Exhibit 5.1

 

 

300 North LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60654
United States
+1 312 862 2000

 

www.kirkland.com

 

 

 

Facsimile:
+1 312 862 2200

 

February 10, 2023

 

Canoo Inc.

19951 Mariner Avenue

Torrance, California 9050

 

Re: Registration Statement of Canoo Inc. on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We are acting as special counsel to Canoo Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed registration by the Company of 34,230,870 shares (the “Shares”) of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the related prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”). The Shares may be issued upon exercise of some or all of the warrant (the “Warrant”) that the Company issued to YA II PN, LTD. (the “Selling Stockholder”) pursuant to that certain Pre-Paid Advance Agreement entered into with the Selling Stockholder on July 20, 2022, as supplemented by the the Supplemental Agreement dated November 9, 2022 and the Supplemental Agreement dated December 31, 2022 (as amended and supplemented to date, the “PPA”).

 

In connection therewith, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion, including (i) the corporate and organizational documents of the Company, including the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, the Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, (ii) minutes and records of the corporate proceedings of the Company including the Board of Directors of the Company, (iii) the Registration Statement and the exhibits thereto, (iv) the Prospectus and (v) the PPA.

 

For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of the signatures of persons signing all documents in connection with which this opinion is rendered, the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the Company. We have not independently established or verified any facts relevant to the opinions expressed herein, but have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing qualifications, assumptions and limitations and the further limitations set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the PPA and the Warrant, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

Our opinion expressed above is subject to the qualifications that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with, or effect of (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar law affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) other commonly recognized statutory and judicial constraints as to enforceability, including statutes of limitations, and (iv) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain certain remedies.

 

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Canoo Inc.

February 10, 2023

Page 2

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

Our advice on every legal issue addressed in this letter is based exclusively on the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and represents our opinion as to how that issue would be resolved were it to be considered by the highest court in the jurisdiction which enacted such law. The manner in which any particular issue relating to the opinions would be treated in any actual court case would depend in part on facts and circumstances particular to the case and would also depend on how the court involved chose to exercise the wide discretionary authority generally available to it. This letter is not intended to guarantee the outcome of any legal dispute which may arise in the future. None of the opinions or other advice contained in this letter considers or covers any foreign or state securities (or “blue sky”) laws or regulations.

 

This opinion is limited to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein. This opinion speaks only as of the date that the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act, and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion after the date of effectiveness should the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise after the date hereof.

 

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose.

 

  Sincerely,
   
  /s/ Kirkland & Ellis LLP
   
  KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP