Exhibit 19.1
MURAL ONCOLOGY PLC INSIDER TRADING POLICY
Mural Oncology plc (the “Company,” “we” or “our”) has adopted the following policy and procedures for securities trading by Company directors and employees (our “Insider Trading Policy”). Our Insider Trading Policy is intended to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information, insider trading in securities, and the severe consequences associated with violations of insider trading laws. It is your obligation to review, understand, and comply with this Insider Trading Policy and applicable laws. Our Board of Directors has approved this Insider Trading Policy, and we have appointed the Company’s Chief Legal Officer as the Compliance Officer (together with their designees, the “Compliance Officer”) to administer the policy and to be available to answer your questions.
PART I. OVERVIEW
This Insider Trading Policy applies to all of the Company’s employees and members of its Board of Directors and certain designated consultants, including anyone employed by or acting as a director of any of the Company’s subsidiaries, as well as any other individuals whom the Compliance Officer may designate as Insiders (defined below) because they may have access to material nonpublic information about the Company.
In addition, all of our directors, executive officers (as defined by Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) and other designated employees must comply with the Trading Procedures included in Part II of this Insider Trading Policy (the “Trading Procedures”); we will refer to these individuals in this policy as “Insiders.” The Trading Procedures provide rules for when Insiders can trade in our securities and explain the process for mandatory preclearance of proposed trades. You will be notified if you are considered an Insider who is required to comply with the Trading Procedures.
This Insider Trading Policy and, for Insiders, the Trading Procedures, also apply to the following persons (“Affiliated Persons”):
You are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Insider Trading Policy, including the Trading Procedures contained herein, by all of your Affiliated Persons.
You and your Affiliated Persons are prohibited from engaging in insider trading and from trading in securities in violation of this Insider Trading Policy. “Insider trading” is (1) trading (buying or selling) the securities of a company whether for your account or for the account of another, while in the possession of material nonpublic information (see definition below) about that company or (2) disclosing material nonpublic information about a company to others who may trade on the basis of that information. Insider trading can result in criminal prosecution, jail time, significant fines and public embarrassment for you and the Company.
Prohibition on Trading in Company Securities
When you are in possession of material nonpublic information about the Company, whether positive or negative, you are prohibited from trading (whether for your account of for the account of another) in the Company’s securities, which include ordinary shares, stock options to purchase ordinary shares, any other type of securities that the Company may issue (such as preferred shares, convertible debentures, warrants and exchange-traded options), and any derivative securities that provide the economic equivalent of ownership of any the Company’s securities or an opportunity, direct or indirect, to profit from any change in the value of the Company’s securities, except for trades made pursuant to plans approved by the Compliance Officer in accordance with this policy that are intended to comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.
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The trading prohibitions in this Insider Trading Policy do not apply to: (1) an exercise of an employee stock option when payment of the exercise price is made in cash or (2) the withholding by the Company of shares upon vesting of restricted stock or restricted stock unit awards to satisfy applicable tax withholding requirements if (a) such withholding is required by the applicable plan or award agreement or (b) the election to exercise such tax withholding right was made by the Insider in compliance with the Trading Procedures.
The trading prohibitions in this Insider Trading Policy do apply, however, to the use of outstanding Company securities to pay part or all of the exercise price of a stock option, any sale of shares as part of a broker-assisted cashless exercise of an option, and any other market sale for the purpose of generating the cash needed to pay the exercise price of an option.
Prohibition on Tipping
Providing material nonpublic information about the Company to another person who may trade or advise others to trade on the basis of that information is known as “tipping” and is illegal. You are prohibited from providing material nonpublic information about the Company to a friend, relative, or anyone else who might buy or sell a security or other financial instrument on the basis of that information, whether or not you intend to or actually do realize a profit (or any other benefit) from such tipping. Additionally, you are prohibited from recommending to any person that such person engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction involving the Company’s securities, or otherwise give trading advice concerning the Company’s securities, if you are in possession of material nonpublic information about the Company.
Prohibition on Trading in Securities of Other Companies
This policy’s prohibitions against insider trading and tipping also apply to trading in securities of other companies, including the Company’s suppliers, partners and other enterprises with which we are working (such as when negotiating an acquisition, investment or other transaction that could be material to the other company). Whenever, during the course of your service to or employment by the Company, you become aware of material nonpublic information about another company, including any confidential information that is reasonably likely to affect the market price of that company’s securities (for example, discussions of licensing a product or acquiring that other company), neither you nor your Affiliated Persons may trade in any securities of that company, give trading advice about that company, tip or disclose that information, pass it on to others, or engage in any other action to take advantage of that information.
Duration of Trading Prohibitions
These trading prohibitions continue whenever and for as long as you know or are in possession of material nonpublic information. Remember, anyone scrutinizing your transactions will be doing so after the fact, with the benefit of hindsight. As a practical matter, before engaging in any transaction, you should carefully consider even the appearance of improper insider trading and how enforcement authorities and others might view the transaction in hindsight.
This Insider Trading Policy applies to you and your Affiliated Persons so long as you are associated with the Company. If you leave the Company for any reason, this Insider Trading Policy,
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including, if applicable, the Trading Procedures described in Part II, will continue to apply to you
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and your Affiliated Persons until the later of: (1) the first trading day following the public release of earnings for the fiscal quarter in which you leave the Company or (2) the first trading day after any material nonpublic information known to you has become public or is no longer material.
Restricted Trading Periods
From time to time, in connection with an announcement of material information about the Company or when significant developments or announcements are anticipated, we may impose a temporary prohibition on trading in our securities that applies to specified groups of employees or, in rare instances, all persons covered by this policy. In such event, you will be notified by e-mail and/or other means of the imposition and expected duration of the trading prohibition. During that period, no person covered by such a notice may trade in our securities (subject to the limited exceptions set forth in this policy).
This Insider Trading Policy prohibits you from trading in a company’s securities if you are in possession of information about the company that is both “material” and “nonpublic.” If you have a question whether certain information you are aware of is material or has been made public, you should consult with the Compliance Officer.
“Material” Information
Information about our Company or any other company is “material” if it could reasonably be expected to affect the investment decisions of a shareholder or potential investor or if disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to significantly alter the total mix of information in the marketplace about us or any other company. We speak mostly in this Insider Trading Policy about determining whether information about us is material and nonpublic, but the same analysis applies to information about other companies that would preclude you from trading in their securities.
In simple terms, material information is any type of information that could reasonably be expected to affect the market price of our securities. Both positive and negative information may be material. While it is not possible to identify all information that would be deemed “material,” the following items are examples of the types of information that could be deemed material:
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The above items will not always be material. For example, some new products or contracts may clearly be material while others may not be. No “bright-line” standard or list of items can adequately address the range of situations that may arise; information and events should be carefully considered in terms of their materiality to the Company.
“Nonpublic” Information
Material information is “nonpublic” if it has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally.
To demonstrate that information is public, one must be able to point to some fact that establishes that the information has become publicly available, such as the filing of a report with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the distribution of a press release or publishing the information on our website if those are regular ways we communicate with investors, or by other means that are reasonably designed to provide broad public access. Before a person with material nonpublic information can trade, the market must have adequate time to absorb the information that has been disclosed. For the purposes of this Insider Trading Policy, information will be considered public after the completion of one full day of trading following our public release of the information. For that purpose, a full day of trading means a session of regular trading hours on the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such earlier closing time as has been set by exchange rules) has occurred.
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For example, if the Company publicly discloses material nonpublic information of which you are aware before trading begins on a Tuesday, the first time you can buy or sell Company securities is the opening of the market on Wednesday. However, if the Company publicly discloses material information after trading begins on a Tuesday, the first time that you can buy or sell Company securities is the opening of the market on Thursday.
Both the SEC and the national securities exchanges, through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), investigate and are very effective at detecting insider trading. The
U.S. government pursues insider trading violations vigorously, successfully prosecuting, for example, trading by employees in foreign accounts, trading by family members and friends of insiders, and trading involving only a small number of shares.
The penalties for violating rules against insider trading can be severe and include:
The Company and/or the supervisors of the person engaged in insider trading may also be required to pay civil penalties or fines of more than $2 million, up to three times the profit made or loss avoided, as well as criminal penalties of up to $25 million, and could under some circumstances be subject to private lawsuits.
Violation of this Insider Trading Policy or any federal or state insider trading laws may subject you to disciplinary action by the Company, including termination of your employment or other relationship with the Company. The Company reserves the right to determine, in its own discretion and on the basis of the information available to it, whether this Insider Trading Policy has been violated. The Company may determine that specific conduct violates this Insider Trading Policy whether or not it also violates the law. It is not necessary for the Company to await the filing or conclusion of a civil or criminal action against an alleged violator before taking disciplinary action.
If you have a question about this Insider Trading Policy, including whether certain information you are aware of is material or has been made public, you should consult with the
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Compliance Officer. In addition, if you violate this Insider Trading Policy or any federal or state
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laws governing insider trading or know of any such violation by any director or employee of the Company, you should report the violation immediately to the Compliance Officer.
PART II. TRADING PROCEDURES
In addition to needing to comply with the restrictions on trading in our securities set forth above, Insiders and their Affiliated Persons are subject to the following special trading restrictions:
The Compliance Officer may designate, from time to time, a “Special Closed Window” during what would be a permitted trading window. During a Special Closed Window, designated Insiders (which could be all Insiders or a subset of them) may not trade in the Company’s securities. The Compliance Officer may also impose a Special Closed Window on Insiders or a subset of them to prohibit trading in the securities of other companies, including specified peers or competitors of the Company. The imposition of a Special Closed Window will not be announced to the Company generally, should not be communicated to any other person, and may itself be considered under this Insider Trading Policy to be material nonpublic information about the Company.
No Insider may donate or make any other transfer of Company securities without consideration when the Insider is not permitted to trade unless the donee agrees not to sell the shares until the Insider is permitted to sell. In addition to charitable donations or gifts to family members, friends, trusts or others, this prohibition applies to distributions to limited partners by limited partnerships that are subject to this Insider Trading Policy.
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No Insider may trade in our securities, even during an open trading window, unless the trade has been approved by the Compliance Officer in accordance with the procedures described below. In reviewing trading requests, the Compliance Officer may consult with our other officers and/or outside legal counsel and will seek approval of their own trades from the Chief Financial Officer.
The Compliance Officer does not assume responsibility for, and approval by the Compliance Officer does not protect the Insider from, the consequences of prohibited insider trading.
Insiders shall provide to the Compliance Officer any documentation the Compliance Officer reasonably requires in furtherance of the foregoing procedures. Any failure to provide such information will be grounds for the Compliance Officer to deny approval of the trade request.
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Insiders who are required to file reports under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall inform their broker-dealers that (a) the Insider is subject to Section 16; (b) the broker shall confirm that any trade by the Insider or any of their affiliates has been precleared by the Company; and (c) the broker is to provide transaction information to the Insider and/or Compliance Officer on the day of a trade.
The foregoing approval procedures do not in any way obligate the Compliance Officer to approve any trade. The Compliance Officer has sole discretion to reject any trading request.
From time to time, an event may occur that is material to the Company and is known by only by a limited number of directors and employees. The Compliance Officer may decline an Insider’s request to preclear a proposed trade based on the existence of a material nonpublic development – even if the Insider is not aware of that material nonpublic development. If any Insider engages in a trade before a material nonpublic development is disclosed to the public or resolved, the Insider and the Company might be exposed to a charge of insider trading that could be costly and difficult to refute even if the Insider was unaware of the development. So long as the event remains material and nonpublic, the Compliance Officer may decide not to approve any transactions in the Company’s securities. The Compliance Officer will subsequently notify the Insider once the material nonpublic development is disclosed to the public or resolved. If an Insider requests preclearance of a trade during the pendency of such an event, the Compliance Officer may reject the trading request without disclosing the reason.
After receiving written clearance to engage in a trade signed by the Compliance Officer, an Insider must complete the proposed trade within two (2) business days or make a new trading request. Even if an Insider has received clearance, the Insider may not engage in a trade if (i) such clearance has been rescinded by the Compliance Officer, (ii) the Insider has otherwise received notice that the trading window has closed or (iii) the Insider has or acquires material nonpublic information.
The details of any transactions in our securities (including transactions effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan) by an Insider (or an Affiliated Person) who is required to file reports under Section 16 of the Exchange Act must be reported to the Compliance Officer by the Insider or their brokerage firm on the same day on which a trade order is placed or such a transaction otherwise is entered into. The report shall include the date of the transaction, quantity of shares, the price and the name of the broker-dealer that effected the transaction. This reporting requirement may be satisfied by providing (or having the Insider’s broker provide) a trade order confirmation to the Compliance Officer if the Compliance Officer receives such information by the required date. Compliance by directors and executive officers with this provision is imperative given the requirement of Section 16 of the Exchange Act that these persons generally report changes in ownership of Company securities within two (2) business days. The sanctions for noncompliance with this reporting
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deadline include
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mandatory disclosure in the Company’s proxy statement for the next annual general meeting of shareholders, as well as possible civil or criminal sanctions for chronic or egregious violators.
Transactions made pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1 Plan (as defined below) will not be subject to our trading windows or pre-clearance procedures, and Insiders are not required to complete a Stock Transaction Request form for such transactions. Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act provides an affirmative defense from insider trading liability under the federal securities laws for trading plans, arrangements or instructions that meet specified requirements. A trading plan, arrangement or instruction that meets the requirements of the SEC’s Rule 10b5-1 (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”) enables Insiders to trade in Company securities outside of our trading windows, even when in possession of material nonpublic information.
The Company has adopted a separate Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan Policy that sets forth the requirements for putting in place a Rule 10b5-1 Plan with respect to Company securities.
Exercise of Stock Options. The trading prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the Trading Procedures do not apply to the exercise for cash of an option to purchase securities of the Company. However, the exercise is subject to the current reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and, therefore, Insiders must comply with the post-trade reporting requirement described in Section B above for any such transaction. In addition, the securities acquired upon the exercise of an option to purchase Company securities are subject to all of the requirements of this Insider Trading Policy, including the Trading Procedures. Moreover, the Trading Procedures apply to the use of outstanding Company securities to pay part or all of the exercise price of an option, any net option exercise, any exercise of a stock appreciation right, share withholding and any sale of shares as part of a broker-assisted cashless exercise of an option or any other market sale for the purpose of generating the cash needed to pay the exercise price of an option.
Tax Withholding on Restricted Stock/Units. The trading prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the Trading Procedures do not apply to the withholding by the Company of shares of stock upon vesting of restricted stock or restricted stock unit awards to satisfy tax withholding requirements if (a) withholding is required by the applicable plan or award agreement or (b) the election to exercise the tax withholding right was made by the Insider in compliance with the Trading Procedures.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans. In the event that the Company adopts an employee stock purchase plan, the trading prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the Trading Procedures would not apply to periodic wage withholding contributions by the Company or its employees that are used to purchase shares pursuant to the employees’ advance instructions under such employee stock purchase plan. However, an Insider may not: (a) elect to participate in such a plan or alter their instructions regarding the level of withholding or purchase by the Insider of Company securities under such a plan; or (b) make cash contributions to such a plan (other than through periodic wage
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withholding) without complying with the Trading Procedures. Any sale of securities acquired under such a plan is subject to the prohibitions and restrictions of the Trading Procedures.
A waiver of any provision of this Insider Trading Policy or the Trading Procedures may be authorized in writing by the Compliance Officer. All waivers shall be reported to the Board of Directors.
PART III. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We will deliver a copy of this Insider Trading Policy to all current employees and directors and designated consultants and to future employees and directors and designated consultants at the start of their employment or relationship with the Company. Each of these individuals must acknowledge that they have received a copy and agree to comply with the terms of this Insider Trading Policy, and, if applicable, the Trading Procedures contained herein. The attached acknowledgment must be completed and submitted to the Company within ten days of receipt.
At our request, directors and employees and consultants will be required to re-acknowledge and agree to comply with the Insider Trading Policy (including any amendments or modifications). For that purpose, an individual will be deemed to have acknowledged and agreed to comply with the Insider Trading Policy, as amended from time to time, when copies of those items have been delivered by regular or electronic mail (or other delivery option used by the Company) to the Compliance Officer.
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Questions regarding this Insider Trading Policy are encouraged and may be directed to the Compliance Officer.
Adopted October 25, 2023, subject to and effective upon effectiveness of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10.
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EXHIBIT A
STOCK TRANSACTION REQUEST
Pursuant to Mural Oncology plc’s Insider Trading Policy, I hereby notify Mural Oncology plc (the “Company”) of my intent to trade the securities of the Company as indicated below:
REQUESTER’S INFORMATION |
Insider’s Name: |
INTENT TO PURCHASE SECURITIES/EXERCISE OPTIONS
Number of Shares/Options: Intended Trade/Exercise Date:
Means of acquiring shares:
Purchase through employee benefit plan (please specify):
Purchase through a broker on the open market
Exercise of stock option (please specify how exercise price is paid, e.g., cash, net exercise, broker-assisted,
etc.) Other (please specify):
INTENT TO SELL / TRANSFER |
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Number of Shares: |
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Intended Trade Date: |
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Means of selling shares: |
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Sale through employee benefit plan (please specify): |
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Sale through a broker on the open market |
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Other (please specify): |
SECTION 16 |
RULE 144 (Not applicable if transaction requested involves a purchase or option exercise) |
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I am not subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with regard to my role at the Company. |
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I am not an “affiliate” of the Company and the transaction requested above does not involve the sale of “restricted securities” (as such terms are defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended). |
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I am subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended given my role at the Company and to the best of my knowledge, I have not (and am not deemed to have) engaged in an opposite way transaction within the previous 6 months that was not exempt from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. |
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I am an “affiliate” of the Company and to the best of my knowledge, the transaction requested above will meet all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144. |
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I am an “affiliate” of the Company and the transaction requested is being made pursuant to an effective registration statement covering such transaction. |
CERTIFICATION |
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I hereby certify that (1) I am not in possession of any material, nonpublic information concerning the Company, as defined in the Company’s Insider Trading Policy , and (2) I am not purchasing any securities of the Company on margin in contravention of the Company’s Trading Procedures. I understand that, if I trade while possessing such information or in violation of such trading restrictions, I may be subject to severe civil and/or criminal penalties, and may be subject to discipline by the Company including termination. |
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Insider’s Signature |
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Date |
AUTHORIZED APPROVAL |
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Signature of Chief Legal Officer (or Designee) |
Date |
*NOTE: Multiple lots must be listed on separate forms or broken out.
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EXHIBIT B
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I hereby acknowledge that I have read, that I understand, and that I agree to comply with the Insider Trading Policy of Mural Oncology plc (the “Company”). I further acknowledge and agree that I am responsible for ensuring compliance with the Insider Trading Policy and the Trading Procedures by all of my “Affiliated Persons.” I also understand and agree that I will be subject to sanctions, including termination of employment, that may be imposed by the Company, in its sole discretion, for violation of the Insider Trading Policy, and that the Company may give stop-transfer and other instructions to the Company’s transfer agent or any brokerage firm managing the Company’s equity incentive plan(s) against the transfer of any Company securities that the Company considers to be in contravention of the Insider Trading Policy.
This acknowledgement constitutes consent for the Company to impose sanctions for violation of the Insider Trading Policy, including the Trading Procedures, and to issue any stop- transfer orders to the Company’s transfer agent that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate to ensure compliance.
Date: |
Signature: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
Send signed Acknowledgement to:
Maiken Keson-Brookes Compliance Officer Mural Oncology plc 852 Winter Street
Waltham, Massachusetts 02451
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