Exhibits 5.1 and 23.2
OPINION OF DAVIS
POLK & WARDWELL LLP
August 9, 2023
505 Odyssey Way
Merritt Island, Florida 32953
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Vaxxinity,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “
Company
”), is filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the
“
Registration Statement
”) for the purpose of
registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“
Securities Act
”), (a) shares of Class A
common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “
Class A Common Stock
”), of the Company,
including
shares of Class A Common Stock having an aggregate
offering price of up to $100,000,000 (such
shares
of Class A Common Stock, the “
Offered Shares
”) from time to time through Jefferies
LLC pursuant to the
Open Market Sale Agreement dated August 9, 2023 (the “
Sales Agreement
”) among the Company and
Jefferies LLC (the “
Sales Agent
”); (b) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share
(the
“
Preferred Stock
”), of the Company; (c) the Company’s
debt securities (collectively,
the “
Debt
Securities
”), which may be issued pursuant to an indenture,
between the Company and a trustee to be
named therein, as trustee (the “
Trustee
”) (the “
Indenture
”); (d) warrants of the Company (the
“
Warrants
”), which may be issued under one or more warrant agreements
(each, a “
Warrant
Agreement
”) to be entered into between the Company and the
warrant agent to be named therein (the
“
Warrant Agent
”); (e) subscription rights (the “
Subscription Rights
”), which may be issued under one or
more subscription rights agreements (each, a “
Subscription Rights Agreement
”) to be entered into
between the Company and the subscription agent to be
named therein (the “
Purchase Contract Agent
”);
and (f) units (the “
Units
”) to be issued under one or more unit agreements
to be entered into among the
Company, a bank
or trust company,
as unit agent (the “
Unit Agent
”), and the holders from time to time of
the Units (each such unit agreement, a “
Unit Agreement
”).
We, as your counsel, have examined originals or copies
of such documents, corporate records,
certificates of public officials and other instruments as
we have deemed necessary or advisable for the
purpose of rendering this opinion.
In rendering the opinions expressed herein, we have,
without independent inquiry or investigation,
assumed that (i) all documents submitted to us as originals
are authentic and complete, (ii) all documents
submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals,
(iii) all documents filed as exhibits to
the Registration Statement that have not been executed will conform
to the forms thereof, (iv) all
signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine,
(v) all natural persons executing documents
had and have the legal capacity to do so, (vi) all statements
in certificates of public officials and officers
of
the Company that we reviewed were and are accurate and (vii)
all representations made by the Company
as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed
were and are accurate.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions
and qualifications set forth below,
we advise you that, in our opinion:
1.
Assuming the terms of any sales of Offered Shares
pursuant to the Sales Agreement are
approved by the Company’s board of directors
or a properly constituted and authorized
committee thereof (or any of them delegates such approval to
officers and such terms are
approved by such officers), the Offered
Shares have been duly authorized and, when
issued and delivered to and paid for by the Sales Agent
pursuant to the Sales
Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.