest on the debt securities; or

 

   

adversely affect the ranking of the debt securities of any series.

Covenants

Principal and Interest

We covenant to pay the principal of and interest on the debt securities when due and in the manner provided in the indenture.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets

We will not consolidate or combine with or merge with or into or, directly or indirectly, sell, assign, convey, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to any person or persons in a single transaction or through a series of transactions, unless:

 

   

we shall be the continuing person or, if we are not the continuing person, the resulting, surviving or transferee person (the “surviving entity”) is a corporation or limited liability company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State or territory;

 

   

the surviving entity will expressly assume all of our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture, and will, if required by law to effectuate the assumption, execute a supplemental indenture which will be delivered to the trustee;

 

   

immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis, no default has occurred and is continuing; and

 

   

we or the surviving entity will have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel stating that the transaction or series of transactions and a supplemental indenture, if any, complies with this covenant and that all conditions precedent in the indenture relating to the transaction or series of transactions have been satisfied.

The restrictions in the third and fourth bullets shall not be applicable to:

 

   

the merger or consolidation of us with an affiliate of ours if our board of directors determines in good faith that the purpose of such transaction is principally to change our state of incorporation or convert our form of organization to another form; or

 

   

the merger of us with or into a single direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ours pursuant to Section 251(g) (or any successor provision) of the DGCL.

If any consolidation or merger or any sale, assignment, conveyance, lease, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all our assets occurs in accordance with the indenture, the successor corporation will succeed to,

 

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and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of ours under the indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named in our place in the indenture. We will (except in the case of a lease) be discharged from all obligations and covenants under the indenture and any debt securities issued thereunder.

Existence

Except as permitted under “—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets,” the indenture requires us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence.

Negative Covenants

In addition to the covenants set forth above, the prospectus supplement for the issuance of any particular series of debt securities may contain additional negative covenants.

Satisfaction, Discharge and Covenant Defeasance

We may terminate our obligations under the indenture, when:

 

   

either:

 

   

all the debt securities of any series issued that have been authenticated and delivered have been accepted by the trustee for cancellation; or

 

   

all the debt securities of any series issued that have not been accepted by the trustee for cancellation will become due and payable within one year (a “discharge”) and we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by such trustee in our name, and at our expense and we have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee sufficient funds to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the series of debt securities to pay principal, interest and any premium;

 

   

we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums then due and payable under the indenture; and

 

   

we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent under the indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.

We may elect to have our obligations under the indenture discharged with respect to the outstanding debt securities of any series (a “legal defeasance”). Legal defeasance means that we will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding debt securities of such series under the indenture, except for:

 

   

the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive principal, interest and any premium when due;

 

   

our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning issuing temporary debt securities, registration of transfer of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment for debt securities payments held in trust;

 

   

the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee; and

 

   

the defeasance provisions of the indenture.

In addition, we may elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain covenants in the indenture (a “covenant defeasance”). Any failure to comply with these obligations will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of any series. In the event covenant defeasance occurs, certain events, not including non-payment, bankruptcy and insolvency events, described under “Events of Default” will no longer constitute an event of default for that series.

 

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In order to exercise either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to outstanding debt securities of any series:

 

   

we must irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to the benefits of the holders of the debt securities of a series:

 

   

money in an amount;

 

   

U.S. Government obligations; or

 

   

a combination of money and U.S. Government obligations,

in each case sufficient without reinvestment, in the written opinion of an internationally recognized firm of independent public accountants to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the trustee to pay and discharge, all of the principal, interest and any premium at due date or maturity or if we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the trustee in our name and at our expense, the redemption date;

 

   

in the case of legal defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that, as a result of an IRS ruling or a change in applicable federal income tax law, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge did not occur;

 

   

in the case of covenant defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and covenant defeasance to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit and covenant defeasance did not occur;

 

   

no default with respect to the outstanding debt securities of that series has occurred and is continuing at the time of such deposit after giving effect to the deposit or, in the case of legal defeasance, no default relating to bankruptcy or insolvency has occurred and is continuing at any time on or before the 91st day after the date of such deposit, it being understood that this condition is not deemed satisfied until after the 91st day;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not cause the trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, assuming all debt securities of a series were in default within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which we are a party;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), unless the trust is registered under the Investment Company Act or exempt from registration; and

 

   

we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that all conditions precedent with respect to the defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.

Unclaimed Funds

All funds deposited with the trustee or any paying agent for the payment of principal, interest, premium or additional amounts in respect of the debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the maturity date of such debt securities will, subject to applicable abandoned property law, be repaid to us upon our request. Thereafter, any right of any noteholder to such funds shall be enforceable only against us, and the trustee and paying agents will have no liability therefor.

 

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Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Reports by the Company

Under the indenture, we will be required to file with the trustee, within 15 days after the same is filed with the SEC, any information, documents or reports that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(D) (excluding any such information, documents or reports, or portions thereof, subject to confidential treatment and any correspondence with the SEC) of the Exchange Act; provided, that any such information, documents or reports filed or furnished with the SEC pursuant to its website shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement.

No Personal Liability of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers or Directors

The indenture provides that no recourse shall be had under any obligation, covenant or agreement of ours in the indenture or in any of the debt securities or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, against any of our incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors, past, present or future, or of any predecessor or successor entity thereof under any law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise. Each holder, by accepting the debt securities, waives and releases all such liability.

Concerning the Trustee

The trustee will be appointed by us as paying agent, registrar and custodian with regard to the debt securities. We expect that initially the trustee for the debt securities shall be U.S. Bank National Association. The trustee or its affiliates may from time to time in the future provide banking and other services to us in exchange for a fee.

The indenture provides that, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to that series, the trustee will not be liable except for the performance of such duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture. If an Event of Default has occurred and has not been cured or waived, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and will use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

The indenture and the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act incorporated by reference therein contain limitations on the rights of the trustee thereunder, should it become a creditor of ours or any of our subsidiaries, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases or to realize on certain property received by it in respect of any such claims, as security or otherwise. The trustee is permitted to engage in other transactions, provided that if it acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflict or resign.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of:

 

   

debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices of such securities or any combination of the above as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement;

 

   

currencies; or

 

   

commodities.

Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities, currencies or commodities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may, however, satisfy our obligations, if any, with respect to any purchase contract by delivering the cash value of such purchase contract or the cash value of the property otherwise deliverable or, in the case of purchase contracts on underlying currencies, by delivering the underlying currencies, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities, currencies or commodities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.

The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, which payments may be deferred to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and those payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require the holders thereof to secure their obligations in a specified manner to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Alternatively, purchase contracts may require holders to satisfy their obligations thereunder when the purchase contracts are issued. Our obligation to settle such pre-paid purchase contracts on the relevant settlement date may constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, pre-paid purchase contracts will be issued under the indenture.

DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue rights to purchase one or more shares of common stock and/or shares of preferred stock, debt securities, warrants or units in any combination of such securities.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt securities or warrants or any combination of such securities.

 

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FORMS OF SECURITIES

Each preferred stock, debt security, warrant, purchase contract, right and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts, rights or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

Global Securities

We may issue the registered preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts, rights and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.

If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable certificate of designation, indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable certificate of designation, indenture, warrant agreement, purchase

 

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contract agreement, rights agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable certificate of designation, indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to preferred stock, warrants, purchase contracts, rights or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of Palo Alto Networks, the trustee, any warrant agent, unit agent, transfer agent or any other agent of Palo Alto Networks, agent of the trustee or agent of such warrant agent or unit agent or transfer agent or other agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest, dividends or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a global security and will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for such global security pursuant to the procedure described above.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or selling security holders may sell the securities described in this prospectus in the following manner or any manner specified in a prospectus supplement:

 

   

directly to purchasers, through a specific bidding or auction process or otherwise;

 

   

through agents;

 

   

to or through underwriters;

 

   

through dealers; and

 

   

through a combination of any of the foregoing methods of sale.

If any securities are sold pursuant to this prospectus by any persons other than us, we will, in a prospectus supplement, name the selling security holders, indicate the nature of any relationship such holders have had to us or any of our affiliates during the three years preceding such offering, state the amount of securities of the class owned by such security holder prior to the offering and the amount to be offered for the security holder’s account, and state the amount and (if one percent or more) the percentage of the class to be owned by such security holder after completion of the offering.

We or any selling security holder may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and describe any commissions that we or any selling security holder must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we and, if applicable, any selling security holder will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us and by any selling security holder against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

 

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Any underwriter, agent or dealer utilized in the initial offering of securities will not confirm sales to accounts over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of its customer.

VALIDITY OF SECURITIES

In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplements, the validity of those securities will be passed on for us by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, Professional Corporation, and for any underwriters or agents, by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2018, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2018, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Our financial statements and our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2018 are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses payable by us in connection with the sale of the securities being registered hereby.

 

     Amount to be
Paid
 

SEC registration fee

   $                  

FINRA fees

     *

Stock exchange listing fees

     *

Printing fees

     *

Legal fees and expenses

     *

Trustee fees and expenses

     *

Rating agency fees

     *

Accounting fees and expenses

     *

Miscellaneous

     *
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ *
  

 

 

 

 

*

Omitted because the registration fee is being deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b).

**

These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances, and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

 

Item 15.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware authorizes a corporation’s board of directors to grant, and authorizes a court to award, indemnity to officers, directors and other corporate agents under certain circumstances.

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, our restated certificate of incorporation includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of each of our directors for monetary damages resulting from breaches of such director’s fiduciary duty as a director, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that the we are required to indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any of our directors or officers who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than a proceeding by or in the right of us that has not been approved by our board of directors) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was serving in such capacity or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another entity, against expenses, judgments and other amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person.

In addition, as permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that:

(i) we are required to indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any of our directors or officers who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than a proceeding by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was serving in such capacity or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another entity, against expenses, judgments and other amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of us, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful;

 

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(ii) we are required to indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceeding by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was serving in such capacity or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another entity, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of us, unless the court in which such proceeding is brought determines that such person is liable to us and does not determine that, despite such liability, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such expenses;

(iii) we are required to advance expenses, as incurred, to our directors and officers in connection with defending a proceeding, provided that such director or officer must undertake to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification; and

(iv) the rights conferred in our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws are not exclusive, and we are authorized to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and officers and to obtain insurance to indemnify such persons.

In addition, our policy is to enter into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers that require us to indemnify our directors and officers, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and also provide for certain procedural protections.

The indemnification provisions described above may be sufficiently broad to permit the indemnification of our directors and officers for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

The proposed form of Underwriting Agreement to be filed by us on a Current Report on Form 8-K is expected to provide for indemnification of our directors and officers by the underwriters against certain liabilities.

 

Item 16.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) The following exhibits are filed as part of this registration statement:

 

Exhibit No.

  

Document

  1.01    Form of Underwriting Agreement**
  4.01    Form of Indenture between Palo Alto Networks, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee
  4.02    Form of Note**
  4.04    Specimen Common Stock Certificate(1)
  4.05    Specimen Preferred Stock Certificate**
  4.06    Form of Warrant Agreement for Warrants sold separately**
  4.07    Form of Warrant for Warrants sold separately (included in Exhibit 4.06)**
  4.08    Form of Warrant Agreement for Warrants sold attached to other Securities**
  4.09    Form of Warrant for Warrants sold attached to other Securities (included in Exhibit 4.08)**
  4.10    Form of Purchase Contract Agreement relating to Purchase Contracts**
  4.11    Form of Rights Agreement relating to Rights**
  4.12    Form of Unit Agreement**

 

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Exhibit No.

  

Document

  5.01    Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, P.C.
12.01    Consolidated Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.01    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.02    Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.01)
24.01    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement)
25.01    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 of U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee

 

**

To be filed by Current Report on Form 8-K.

(1)

Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-180620), as declared effective by the SEC on July 19, 2012.

 

Item 17.

Undertakings

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i) each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

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(ii) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

(c) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering.

 

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(e) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(f) (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(g) The registrant hereby undertakes an application for the purpose of determining the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Santa Clara, State of California, on September 13, 2018.

 

PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Nikesh Arora

Name: Nikesh Arora

Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

KNOW ALL THESE PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Nikesh Arora, Kathleen Bonanno, and Jean Compeau, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their, his or her substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Nikesh Arora

Nikesh Arora

   Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)   September 13, 2018

/s/ Kathleen Bonanno

Kathleen Bonanno

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

  September 13, 2018

/s/ Jean Compeau

Jean Compeau

  

Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

  September 13, 2018

/s/ Mark D. McLaughlin

Mark D. McLaughlin

   Vice Chairman and Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Nir Zuk

Nir Zuk

   Chief Technical Officer and Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Frank Calderoni

Frank Calderoni

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Asheem Chandna

Asheem Chandna

   Director   September 13, 2018

 

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Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ John M. Donovan

John M. Donovan

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Carl Eschenbach

Carl Eschenbach

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ James J. Goetz

James J. Goetz

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Mary Pat McCarthy

Mary Pat McCarthy

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Stanley J. Meresman

Stanley J. Meresman

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Sridhar Ramaswamy

Sridhar Ramaswamy

   Director   September 13, 2018

/s/ Daniel J. Warmenhoven

Daniel J. Warmenhoven

   Director   September 13, 2018

 

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