Exhibit 5.01
[Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP Letterhead]
Oracle Corporation
2300 Oracle Way
Austin, TX 78741
March 15, 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Oracle Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for the registration of the sale from time to time of (a) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company; (b) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Company; (c) the Company’s debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), which may be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of January 13, 2006 (the “Base Indenture”) by and among the Company (formerly known as Ozark Holding Inc.), Oracle Systems Corporation (formerly known as Oracle Corporation) and Citibank, N.A. (the “Original Trustee”), as amended by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of May 9, 2007 (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”) by and among the Company, the Original Trustee and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (now known as the Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee for any and all securities issued under the Indenture subsequent to the date of such amendment (the “Trustee”); (d) warrants of the Company (the “Warrants”), which may be issued under one or more warrant agreements between the Company and a warrant agent to be named therein (each, a “Warrant Agreement”); (e) purchase contracts (the “Purchase Contracts”), which may be issued under one or more purchase contract agreements (each, a “Purchase Contract Agreement”) to be entered into between the Company and the purchase contract agent to be named therein (the “Purchase Contract Agent”); and (f) units (the “Units”), which may 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 or that we have examined in draft, specimen or certificated form 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. | When the necessary corporate action on the part of the Company has been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Common Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor (in excess of par value thereof) or upon conversion or exercise of any security offered under the Registration Statement (the “Offered Security”), in accordance with the terms of such Offered Security or the instrument governing such Offered Security providing for such conversion or exercise as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, for the consideration approved by the Board of Directors of the Company (which consideration is not less than the par value of the Common Stock), such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. |
| 2. | Upon designation of the relative rights, preferences and limitations of any series of Preferred Stock by the Board of Directors of the Company and the proper filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of a Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company will have been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such series of Preferred Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Preferred Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor (in excess of par value thereof), such shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 3. | When any officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture to the Indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company; the specific terms of a particular series of Debt Securities have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Indenture; and such Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the Indenture and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that we express no opinion as to (w) the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law, (x) the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above, (y) the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision that requires or relates to adjustments to a conversion rate at a rate or in an amount that a court would determine in the circumstances to be commercially unreasonable or a penalty or forfeiture or (z) the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision that permits holders to collect any portion of stated principal amount upon acceleration of the Debt Securities to the extent determined to constitute unearned interest. |
| 4. | When the Warrant Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Warrant Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Warrants have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Warrant Agreement; and such Warrants have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability. |
| 5. | When the Purchase Contract Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Purchase Contracts has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchase Contract Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement; and such Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability. |
| 6. | When the Unit Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Units has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Unit Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Units have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Unit Agreement; and such Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Unit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability. |
In connection with the opinions expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of any such security, (i) the Board of Directors of the Company shall have duly established the terms of such security, which terms will conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement or the prospectus supplement relating thereto and, in the case of Debt Securities, the Indenture, and shall have duly authorized the issuance and sale of such security and such authorization shall not have been modified or rescinded; (ii) the Company shall remain validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; (iii) the Registration Statement shall have become effective and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (iv) the Indenture and the Debt Securities, the Warrant Agreement, the Purchase Contract Agreement and the Unit Agreement are each valid, binding and enforceable agreements of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company); and (v) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such security. We have also assumed that (i) the terms of any security whose terms are established subsequent to the date hereof and the issuance, execution, delivery and performance by the Company of any such security (a) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under or breach of, any provision of applicable law or public policy or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company and (ii) any Warrant Agreement, Purchase Contract Agreement and Unit Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
We note that by statute the State of New York provides that a judgment or decree rendered in a currency other than the currency of the United States (“U.S.”) shall be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment or decree. There is no corresponding U.S. federal statute and no controlling U.S. federal court decision on this issue. Accordingly, we express no opinion as to whether a U.S. federal court would award a judgment in a currency other than U.S. dollars or, if it did so, whether it would order the conversion of the judgment into U.S. dollars.
We are members of the Bars of the States of New York and California and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement referred to above and further consent to the reference to our name under the caption “Validity of Securities” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP |
