As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 23, 2025
Registration Statement No. 333-
Republic of the Marshall Islands (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | N/A (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||
c/o GSL Enterprises Ltd. 9 Irodou Attikou Street Kifisia, Athens Greece, 14561 + 30 210 6233670 (Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices) | Watson Farley & Williams LLP Attention: Filana R. Silberberg, Esq. 120 West 45th Street, 20th Floor New York, New York 10036 (212) 922-2225 (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service) | ||
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• | a block trade in which a broker-dealer may resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the transaction; |
• | a distribution by way of dividend or otherwise to our existing shareholders; |
• | purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
• | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker-dealer solicits purchasers; or |
• | trading plans entered into by us pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are in place at the time of an offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement hereto that provide for periodic sales of our securities on the basis of parameters described in such trading plans. |
• | enter into transactions involving short sales of our common shares by broker-dealers; |
• | sell common shares short and deliver the shares to close out short positions; |
• | enter into options or other types of transactions that require us or them to deliver common shares to a broker-dealer, who will then resell or transfer the common shares under this prospectus; or |
• | loan or pledge the common shares to a broker-dealer, who may sell the loaned shares or, in the event of default, sell the pledged shares. |
• | 249,000,000 common shares, par value $0.01 per share, consisting of: |
○ | 214,000,000 Class A common shares, $0.01 per share, of which 35,770,652 shares were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus; |
○ | 20,000,000 Class B common shares, $0.01 per share, of which none were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus; and |
○ | 15,000,000 Class C common shares, $0.01 per share, of which none were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus; |
• | 1,000,000 preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share, consisting of: |
○ | 104,000 Series B Preferred Shares, $0.01 per share, of which 43,592 shares were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus; |
○ | 250,000 Series C Preferred Shares, $0.01 per share, of which none were issued and outstanding as of the date of this prospectus; and |
○ | 646,000 preferred shares available for designation by the board of directors. |
• | the designation, aggregate principal amount and authorized denominations; |
• | the issue price, expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount; |
• | the maturity date; |
• | the interest rate per annum, if any; |
• | if the debt securities provide for interest payments, the date from which interest will accrue, the dates on which interest will be payable, the date on which payment of interest will commence and the regular record dates for interest payment dates; |
• | any optional or mandatory sinking fund provisions or exchangeability provisions; |
• | the terms and conditions upon which conversion of any convertible debt securities may be effected, including the conversion price, the conversion period and other conversion provisions; |
• | whether the debt securities will be our senior or subordinated securities; |
• | whether the debt securities will be our secured or unsecured obligations; |
• | the applicability and terms of any guarantees; |
• | the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the debt securities may be optionally redeemed or must be mandatorily redeemed and any other terms and provisions of optional or mandatory redemptions; |
• | if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities of the series will be issuable; |
• | if other than the full principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities of the series which will be payable upon acceleration or provable in bankruptcy; |
• | any events of default not set forth in this prospectus; |
• | the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which principal, premium and interest will be payable, if other than the currency of the United States; |
• | if principal, premium or interest is payable, at our election or at the election of any holder, in a currency other than that in which the debt securities of the series are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, the election may be made; |
• | whether interest will be payable in cash or additional securities at our or the holder’s option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made; |
• | if denominated in a currency or currencies other than the currency of the United States, the equivalent price in the currency of the United States for purposes of determining the voting rights of holders of those debt securities under the applicable indenture; |
• | if the amount of payments of principal, premium or interest may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method based on a coin or currency other than that in which the debt securities of the series are stated to be payable, the manner in which the amounts will be determined; |
• | any restrictive covenants or other material terms relating to the debt securities; |
• | whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of global securities or certificates in registered form; |
• | any listing on any securities exchange or quotation system; |
• | additional provisions, if any, related to defeasance and discharge of the debt securities; and |
• | any other special features of the debt securities. |
• | our ability to incur either secured or unsecured debt, or both; |
• | our ability to make certain payments, dividends, redemptions or repurchases; |
• | our ability to create dividend and other payment restrictions affecting our subsidiaries; |
• | our ability to make investments; |
• | mergers and consolidations by us or our subsidiaries; |
• | sales of assets by us; |
• | our ability to enter into transactions with affiliates; |
• | our ability to incur liens; or |
• | sale and leaseback transactions. |
1) | changes the amount of securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
2) | reduces the rate of or changes the interest payment time on any security or alters its redemption provisions (other than any alteration to any such section which would not materially adversely affect the legal rights of any holder under the indenture) or the price at which we are required to offer to purchase the securities; |
3) | reduces the principal or changes the maturity of any security or reduces the amount of, or postpones the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation; |
4) | waives a default or event of default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any security (except a rescission of acceleration of the securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
5) | makes the principal of or interest, if any, on any security payable in any currency other than that stated in the security; |
6) | makes any change with respect to holders’ rights to receive principal and interest, the terms pursuant to which defaults can be waived, certain modifications affecting shareholders or certain currency-related issues; or |
7) | waives a redemption payment with respect to any security or changes any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any securities; |
• | default in any payment of interest when due which continues for 30 days; |
• | default in any payment of principal or premium at maturity; |
• | default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due; |
• | default in the performance of any covenant in the debt securities or the applicable indenture which continues for 60 days after we receive notice of the default; |
• | default under a bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for borrowed money by us or our subsidiaries (to the extent we are directly responsible or liable therefor) having a principal amount in excess of a minimum amount set forth in the applicable subsequent filings, whether such indebtedness now exists or is hereafter created, which default shall have resulted in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, without such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled or cured within 30 days after we receive notice of the default; and |
• | events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization. |
$ (1) | |||
Commission registration fee | $* | ||
FINRA Fee | $* | ||
Legal fees and expenses | $* | ||
Accounting fees and expenses | $* | ||
Miscellaneous | $* | ||
Total | $* | ||
(1) | The Registrant is registering an indeterminate amount of securities under the registration statement in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the Registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee in connection with such securities until the time the securities are sold under the registration statement pursuant to a prospectus supplement. |
* | To be provided by a prospectus supplement or as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K that is incorporated by reference into this registration statement. |
• | Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the Commission on March 18, 2025, which contains audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024; |
• | Our Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on June 9, 2025; |
• | Our Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on June 17, 2025; |
• | Our Report on Form 6-K, filed with the Commission on August 6, 2025, which contains our management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations and interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes for the six month periods ended June 30, 2025 and 2024; |
• | The description of our Class A Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on August 12, 2008, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on March 26, 2019, including any subsequent amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
Item 8. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
(1) | Actions not by or in right of the corporation. A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he 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, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of no contest, or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceedings, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. |
(2) | Actions by or in right of the corporation. A corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request 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 against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not, opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claims, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper. |
(3) | When director or officer successful. To the extent that a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (1) or (2) of this section, or in the defense of a claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith. |
(4) | Payment of expenses in advance. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the board of directors in the specific case upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section. |
(5) | Indemnification pursuant to other rights. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other |
(6) | Continuation of indemnification. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. |
(7) | Insurance. A corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who 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 against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in such capacity whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this section. |
Item 9. | Exhibits |
Item 10. | 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, unless 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 of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement: |
(i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
(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. |
(2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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. |
(4) | To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act need not be furnished, provided, that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective |
(5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
(i) | If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B: |
(A) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this Registration Statement; and |
(B) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
(6) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
(i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
(ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
(iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
(iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
(b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) 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 the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(c) | - (f) [Reserved] |
(g) | Not applicable. |
(h) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 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 Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
(i) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
(1) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
(2) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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. |
(j) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act. |
(k) | Not applicable. |
GLOBAL SHIP LEASE, INC. | ||||||
By: | /s/ Thomas A. Lister | |||||
Name: | Thomas A. Lister | |||||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||||
/s/ George Giouroukos | Executive Chairman | ||
George Giouroukos | |||
/s/ Michael S. Gross | Director | ||
Michael S. Gross | |||
/s/ Alain Wils | Director | ||
Alain Wils | |||
/s/ Ulrike Helfer | Director | ||
Ulrike Helfer | |||
/s/ Michael Chalkias | Director | ||
Michael Chalkias | |||
/s/ Yoram (Rami) Neugeborn | Director | ||
Yoram (Rami) Neugeborn | |||
/s/ Alain Pitner | Director | ||
Alain Pitner | |||
/s/ Menno van Lacum | Director | ||
Menno van Lacum | |||
/s/ Ian J. Webber | Director | ||
Ian J. Webber | |||
/s/ Thomas A. Lister | Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | ||
Thomas A. Lister | |||
/s/ Anastasios Psaropoulos | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer | ||
Anastasios Psaropoulos | |||
PUGLISI & ASSOCIATES | ||||||
By: | /s/ Donald J. Puglisi | |||||
Name: | Donald J. Puglisi | |||||
Title: | Managing Director | |||||
Exhibit Number | Description | ||
1.1 | Form of Underwriting Agreement* | ||
Form of Common Share Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Global Ship Lease, Inc.’s Form 6-K filed with the Commission on March 25, 2019). | |||
4.2 | Form of Warrant* | ||
4.3 | Form of Preferred Share Certificate* | ||
4.4 | Form of Deposit Agreement, including the form of depositary receipt* | ||
4.5 | Form of Purchase Contract* | ||
4.6 | Form of Rights Agreement* | ||
Form of Senior Debt Securities Indenture | |||
Form of Subordinated Debt Securities Indenture | |||
4.9 | Form of Unit Agreement* | ||
Opinion of Watson Farley & Williams LLP, United States and Marshall Islands counsel to the Company | |||
Opinion of Watson Farley & Williams LLP with respect to certain tax matters | |||
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers S.A. | |||
Consent of Maritime Strategies International Ltd. | |||
23.3 | Consent of Watson Farley & Williams LLP, U.S. Counsel to the Company (included in Exhibits 5.1 and 8.1) | ||
Power of Attorney (contained in signature page hereto) | |||
25.1 | Form of T-1 Statement of Eligibility (senior debt securities indenture)** | ||
25.2 | Form of T-1 Statement of Eligibility (subordinated debt securities indenture)** | ||
Filing Fee Table | |||
* | To be filed either as an amendment to this Registration Statement or as an exhibit to a report of the Registrant filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. |
** | To be filed in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. |