Exhibit
5.1
PORTER, WRIGHT, MORRIS & ARTHUR
LLP
41 South High Street
Columbus,
Ohio 43215-6194
Telephone:
614/227-2000
Facsimile:
614/227-2100
August 3, 2010
Neoprobe
Corporation
425 Metro
Place North, Suite 300
Dublin,
Ohio 43017
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
We have
acted as counsel to Neoprobe Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), in
connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration
Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “Commission”) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). The
Registration Statement relates to: (1) the issuance and sale by the Company from
time to time pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Act (“Rule 415”) of shares
of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value (“Common Stock”), warrants to
purchase shares of Common Stock, and units comprised of shares of Common Stock
and Warrants (the “Primary Securities”),
having an aggregate initial offering price of up to $19,100,000; and (2) the
sale from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 of up to 15,000,000 shares of Common
Stock, by certain shareholders of the Company (the “Secondary
Shares”).
In
connection with rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined
(i) the Registration Statement, including the exhibits filed therewith;
(ii) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company;
(iii) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company; and
(iv) authorizing resolutions and other actions of the Company that
authorize and provide for the issuance of the Primary Shares and have authorized
and provided for the issuance of the Secondary Shares covered by this opinion
letter. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise
identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such
agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or other
representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents, and have
considered such matters of law and fact, in each case as we have deemed
appropriate to render the opinions contained herein. With respect to certain
facts, we have considered it appropriate to rely upon certificates or other
comparable documents of public officials and officers or other appropriate
representatives of the Company without investigation or analysis of any
underlying data contained therein.
For the
purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) each document
submitted to us is accurate and complete; (ii) each such document that is
an original is authentic; (iii) each such document that is a copy conforms
to an authentic original; and (iv) all signatures (other than signatures on
behalf of the Company) on each such document are genuine. We have further
assumed the legal capacity of natural persons, and we have assumed that each
party to the documents we have examined or relied on (other than the Company)
has the legal capacity or authority and has satisfied all legal requirements
that are applicable to that party to the extent necessary to make such documents
enforceable against that party. We have not verified any of the foregoing
assumptions.
Our
examination of law relevant to the matters covered by this opinion is limited to
the State of Ohio and the corporate laws of the State of Delaware, and we
express no opinion as to the effect on the matters covered by this opinion of
the laws of any other jurisdiction. We are not opining on, and we
assume no responsibility for, the applicability to or effect on any of the
matters covered herein of (i) any other laws, including the laws of the
State of Delaware (except for its corporate laws); (ii) the laws of any
other jurisdiction; or (iii) the law of any county, municipality or other
political subdivision or local governmental agency or authority. To
the extent that laws other than those of the State of Ohio and the corporate
laws of the State of Delaware govern, we have rendered our opinion with respect
solely to the laws of the State of Ohio and/or the corporate laws of the State
of Delaware, as applicable.
Assuming
that (i) the Registration Statement will be effective and will comply with
all applicable laws at the time the Primary Securities and Secondary Shares are
offered or issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement; (ii) a
prospectus supplement will have been prepared and filed with the Commission
describing the Primary Securities or Secondary Shares offered thereby and will
comply with all applicable laws; (iii) all Primary Securities and Secondary
Shares will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state
securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and the
applicable prospectus supplement; (iv) the Company shall not have rescinded
or otherwise modified any authorization of any such issuance of Primary
Securities or Secondary Shares; (v) the Company shall remain at all times a
corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware; (vi) the
Company shall have reserved a sufficient number of shares of its duly
authorized, but unissued, Common Stock as is necessary to provide for the
issuance of the Primary Securities directly pursuant to the Registration
Statement; and (vii) the additional qualifications and other matters set
forth below, it is our opinion that:
(1) When (i) the terms of an
issuance and sale of the Primary Securities have been duly authorized and
approved by all necessary action of the Company so as not to violate any
applicable law, rule or regulation or result in a default under or a breach of
any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with
any applicable requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental
body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (ii) certificates for the Primary
Securities have been duly executed, authenticated (if required), issued and
delivered either (x) in accordance with any agreement or instrument binding upon
the Company, upon payment of the consideration fixed therefore in accordance
with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement
approved by all necessary action of the Company, or (y) upon conversion,
exchange or exercise of any warrant instrument in accordance with the terms of
such instrument providing for the conversion, exchange or exercise as approved
by all necessary action of the Company, for consideration approved by all
necessary action of the Company, the Primary Securities will be validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.
(2) With respect to the
Secondary Shares that are offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, such
Secondary Shares are validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable. With respect to the shares of common stock issuable
upon the exercise of warrants or the conversion of preferred stock, upon the
conversion of such preferred stock, or the exercise and payment of the exercise
price of the warrants in accordance with the terms thereof, such Secondary
Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
We assume
no obligation to update or supplement any of our opinions to reflect any changes
of law or fact that may occur.
We hereby
consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement and to the reference to this firm under the heading “Counsel” in the Prospectus
forming a part thereof.
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Very truly
yours,
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/s/ Porter, Wright, Morris &
Arthur LLP
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PORTER, WRIGHT, MORRIS &
ARTHUR LLP
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