Form S-8 - Securities to be offered to employees in employee benefit plans

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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 19, 2024

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ePlus inc.

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(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		54-1817218
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

13595 Dulles Technology Drive Herndon, Virginia		20171-3413
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

2024 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full title of the Plan)

Erica S. Stoecker, Esq.

General Counsel

ePlus inc.

13595 Dulles Technology Drive

Herndon, Virginia 20171-3413

[phone]

(Name, address, and telephone

number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Abby E. Brown, Esq.

Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP

2550 M Street NW

Washington, DC 20037

[phone]

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.  See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

	Large accelerated filer ☒	Accelerated filer ☐
	Non-accelerated filer   ☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company ☐
		Emerging growth company ☐

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.☐

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Part I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to directors of ePlus inc. (the “Registrant”) eligible to participate in the 2024 Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").  In accordance with the instructions of Part I of Form S-8, such documents will not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act.  These documents and the documents incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

 

Part II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

 

The following documents which have been filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated herein by reference:

 

a.

The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, filed with the Commission on May 23, 2024;

 

b.

The Registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Schedule 14A), filed with the Commission on July 23, 2024;

 

c.

All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), since March 31, 2024, including specifically, but not limited to the Registrant's:

 

(i)

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the Commission on August 7, 2024; and

(ii)

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 22, 2024 (solely with respect to Item 8.01) and September 16, 2024; and

 

d.

The description of the Common Stock set forth in the Registrant's registration statement on Form 8-A (Reg. No. 1-34167), filed with the Commission on September 2, 2008, and including any amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating this description, including Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

 

In addition, all documents and reports and any future filings made by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents or reports.  Any statement contained 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 herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or 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.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Registrant is not incorporating by reference information furnished under Items 2.02 and 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K, including the related exhibits, nor any other document or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with Commission rules.

 

Item 4.

Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

Item 5.

Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

The Registrant's officers and directors are and will be indemnified against certain liabilities under Delaware law, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant ("Certificate of Incorporation"), and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant ("Bylaws").  The Certificate of Incorporation requires the Company to indemnify its directors and officers in the manner and to the fullest extent permitted from time to time by the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL").  The Bylaws contain provisions which implement the indemnification provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

Article Seventh of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation provides: "No director or officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, as applicable; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director or officer (i) for any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit, or (iv) as applicable solely to directors, for any payment of a dividend or approval of a stock repurchase that is illegal under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. No amendment (including any amendment effected by operation of law, by merger, consolidation or otherwise) to or repeal of this paragraph shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director or officer of the Corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director or officer occurring prior to such amendment or repeal."

 

Article Eighth of the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation provides: "The Corporation shall indemnify, in the manner and to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (and in the case of any amendment thereto, to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than permitted prior thereto), any person (or the estate of any person) who is or was a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether or not by or in the right of the Corporation, and whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or otherwise, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan.  The corporation may, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any such person against any liability which may be asserted against such person.  To the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the indemnification provided herein may include expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and any such expenses may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the person seeking indemnification to repay such amounts if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified.  The indemnification provided herein shall not be deemed to limit the right of the Corporation to indemnify any other person for any such expenses to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, nor shall it be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any person seeking indemnification from the Corporation may be entitled under any agreement, the Corporation's Bylaws, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to action in such person's official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.  The Corporation may, but only to the extent that the Board of Directors may (but shall not be obligated to) authorize from time to time, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article Eighth as they apply to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation."

 

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The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers.  The indemnification agreements provide that the Registrant will indemnify the director or officer against any expenses or liabilities incurred in connection with any proceeding in which the director or officer may be involved as a party or otherwise, by reason of the fact that the director or officer is or was a director or officer of the Registrant or by any reason of any action taken by or omitted to be taken by the director or officer while acting as an officer or director of the Registrant.  However, the Registrant is only obligated to provide indemnification under the indemnification agreements if: (i) the director or officer was acting in good faith and in a manner the director or officer reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action, the director or officer had no reasonable cause to believe the director's or officer's conduct was unlawful; (ii) the claim was not made to recover profits by the director or officer in violation of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or any successor statute or state law; (iii) the claim was not initiated by the director or officer; (iv) the claim was not covered by applicable insurance; or (v) the claim was not for an act or omission of a director of the Registrant from which a director may not be relieved of liability under the DGCL.  Each director and officer has undertaken to repay the Registrant for any costs or expenses paid by the Registrant if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled to indemnification under the indemnification agreements.

 

The Registrant also maintains a general liability insurance policy, which will cover certain liabilities of its directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

 

Item 7.

Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

    Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Exhibits.

 

See Exhibit Index.

 

Item 9.

Undertakings.

 

(a)

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(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 this 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 this 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 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 this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

 

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provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the 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 herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(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 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 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.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all 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 County of Fairfax, Commonwealth of Virginia, on the 19^th day of September, 2024.

 

		EPLUS INC.
	By:	/s/ Mark P. Marron
		Mark P. Marron President and Chief Executive Officer

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby severally constitutes and appoints Mark P. Marron and Elaine D. Marion and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to the Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

/s/ Mark P. Marron		President and CEO	September 19, 2024
Mark P. Marron		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Elaine D. Marion		Chief Financial Officer	September 19, 2024
Elaine D. Marion		(Principal Financial
		and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Maureen F. Morrison		Chair	September 19, 2024
Maureen F. Morrison
/s/ Renée Bergeron		Director	September 19, 2024
Renée Bergeron
/s/ Bruce M. Bowen		Director	September 19, 2024
Bruce M. Bowen
/s/ John E. Callies		Director	September 19, 2024
John E. Callies
/s/ Ira A. Hunt, III		Director	September 19, 2024
Ira A. Hunt, III
/s/ Ben Xiang		Director	September 19, 2024
Ben Xiang

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
4.1	ePlus inc. Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as last amended September 18, 2023 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2023)
4.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of ePlus inc. as amended March 26, 2024 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 28, 2024)
5.1*	Opinion of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
10.1	2024 Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 16, 2024)
23.1*	Consent of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP (Contained in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement)
23.2*	Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
24.1*	Power of Attorney (Included on the signature page to this Registration Statement)
107*	Filing Fee Table

* Filed herewith.

 

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EXHIBIT 5.1

Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP 2550 M Street, NW Washington, D.C.     20037   O         [phone] F     [phone] squirepattonboggs.com

September 19, 2024

ePlus inc.

13595 Dulles Technology Drive

Herndon, VA     20171-3413

Re:     Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to ePlus inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (together with all exhibits thereto, the “Registration Statement”), relating to the registration of 300,000 shares (the “Plan Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), reserved for issuance pursuant to the ePlus inc. 2024 Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined the Registration Statement, the Plan and such documents, resolutions, corporate records, certificates and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below. In addition to the foregoing, we have made such investigations of law and fact as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth herein. In such examination and in rendering our opinion expressed below, we have assumed and have relied upon, without independent investigation or verification: (i) the genuineness of all signatures on all agreements, documents, certificates, records, instruments and other documents submitted to us, (ii) the legal capacity and authority of all natural persons or entities (other than the Company) executing all agreements, documents, certificates, records, instruments and other documents submitted to us, (iii) the truth, authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the information and all other agreements, documents, certificates, records, instruments and other documents submitted to us as originals, (iv) that all agreements, certificates, records, instruments and other documents submitted to us as certified, electronic, facsimile, conformed, photostatic or other copies conform to authentic originals thereof, and that such originals are authentic and complete, (v) the due authorization, execution and delivery of all agreements, instruments, certificates and other documents by all parties thereto (other than the Company), (vi) that the statements contained in the certificates and comparable documents of public officials, officers and representatives of the Company and other persons on which we have relied for the purposes of this opinion set forth below are true and correct, and (vii) that the officers and directors of the Company have properly exercised their fiduciary duties. We have also assumed that the Registration Statement will continue to be effective at the time the Plan Shares are issued and delivered in accordance with the Plan. As to all questions of fact material to the opinion and as to the materiality of any fact or other matter referred to herein, we have relied (without independent investigation) upon representations and certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company.

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Based upon and subject to the foregoing qualifications, assumptions and limitations and subject to the further qualifications, assumptions and limitations set forth in this opinion letter, we are of the opinion that the Plan Shares, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the Registration Statement and in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

Our opinion is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as in effect on the date hereof (including the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and the reported judicial decisions interpreting the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as of the date hereof). We do not express any opinion as to the laws of any other jurisdiction. The opinion expressed above is limited to the matters stated in this opinion letter, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond those expressly stated in this opinion letter.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name therein.  In giving such consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or under the rules and regulations of the Commission.

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, except as expressly provided in the preceding paragraph.  This opinion is given as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, and we assume no obligation to update or supplement this opinion to reflect any facts or circumstances, which may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in laws or judicial decisions which may hereafter occur.

	Sincerely,
	/s/ Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
	Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP

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EXHIBIT 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated May 22, 2024 relating to the financial statements of ePlus inc. and the effectiveness of ePlus inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of ePlus inc. for the year ended March 31, 2024.

/s/DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

McLean, Virginia

September 19, 2024

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Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

S-8

EPLUS INC

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

	Security Type	Security Class Title	Fee Calculation Rule	Amount Registered	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit	Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Fee Rate	Amount of Registration Fee
1	Other	Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	Other	300,000	$ 87.29	$ 26,187,000.00	0.0001476	$ 3,865.20
Total Offering Amounts:						$ 26,187,000.00		$ 3,865.20
Total Fee Offsets:								$ 0.00
Net Fee Due:								$ 3,865.20

Offering Note

1

The registration fee is calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act, the shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock") being registered under this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Common Stock which become issuable under the ePlus inc. 2024 Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's outstanding shares of Common Stock. The proposed maximum offering price per share and the maximum aggregate offering price are estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee and computed pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) of the Securities Act, based upon the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant's Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on September 12, 2024, which was $87.29.

Submission	Sep. 19, 2024
Submission [Line Items]
Central Index Key	0001022408
Registrant Name	EPLUS INC
Form Type	S-8
Submission Type	S-8
Fee Exhibit Type	EX-FILING FEES

Offerings - Offering: 1	Sep. 19, 2024 USD ($) shares
Offering:
Fee Previously Paid	false
Other Rule	true
Security Type	Other
Security Class Title	Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Amount Registered | shares	300,000
Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Unit	87.29
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	$ 26,187,000.00
Fee Rate	0.01476%
Amount of Registration Fee	$ 3,865.20
Offering Note	The registration fee is calculated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act, the shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock") being registered under this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Common Stock which become issuable under the ePlus inc. 2024 Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant's outstanding shares of Common Stock. The proposed maximum offering price per share and the maximum aggregate offering price are estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee and computed pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) of the Securities Act, based upon the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant's Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on September 12, 2024, which was $87.29.

Fees Summary	Sep. 19, 2024 USD ($)
Fees Summary [Line Items]
Total Offering	$ 26,187,000.00
Total Fee Amount	3,865.20
Total Offset Amount	0.00
Net Fee	$ 3,865.20

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