As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 25, 2003
Registration No. 333-         
 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

____________________

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

____________________

SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

____________________

DELAWARE

 

94-3155066

(State of incorporation)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

37400 Central Court
Newark, CA 94560

 

(Address of principal executive offices)

____________________

AMENDED AND RESTATED 1995 STOCK PLAN
AND
SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 401(K) PLAN

(Full title of the Plan)

____________________

 

DAVID W. DUNLAP
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
37400 Central Court
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 744-2700

 

(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

____________________

 

Copies to:

 
 

Herbert P. Fockler, Esq.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Professional Corporation
650 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
(650) 493-9300

 
 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered

Amount to be Registered

Proposed Maximum
Offering Price Per
Share (2)

Proposed
Maximum Aggregate
Offering Price (2)

Amount of
Registration Fee

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share(1)

964,559 shares

$1.78

$ 1,716,915

$ 138.90

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (3), (4)

500,000 shares

$1.78

$ 890,000

$ 72.00


(1) Shares of Common Stock of Socket Communications, Inc. to be registered under the Amended and Restated 1995 Sock Option Plan.
(2) Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933 solely for the purpose of calculating registration fee. In accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h), the computation is based on the average of the high and low sale prices for the Common Stock of Socket Communications, Inc. reported by the Nasdaq National Market on June 20, 2003.
(3) Shares of Common Stock of Socket Communications, Inc. to be registered under the Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan. Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), this registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of Common Stock of Socket Communications, Inc. that became issuable under the Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan described herein by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any similar transaction effected without Socket Communications, Inc.'s receipt of consideration and results in an increase in the number of shares of Common Stock of Socket Communications, Inc. outstanding.
(4) Associated with Common Stock are Common Stock Purchase Rights that will not be exercisable until the occurrence of certain prescribed events, none of which has occurred. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered and sold pursuant to the Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan.


 

SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents and information previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Socket Communications, Inc. (the "Registrant") are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

(a) The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the "Exchange Act") on March 31, 2003.

(b) The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2003 filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act on May 15, 2003.

(c) The current reports of Registrant on Form 8-K filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act on March 25, 2003, April 23,2003, and June 10, 2003.

(d) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act on April 11, 1995 and amended on June 15, 1995.

(e) The Registrant's Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Plan filed as an exhibit to Form S-8 on July 27, 2001.

All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this Registration Statement, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.


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Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "Delaware Law") authorizes a court to award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Article VII of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and Article VI of the Registrant's Bylaws provide for indemnification of the Registrant's directors and officers and authorize indemnification of employees and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware Law. In addition, the Registrant has entered into Indemnification Agreements with its officers and directors and certain stockholders.

Insofar as indemnification by Registrant for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to its directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the provisions referenced above or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by one of Registrant's directors, officers, or controlling persons in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered hereunder, Registrant will, unless in the opinion of Registrant's counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number

Description

     

4.1 (1)

Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Plan.

4.2

Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan (Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc. Prototype Standardized Profit Sharing Plan).

4.3

Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan (Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc. 401(k) Plan Adoption Agreement #009).

5.1
Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.
5.2
Opinion Letter from Internal Revenue Service to Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc., dated November 19, 2001.

23.1

Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.

24.1

Power of Attorney. (see page II-4)


(1) Incorporated by reference to exhibits filed with the Company's Form S-8 filed on July 27, 2001

 

 

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

II-3

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be an initial bona fide offering thereof.

II-4

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is a joint public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II-5

SIGNATURES

THE REGISTRANT

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933, 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 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newark, State of California, on this 25th day of June, 2003.

SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

By: /s/ David W. Dunlap
     David W. Dunlap
     Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of
     Finance and Administration

 

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints, jointly and severally, Kevin J. Mills and David Dunlap, and each one of them individually, as his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorney-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Title

Date

/s/Kevin Mills
Kevin Mills

President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director

June 25, 2003

/s/ David W. Dunlap
David W. Dunlap

Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 June 25, 2003

/s/ Charlie Bass
Charlie Bass

Chairman of the Board

 June 25, 2003

/s/ Michael Gifford
Michael Gifford

Executive Vice President and Director

 June 25, 2003

/s/ Enzo Torresi
Enzo Torresi

Director

 June 25, 2003

/s/ Gianluca Rattazzi
Gianluca Rattazzi

Director

 June 25, 2003

/s/ Peter Sealey
Peter Sealey

Director

June 25, 2003

/s/ Leon Malmed
Leon Malmed

Director

June 25, 2003

 

II-6

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant, as administrator of the Socket Communications 401(k) Plan, has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newark, State of California on the 25th day of June, 2003.

By: /s/ David W. Dunlap
     David W. Dunlap
     Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of
     Finance and Administration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II-7

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

EXHIBITS

Registration Statement on Form S-8

SOCKET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number

Description

     

4.1 (1)

Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Plan.

4.2

Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan (Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc. Prototype Standardized Profit Sharing Plan).

4.3

Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan (Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc. 401(k) Plan Adoption Agreement #009).

5.1
Opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C.
5.2
Opinion Letter from Internal Revenue Service to Kaufmann & Goble Associates, Inc., dated November 19, 2001.

23.1

Consent of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.

24.1

Power of Attorney. (See page II-4)



(1) Incorporated by reference to exhibits filed with the Company's Form S-8 filed on July 27, 2001

 

II-8

Exhibit 5.1

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
650 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050

June 20, 2003


Socket Communications, Inc.
37400 Central Court
Newark, CA 94560

  Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 to be filed by you with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about June 24, 2003 (the "Registration Statement") in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 1,464,559 shares of your Common Stock (the "Shares") reserved for issuance under the Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Plan (the "Stock Plan") and the Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan (the "401(k) Plan"). As your legal counsel, we have examined the proceedings taken and are familiar with the proceedings proposed to be taken by you in connection with the sale and issuance of the Shares under the Stock Plan and 401(k) Plan.

It is our opinion that, when issued and sold in the manner referred to in the Stock Plan and the 401(k) Plan and pursuant to the standard agreements which accompany any sale under the Stock Plan and 401(k) Plan, the Shares will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever it appears in the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto.

Very truly yours,

WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
Professional Corporation


/s/ Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati



Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP, INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-____) pertaining to the Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Plan and Socket Communications, Inc. 401(k) Plan of our report dated February 10, 2003 (except Note 14, as to which the date is March 28, 2003), with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Socket Communications, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2002, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

San Jose, California
June 23, 2003