AJX Great Ajax Corp

Exhibit 5.1

	Mayer Brown LLP 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020-1001 United States of America   T: +1 212 506 2500 F: +1 212 262 1910   mayerbrown.com
November 7, 2023
Great Ajax Corp. 13190 SW 68th Parkway, Suite 110 Tigard, OR 97223

Re: Great Ajax Corp. – Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Great Ajax Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the offering from time to time, together or separately and in one or more series (if applicable), of up to $100,000,000 aggregate amount of any or all of the following securities: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”); (ii) shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”); (iii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”); (iv) warrants of the Company (the “Warrants”); and (v) units consisting of two or more securities of the Company described in clauses (i) through (iv) above, or any combination thereof (the “Units,” and together with the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities and Warrants, the “Securities”). The Securities being registered under the Registration Statement will be offered by the Company on a continuous or delayed basis pursuant to the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

 

The Debt Securities are to be issued from time to time pursuant to an indenture (the “Indenture”) to be entered into between the Company and an institution to be identified therein, as trustee (the “Trustee”) in the form filed as Exhibit 4.6 to the Registration Statement and as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.

 

The Warrants may be issued from time to time pursuant to one or more warrant agreements (each, a “Warrant Agreement”) to be entered into by the Company and one or more institutions, as warrant agents (each, a “Warrant Agent”), each to be identified in the applicable Warrant Agreement.

 

The Units may be issued from time to time pursuant to one or more unit agreements (each, a “Unit Agreement”) to be entered into by the Company and one or more institutions, as unit agents (each, a “Unit Agent”), each to be identified in the applicable Unit Agreement.

 

 

Mayer Brown is a global services provider comprising an association of legal practices that are separate entities including
Mayer Brown LLP (Illinois, USA), Mayer Brown International LLP (England & Wales), Mayer Brown (a Hong Kong partnership)
and Tauil & Chequer Advogados (a Brazilian law partnership).

 

 

Great Ajax Corp.
November 7, 2023
Page 2

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined such corporate records, documents, instruments, certificates of public officials and of the Company and such questions of law as we have deemed necessary for the purpose of rendering the opinions set forth herein. We also have examined the Registration Statement.

 

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all items submitted to us as originals and the conformity with originals of all items submitted to us as copies.

 

The opinions hereinafter expressed are subject to the following qualifications and exceptions:

 

(i)

the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, including, without limitation, laws relating to fraudulent transfers or conveyances, preferences and equitable subordination;

 

(ii)

limitations imposed by general principles of equity upon the availability of equitable remedies or the enforcement of provisions of any Securities, and the effect of judicial decisions which have held that certain provisions are unenforceable where their enforcement would violate the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, or would be commercially unreasonable, or where their breach is not material; and

 

(iii)

our opinion is based upon current statutes, rules, regulations, cases and official interpretive opinions, and it covers certain items that are not directly or definitively addressed by such authorities.

 

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further assumptions and qualifications set forth below, it is our opinion that:

 

1.       When the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and upon the proper filing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation of Articles Supplementary and any and all required filings relating to the Common Stock and 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 definitive purchase, underwriting or similar 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 (the “Board”), for the consideration approved by the Board (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.

 

 

Great Ajax Corp.
November 7, 2023
Page 3

 

2.       When the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and upon designation of the relative rights, preferences and limitations of any series of Preferred Stock by the Board and the proper filing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation of Articles Supplementary and any and all required filings 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 definitive purchase, underwriting or similar 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 the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and when the terms of the Debt Securities to be issued under the applicable Indenture and their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Indenture 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, and when the Debt Securities have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the applicable Indenture and issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, and if all the foregoing actions are taken pursuant to the authority granted in the resolutions of the Board, the Debt Securities will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the applicable Indenture.

 

4.       When the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and when the terms of the Warrant Agreements under which the Warrants of the Company are to be issued have been duly established and the Warrant Agreements have been duly executed and delivered and when the terms of such Warrants and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Warrant Agreement and when such Warrants have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, and if all the foregoing actions are taken pursuant to the authority granted in the resolutions of the Board and 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, such Warrants will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

5.       When the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and when the terms of the Unit Agreements under which the Units of the Company are to be issued have been duly established and the Unit Agreements have been duly executed and delivered and when the terms of such Units and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Unit Agreement and when such Units have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the applicable Unit Agreement and issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, and if all the foregoing actions are taken pursuant to the authority granted in the resolutions of the Board and 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, such Units will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

 

 

Great Ajax Corp.
November 7, 2023
Page 4

 

In rendering the opinions expressed above, we have further assumed that: (i) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) will have become effective and comply with all applicable laws; (ii) the Registration Statement will be effective and will comply with all applicable laws at the time the Securities are offered or issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement; (iii) the terms of the Securities will conform, where applicable, to the respective forms thereof filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and the terms of all Securities will conform in all material respects to the respective descriptions thereof in the Prospectus which is part of the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”); (iv) the Securities will be sold and delivered to, and paid for by, the purchasers at the price specified in, and in accordance with the terms of, an agreement or agreements duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; and (v) certificates, if required, representing the Securities will be duly executed and delivered and, to the extent required by any applicable agreement, duly authenticated and countersigned.

 

It is understood that this opinion is to be used only in connection with the offer and sale of Securities while the Registration Statement is in effect.

 

Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth herein, that no opinion should be inferred as to any other matter. We are opining herein as to the Maryland General Corporation Law as in effect on the date hereof, and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws, statutes, rules or regulations. This opinion is based upon currently existing laws, statutes, rules, regulations and judicial decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any of these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.

 

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are acting within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

	Very truly yours,
	/s/ Mayer Brown LLP
	Mayer Brown LLP

 

 

Exhibit 8.1

 

 

November 7, 2023

Mayer Brown LLP 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020-1001   Main Tel +1 212 506 2500 Main Fax +1 212 262 1910 www.mayerbrown.com

 

Great Ajax Corp.
13190 S.W. 168^th Parkway, Suite 110
Tigard, OR 97223

 

Re:	Great Ajax Corp.—Status as a Real Estate Investment Trust; Information in Prospectus under Heading Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Great Ajax Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the offering from time to time, together or separately and in one or more series (if applicable), of up to $100,000,000 aggregate amount of any or all of the following securities: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share; (ii) shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share; (iii) debt securities of the Company; (iv) warrants of the Company; and (v) units consisting of two or more securities of the Company described in clauses (i) through (iv) above, or any combination thereof. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Registration Statement.

 

You have requested our opinion as to certain federal income tax matters regarding the Company. Although you may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the federal tax treatment and federal tax structure of the Company and all materials of any kind that were provided to you by us relating to such tax treatment and tax structure, you may not authorize any other person or entity to rely on this opinion, or otherwise make this opinion available for the benefit of any other person or entity, without our prior written consent.

 

In our capacity as counsel to the Company and for purposes of rendering this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the following, with your consent: (i) the Registration Statement and (ii) a certificate executed by duly appointed officers of the Company (the “Officer’s Certificate”) setting forth certain factual representations, dated November 7, 2023. We have also relied on the conclusion reached in the private letter ruling, dated February 9, 2016, that the Company received from the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, we have examined and relied upon such other documents as we have considered relevant to our analysis. In our examination of such documents, we have assumed the authenticity of original documents, the accuracy of copies, the genuineness of signatures, and the legal capacity of signatories. We have also assumed that all parties to such documents have acted, and will act, in accordance with the terms of such documents.

 

 

Our opinion is based on (a) our understanding of the facts as represented to us in the Officer’s Certificate and (b) the assumption that (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have valid legal existences under the laws of the states in which they were formed and have operated in accordance with the laws of such states, (ii) the Company is operated, and will continue to be operated, in the manner described in the Officer’s Certificate, (iii) the facts contained in the Registration Statement are true and complete in all material respects, (iv) all representations of fact contained in the Officer’s Certificate are true and complete and (v) any representation of fact in the Officer’s Certificate that is made “to the knowledge of” or similarly qualified is correct without such qualification. While we have made such inquiries and investigations as we have deemed necessary, we have not undertaken an independent inquiry into or verification of all such facts either in the course of our representation of the Company or for the purpose of rendering this opinion. While we have reviewed all representations made to us to determine their reasonableness, and nothing has come to our attention that would cause us to question the accuracy of such representations, there is no assurance that they are or will ultimately prove to be accurate.

 

We note that the tax consequences addressed herein depend upon the actual occurrence of events in the future, which events may or may not be consistent with any representations made to us for purposes of this opinion. In particular, the qualification and taxation of the Company as a “real estate investment trust” (“REIT”) for federal income tax purposes depends upon the Company’s ability to meet on a continuing basis certain distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership, and the various qualification tests imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To the extent that the facts differ from those represented to or assumed by us herein, our opinion should not be relied upon.

 

Our opinion herein is based on existing law as contained in the Code, final and temporary Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative pronouncements of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and court decisions as of the date hereof. The provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, IRS administrative pronouncements and case law upon which this opinion is based could be changed at any time, perhaps with retroactive effect. In addition, some of the issues under existing law that could significantly affect our opinion have not yet been authoritatively addressed by the IRS or the courts, and our opinion is not binding on the IRS or the courts. Hence, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge, or that the courts will agree with, our conclusions.

 

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing and the following paragraph below, we are of the opinion that, as of the date hereof:

 

1.            Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2014, the Company has been organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and its current and proposed method of operation will enable it to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for its taxable year ending December 31, 2023 and thereafter.

 

 

2.            We have reviewed the statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement under the heading “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and, insofar as such statements pertain to matters of law or legal conclusions, they are correct in all material respects.

 

This opinion is furnished to you solely for use in connection with the Registration Statement. The foregoing opinion is limited to the federal income tax matters addressed herein, and no other opinion is rendered with respect to other federal tax matters or to any issues arising under the tax laws of any other country, or any state or locality. This opinion letter is solely for the information and use of the addressees in connection with the transactions described above and it speaks only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update this opinion, or to ascertain after the date hereof whether circumstances occurring after such date may affect the conclusions set forth herein. This opinion letter may not be distributed, quoted in whole or in part or relied upon for any purpose by any other person, or otherwise reproduced in any document, or filed with any governmental agency without our express prior written consent.

 

	Very truly yours,
		/s/ Mayer Brown LLP
		Mayer Brown LLP

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated March 3, 2023, relating to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of Great Ajax Corp. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of the Company, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

 

/s/ Moss Adams LLP

 

Portland, Oregon

November 7, 2023

 

 

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