Coherent (COHR) S-8Registration of securities for employees

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 6, 2024

Registration No. 333-  

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

COHERENT CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Performance Share Unit Inducement Award Agreement

Restricted Stock Unit Inducement Award Agreement

(Full title of the plan)

Rob Beard

Chief Legal and Global Affairs Officer

Coherent Corp.

5100 Patrick Henry Drive

Santa Clara, CA 95054

(Name and address of agent for service)

(724) 352-4455

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

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 (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act):

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.  ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement is being filed solely for the registration of 316,222 shares of common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”), of Coherent Corp. (the “Company”), which is the maximum number of shares that may be issued upon (i) the vesting and settlement of performance stock units, in accordance with the terms of the Performance Stock Unit Inducement Award Agreement by and between the Company and Sherri R. Luther and (ii) the vesting of restricted stock units, in accordance with the terms of the Restricted Stock Unit Inducement Award Agreement, by and between the Company and Ms. Luther (collectively, the “Inducement Awards”). In each case, the Inducement Awards were granted, effective as of October 11, 2024, to Ms. Luther in reliance on the employment inducement award exemption under the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual Rule 303A.08.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered by this Registration Statement have been sold or which deregisters all such securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Registrant is not incorporating by reference any information furnished (but not filed) under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K or any exhibit furnished therein that relates to such items.

Any statement contained in this Registration Statement 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 or incorporated by reference herein or in any subsequently filed document that 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.

Not applicable.

1

The opinion of counsel is given by Ronald Basso, Assistant General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. Mr. Basso owns shares of the Registrant’s common stock and is eligible to participate in the Registrant’s equity compensation plans.

Pennsylvania statutory law regarding directors and officers insurance and indemnification is embodied in Chapter 17, Subchapter D (Sections 1741 through 1750) of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended (the “PBCL”).

Sections 1741 (relating to third-party actions) and 1742 (relating to derivative and corporate actions) of the PBCL provide that a business corporation may indemnify any director, officer, employee or agent who is or was a representative of, or serving at the request of, the corporation (a “Representative”), so long as the Representative acted in good faith and with a reasonable belief that his or her actions were in the best interests, or not opposed to the best interests, of the corporation, and with respect to any criminal proceeding under Section 1741 of the PBCL, the Representative must have had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. In general, the power to indemnify under these sections does not exist in the case of actions against a director or officer by or in the right of the corporation if the person otherwise entitled to indemnification shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless it is judicially determined that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for specified expenses.

Section 1743 of the PBCL provides mandatory indemnification for a present or former director or officer if he or she succeeds on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any claim or action or proceeding, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein. The corporation must indemnify him or her to the extent of his or her actual and reasonable expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred in connection with the claim or action.

Section 1745 of the PBCL states that expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in defending any third-party or derivative action or proceeding may be paid by a business corporation in advance of the final disposition of the action or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Representative to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized by the PBCL or otherwise. Except as otherwise provided in the corporation’s articles or bylaws, advancement of expenses must be authorized by the board of directors of the corporation. The PBCL provisions ordinarily governing transactions with interested directors or officers, or interested shareholders (Sections 1728 and 2538 of the PBCL) do not apply to the authorization of advancement.

Section 1746(a) states that the statutory rights of indemnification and advancement of expenses shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person might be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to the action in his or her official capacity and as to the action or proceeding in another capacity while holding that office. Section 1746(c) specifies that indemnification pursuant to Section 1746(a) may be made even if the corporation would not have the power to make such indemnification under other provisions of law, and may be made even in the case of an action by or in the right of the corporation. Such indemnification is declared to be consistent with Pennsylvania’s public policy. However, Section 1746(b) forbids indemnification under subsection 1746(a) to be made in any case where the act or failure to act giving rise to the claim is determined by a court to be willful misconduct or recklessness. A corporation’s articles of incorporation may not provide for indemnification in the case of willful misconduct or recklessness.

The PBCL, in Section 1747, also authorizes corporations to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a Representative or a person who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a Representative of another domestic or foreign entity, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her, unless otherwise restricted in its bylaws. Such insurance is declared to be consistent with Pennsylvania’s public policy.

Section 1750 of the PBCL provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to Subchapter D of the PBCL shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Representative and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representatives of that person. Section 1750 of the PBCL provides that the right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the articles or bylaws may not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to or repeal of the provision after the occurrence of an act that is the subject of the threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of the act explicitly authorizes the elimination or impairment after an act has occurred.

2

Section 9.02 of the Registrant’s bylaws provides that a director will not be personally liable for monetary damages for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, unless the director has breached or failed to perform the duties of his or her office under Section 9.01 of the Registrant’s bylaws (relating to standard of care and justifiable reliance) and the breach or failure to perform constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct or recklessness. A director’s criminal or tax liability is not limited by the foregoing provision.

Section 9.03 of the Registrant’s bylaws requires the Registrant to indemnify any director or officer of the Registrant to the fullest extent not prohibited by law in connection with any actual or threatened action, suit or proceeding for indemnification, or that may give rise to indemnification, that (1) is brought against a person entitled to indemnification under Article IX of the bylaws, and (2) arises out of the service of that person to the Registrant, or to another enterprise at the request of the Registrant (referred to as an “indemnification action”). The Registrant may not indemnify any director or officer in connection with an indemnification action initiated by that director or officer (other than a successful indemnification action to enforce that individual’s right to indemnification under the Registrant’s bylaws) unless the Registrant’s board authorizes the indemnification action. The right to indemnification under Section 9.03 includes the right to be reimbursed for expenses before the final disposition of an indemnification action.

Section 9.06 of the Registrant’s bylaws permits the Registrant to purchase insurance to protect against any liability asserted against the Registrant or any individual, whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify that individual.

The Registrant has entered into agreements with its directors and officers pursuant to which the Registrant has agreed to provide for the indemnification of and the advancing of expenses to each such indemnitee to the fullest extent (whether partial or complete) permitted by law and as set forth in the applicable agreement, and, to the extent insurance is maintained, for the continued coverage of each such indemnitee under the Registrant’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies. To the fullest extent permissible by applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in each such agreement is unavailable to the applicable indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Registrant, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by such indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under such agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such claim in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Registrant and such indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving rise to such claim; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Registrant (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and such indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

The indemnification described in the preceding paragraphs may include indemnification against liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Not applicable.

3

The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference as part of this Registration Statement:

4

5

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Borough of Saxonburg, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on this 6th day of November, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each of the undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint James R. Anderson and Rob Beard, or either of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys and agents, to do any and all acts and things in his or her name and on his or her behalf and to execute any and all instruments for him or her and in his or her name in the respective capacities indicated below, which said attorneys and agents, or any of them, may deem necessary or advisable to enable Coherent Corp. to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with this Registration Statement, including specifically, but without limitation, power and authority to sign for him or her in his or her name in the respective capacities indicated below, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) hereto, and each of the undersigned does hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorneys and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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