As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2023

Registration No. 333-

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

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FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

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COHU, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

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Delaware		95-1934119
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

12367 Crosthwaite Circle

Poway, California 92064

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Cohu, Inc. 2005 Equity Incentive Plan

Cohu, Inc. 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full title of the plans)

 

Jeffrey D. Jones

Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Cohu, Inc.

12367 Crosthwaite Circle

Poway, California 92064

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

(858) 848-8100

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

Larry Nishnick

DLA Piper LLP (US)

4365 Executive Drive, Suite 1100

San Diego, CA 92121

Tel: (858) 677-1414

Fax: (858) 638-5014

 

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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.

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 the Securities Act. ☐

 

 

PART I

Information Required in the Section 10(a) Prospectus

 

The documents containing the information specified in this Part I will be sent or given by Cohu, Inc. (the “Registrant”) to employees, officers, directors or others as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. Such documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

 

PART II

Information Required in the Registration Statement

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated herein by reference:

 

(a)

The Registrant's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Commission on February 17, 2023;

 

(b)

The Registrant’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three months ended April 1, 2023 and July 1, 2023, filed with the Commission on May 5, 2023 and August 4, 2023, respectively;

 

(c)

The Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the Commission on March 28, 2023 and Additional Definitive Proxy Soliciting Materials on Schedule 14A, filed with the Commission on April 13, 2023, but only to the extent incorporated by reference in the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022;

 

(d)

All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the document referred to in (a) above; and

 

(e)

The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment, which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents, except as to specific sections of such documents as set forth therein; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document, which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

 

Under no circumstances will any information furnished under current items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

 

 

Item 4. Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Delaware law authorizes corporations to eliminate the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breach or alleged breach of the directors' "duty of care". While the relevant statute does not change directors' duty of care, it enables corporations to limit available relief to equitable remedies such as injunction or rescission. The statute has no effect on directors' duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law, illegal payment of dividends and approval of any transaction from which a director derives an improper personal benefit.

 

The Company has adopted provisions in its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, which eliminate the personal liability of its directors to the Company and its stockholders for monetary damages for breach or alleged breach of their duty of care. The Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company provide for indemnification of its directors, officers, employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Company's state of incorporation, including those circumstances in which indemnification would otherwise be discretionary under Delaware Law. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware permits a corporation to indemnify any director or officer of the corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any action, suit, or proceeding brought by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if he or she had no reason to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. In a derivative action, or an action brought by or on behalf of the corporation, indemnification may be provided only for expenses actually and reasonably incurred by any director or officer in connection with the defense or settlement of such an action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be provided if such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action or suit was brought shall determine that the defendant is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses despite such adjudication of liability.

 

The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with certain of its executive officers and directors, indemnifying them against certain potential liabilities that may arise as a result of their service to the Company, and providing certain other protections. The Company also maintains insurance policies which insure the officers and directors against certain liabilities.

 

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

 

Item 8. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

Incorporated by Reference

Filed

Number

Exhibit Description

Form

File No.

Exhibit

Filing Date

Herewith

4.1

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

8-K

001-04298

3.1

May 5, 2022

4.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws

8-K

001-04298

3.1

May 12, 2023

5.1

Opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US)

X

23.1

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

X

23.2

Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US) (included in Exhibit 5.1).

X

24

Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement).

X

99.1#

2005 Equity Incentive Plan.

DEF 14A

001-04298

Appendix B

March 28, 2023

99.2#

1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

DEF 14A

001-04298

Appendix C

March 28, 2023

107

Filing Fee Table.

X

 

#       Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

Item 9. 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 this 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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and

 

(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 clauses (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) above shall not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those clauses is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this 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 therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

 

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

 

B. 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 into this 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.

 

C. 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 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 hereby, 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.

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Poway, State of California, on August 4, 2023.

 

	COHU, INC.
	By:	/s/ Luis A. Müller
		Luis A. Müller
		President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Luis A. Müller and Jeffrey D. Jones, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, proxy and agent with the full power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement (including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8), 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, proxies 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 for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact, proxies and agents, or their or his or her substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ Luis A. Müller		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)		August 4, 2023
Luis A. Müller
/s/ Jeffrey D. Jones		Sr. Vice President, Finance and CFO (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)		August 4, 2023
Jeffrey D. Jones
/s/ James A. Donahue		Chairperson of the Board, Director		August 4, 2023
James A. Donahue
/s/ William E. Bendush		Director		August 4, 2023
William E. Bendush
/s/ Steven J. Bilodeau		Director		August 4, 2023
Steven J. Bilodeau
/s/ Andrew M. Caggia		Director		August 4, 2023
Andrew M. Caggia
/s/ Nina L. Richardson		Director		August 4, 2023
Nina L. Richardson
/s/ Andreas W. Mattes		Director		August 4, 2023
Andreas W. Mattes
/s/ Yon Y. Jorden		Director		August 4, 2023
Yon Y. Jorden

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

DLA Piper LLP (US) 4365 Executive Drive, Suite 1100 San Diego, California 92121-2133 T :(858) 677-1400 F :(858)-677-1401 www.dlapiper.com

 

August 4, 2023

 

Cohu, Inc.

12367 Crosthwaite Circle

Poway, California 92064

 

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as legal counsel for Cohu, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to the issuance from time to time of up to 3,200,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to awards granted or to be granted under the Company’s 2005 Equity Incentive Plan and up to 600,000 shares issuable under the Company’s 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, each as amended and restated (the “Plans”). The 3,800,000 shares of Common Stock issuable under the Plans are hereinafter referred to as the “Shares.”

 

We have examined all instruments, documents and records which we deemed relevant and necessary for the basis of our opinion hereinafter expressed. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. The Company has represented to us and we have also assumed that the Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for issuance under the Plans. We have also assumed that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue the Shares in accordance with the Plans, as applicable, the number of Shares which are then issuable and deliverable upon the settlement of awards under the Plans.

 

We express no opinion concerning any law other than the corporation laws of the State of Delaware and the federal law of the United States. As to matters of Delaware corporation law, we have based our opinion solely upon our examination of such laws and the rules and regulations of the authorities administering such laws, all as reported in standard, unofficial compilations. We have not obtained opinions of counsel licensed to practice in jurisdictions other than the State of California. No opinion is expressed herein with respect to the qualification of the Shares under the securities or blue sky laws of any state or any foreign jurisdiction.

 

This opinion speaks only at and as of its date and is based solely on the facts and circumstances known to us and as of such date. In addition, in rendering this opinion, we assume no obligation to revise, update or supplement this opinion (i) should the present aforementioned laws be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise, or (ii) to reflect any facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention.

 

Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that the 3,800,000 shares of Common Stock which may be issued under the Plans are duly authorized shares of the Company’s Common Stock and, when issued against receipt of the consideration therefore in accordance with the provisions of the Plans, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement referred to above and the use of our name wherever it appears in said Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

This opinion is given to you solely for use in connection with the issuance of the Shares in accordance with the Registration Statement and is not to be relied on for any other purpose. Our opinion is expressly limited to the matters set forth above, and we render no opinion, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters relating to the Company, the Shares or the Registration Statement.

 

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ DLA Piper LLP (US)

DLA PIPER LLP (US)

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan and 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of Cohu, Inc. of our reports dated February 17, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Cohu, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Cohu, Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

San Diego, California

August 4, 2023

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

 

Form S-8

(Form Type)

 

Cohu, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities
Security Type	Security Class Title	Fee Calculation Rule	Amount Registered (1)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit	Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Fee Rate	Amount of Registration Fee
Equity (2)	Common Stock	Other (4)	3,200,000	$40.10 (4)	$128,304,000.00	0.00011020	$14,139.10
Equity (3)	Common Stock	Other (5)	600,000	$34.08 (5)	$20,448,450.00	0.00011020	$2,253.42
Total Offering Amounts				-	$148,752,450.00	-	$16,392.52
Total Fee Offsets				-	-	-	-
Net Fee Due				-	-	-	$16,392.52

 

(1)

Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) that become issuable under the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2005 Plan”) and the 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as amended, the “1997 ESPP”) by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction.

 

(2)

Represents additional shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock available for issuance under the 2005 Plan, as of August 4, 2023.

 

(3)

Represents additional shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock available for issuance under the 1997 ESPP, as of August 4, 2023.

 

(4)

Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act. The maximum offering price per share is based on the average of the high and low selling prices per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock on August 3, 2023, as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

 

(5)

Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act. The maximum offering price per share is based on 85% of the average of the high and low selling prices per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock on August 3, 2023, as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Pursuant to the 1997 ESPP, the purchase price of a share of the Registrant’s Common Stock shall be an amount equal to 85% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock, calculated pursuant to such plan.