Exhibit
5.1
PORTER,
WRIGHT, MORRIS & ARTHUR LLP
41 South
High Street
Columbus,
Ohio 43215-6194
Telephone:
614/227-2000
Facsimile:
614/227-2100
November
7, 2010
Neoprobe
Corporation
425 Metro
Place North, Suite 300
Dublin,
Ohio 43017
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have
acted as counsel to Neoprobe Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in
connection with the proposed offer and sale by the Company of 3,157,896 shares
(the "Shares")
of the Company's common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"),
Series CC warrants to purchase up 1,578,948 shares of the Company's Common Stock
(the "Series CC
Warrants"), Series DD warrants to purchase up 1,578,948 shares of the
Common Stock (the "Series DD Warrants"
and, collectively with the Series CC Warrants, the "Warrants"), and
the shares of the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the
"Warrant
Shares" and, collectively with the Warrants and Shares, the "Securities"),
pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated November 7, 2010
(the "Agreement"), among
the Company and the purchasers thereunder. The Securities are
being issued pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File
No. 333-168485) (the "Registration
Statement"), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") on
August 13, 2010, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Act”), and the base
Prospectus dated August 13, 2010, and the Prospectus Supplement, dated November
7, 2010, filed with the Commission.
In
connection with rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined (i) the
Agreement, (ii) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Company; (iii) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, (iv) the
form of the Warrants, (v) the Registration Statement, including the exhibits
filed therewith, (vi) authorizing resolutions and other actions of the Company
that authorize and provide for the issuance of the Securities. 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.
Based
upon the foregoing and our examination of such questions of law as we have
deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of our opinion, and subject to
the assumptions, limitations and qualifications expressed herein, it is our
opinion that:
(1) The
Shares, when sold and delivered in accordance with the Agreement and after
receipt of payment therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
(2) The
Warrant Shares, when issued upon valid exercise of the Warrants in accordance
the terms of such Warrants and after receipt of payment therefor, will be
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(3) The
Warrants have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part
of the Company, executed and delivered by the Company and constitute legally
valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’
rights generally, and by general principles of equity including, without
limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing
and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief,
regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law.
The
opinions expressed herein are subject to the following assumptions, limitations
and qualifications:
(a) We
have assumed that (i) the Registration Statement, and any amendments
thereto, will remain effective during the period when the Securities are
offered, sold or issued, including upon exercise of the Warrants and
(ii) the Warrants will be issued in the form we have reviewed and will have
been signed by a duly authorized signatory.
(b) As
noted, the enforceability of the Warrants is subject to the effect of general
principles of equity. As applied to the Warrants, these principles will require
the parties thereto to not invoke penalties for defaults that bear no reasonable
relation to the damage suffered or that would otherwise work a
forfeiture.
(c) The
effectiveness of indemnities, rights of contribution, exculpatory provisions,
choice of venue or jurisdiction provisions, waiver of jury trials, and waivers
of the benefits of statutory provisions may be limited on public policy
grounds.
(d) Provisions
of the Warrants requiring that waivers must be in writing may not be binding or
enforceable if a non-executory oral agreement has been created modifying any
such provision or an implied agreement by trade practice or course of conduct
has given rise to a waiver.
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 as an exhibit to the current report on
Form 8-K to be filed with the Commission on the date hereof for
incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement and to the reference
to this firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement
filed November 9, 2010, pertaining to this transaction.
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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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