EXHIBIT 5.1
[Letterhead of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP]
March 31, 2005
Overstock.com, Inc.
6322 South 3000 East, Suite 100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Overstock.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed by the Company on February 18, 2005 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), with respect to the registration of $500,000,000 aggregate amount of the Company's debt securities (the "Debt Securities"), shares of the Company's common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), shares of the Company's preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"), warrants to purchase any of the securities described above or Units (as defined below) (the "Warrants"), stock purchase contracts (the "Stock Purchase Contracts") and units comprised of one or more Debt Securities, shares of Common Stock, shares of Preferred Stock, Stock Purchase Contracts and Warrants in any combination (the "Units"). The Debt Securities, the Common Stock, the Preferred Stock, the Warrants, the Stock Purchase Contracts and the Units are collectively referred to herein as the "Securities".
The Debt Securities are to be issued pursuant to a Senior Debt Securities Indenture (the "Senior Indenture") and a Subordinated Debt Securities Indenture (the "Subordinated Indenture"), as applicable, the forms of both of which have been filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement (the "Indentures") and are to be entered into, in each case, between the Company and a trustee (the "Trustee"). The Debt Securities are to be issued in the forms set forth in the Indentures filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement.
We have examined originals or copies identified to our satisfaction of (a) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company, each as amended to date, (b) certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, and (c) such other instruments, documents and records as we have deemed necessary and relevant for the purposes hereof. We have relied on certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and others as to certain matters of fact relating to this opinion and have made such investigations of law as we have deemed necessary and relevant as a basis hereof. In such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents and records submitted to us as originals, the conformity to authentic original documents and records of all documents and records submitted to us as copies, and the truthfulness of all statements of fact contained therein. In addition, we have assumed that (a) the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), will have become effective under the Act; (b) a prospectus supplement will have been filed with the Commission describing the Securities offered thereby; (c) all Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable Federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the applicable prospectus supplement; (d) a definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement with respect to any Securities offered will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (e) any Securities issuable upon conversion, exchange, redemption or exercise of any Securities being offered will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exchange, redemption, or exercise; (f) with respect to shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock offered, there will be sufficient shares of unissued Common Stock or Preferred Stock authorized under the Company's organizational documents and not otherwise reserved for issuance; and (g) all actions are taken by the Company so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of
any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.
Based on the foregoing, subject to the limitations, assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, and having due regard for such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to Debt Securities to be issued under either the Senior Indenture or Subordinated Indenture, when (a) the Trustee is qualified to act as Trustee under the Senior Indenture or Subordinated Indenture, as applicable, (b) the Trustee has duly executed and delivered the Subordinated Indenture or Senior Indenture, as applicable, (c) the Senior Indenture or Subordinated Indenture, as applicable, has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company to the Trustee, (d) the Senior Indenture or Subordinated Indenture, as applicable, has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, (e) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly constituted and acting committee thereof (such Board of Directors or committee being hereinafter referred to as the "Board") has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of such Debt Securities, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, and (f) such Debt Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of the Senior Indenture or Subordinated Indenture, as applicable, and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board, or upon the exercise of Warrants to purchase Debt Securities, upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for therein, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
2. With respect to shares of Common Stock, when (a) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of and the terms of the offering of the shares of Common Stock and related matters and (b) certificates representing the shares of Common Stock have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered either (i) in accordance with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board, or upon the exercise of Warrants to purchase Common Stock, upon payment of the consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Common Stock) provided for therein or (ii) upon conversion or exercise of any other Security, in accordance with the terms of such Security or the instrument governing such Security providing for such conversion or exercise as approved by the Board, for the consideration approved by the Board (not less than the par value of the Common Stock), then the shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3. With respect to any particular series of shares of Preferred Stock, when (a) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of the shares of Preferred Stock, the terms of the offering thereof, and related matters, including the adoption of a certificate of designation relating to such Preferred Stock conforming to the Delaware General Corporation Law (a "Certificate") and the filing of the Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and (b) certificates representing the shares of Preferred Stock have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered either (i) in accordance with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board, or upon the exercise of Warrants to purchase Preferred Stock, upon payment of the consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Preferred Stock) provided for therein or (ii) upon conversion or exercise of such Security or the instrument governing such Security providing for such conversion or exercise as approved by the Board, for the consideration approved by the Board (not less than the par value of the Preferred Stock), then the shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The foregoing opinion is based on and is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the relevant contract law of the State of New York and the relevant federal law of the United States of America. We are not admitted to the practice of law in the State of Delaware.
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Our opinion that any document or Security is a valid and binding obligation is qualified as to:
(a) limitations imposed by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally;
(b) rights to indemnification and contribution which may be limited by applicable law or equitable principles; and
(c) general principles of equity, including without limitation concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief and limitation of rights of acceleration, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
We note that, as of the date of this opinion, a judgment for money in an action based on a Security denominated in a foreign currency or currency unit in a Federal or state court in the United States ordinarily would be enforced in the United States only in United States dollars. The date used to determine the rate of conversion of the foreign currency or currency unit in which a particular Security is denominated into United States dollars will depend upon various factors, including which court renders the judgment. In the case of a Security denominated in a foreign currency, a state court in the State of New York rendering a judgment on such Security would be required under Section 27 of the New York Judiciary Law to render such judgment in the foreign currency in which the Security is denominated, and such judgment would be converted into United States dollars at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the heading "Validity of the Securities" in the prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.
| Very truly yours, | ||
/s/ BRACEWELL & GIULIANI LLP |
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Bracewell & Giuliani LLP |
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