Exhibit 5.1

 

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

United States

+1 212 446 4800

www.kirkland.com

January 30, 2023

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc.

6811 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Suite 200

Columbia, Maryland 21046

 

Re:

Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are issuing this opinion letter in our capacity as special legal counsel to BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). This opinion letter is being delivered in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (such Registration Statement, as it may be subsequently amended or supplemented, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”) initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on January 30, 2023 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), by the Company.

The Registration Statement relates to the resale or distribution from time to time by the selling stockholder (the “Selling Stockholder”) named in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement and any supplement thereto or its permitted transferees of (A) up to 13,888,889 shares (the “Private Placement Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), and (B) up to 13,888,889 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrant, having an exercise price of $2.39 per share of Common Stock (the “Warrant”). The Private Placement Shares and the Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”

In connection with the registration of the Securities, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion, including: (i) the organizational documents of the Company, (ii) resolutions of the Company with respect to the issuance and registration of the Securities, and (iii) the Registration Statement and the exhibits thereto.

For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed

 

 

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BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc.

January 30, 2023

Page 2

 

the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of the signatures of persons signing all documents in connection with which this opinion is rendered, the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the Company. We have not independently established or verified any facts relevant to the opinions expressed herein, but have relied upon statements and representations of the officers and other representatives of the Company and others as to factual matters.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.

The Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

2.

The Private Placement Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

Our opinions expressed above are subject to the qualification that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with, or effect of any laws except the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (including the statutory provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the foregoing).

Each opinion in this letter that any particular contract constitutes a valid and binding agreement or is enforceable in accordance with its terms (each, an “enforceability opinion”) is subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and other similar laws and judicially developed doctrines in this area such as substantive consolidation and equitable subordination; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity; and (iii) other commonly recognized statutory and judicial constraints on enforceability including statutes of limitations. “General principles of equity” include but are not limited to: (A) principles limiting the availability of specific performance and injunctive relief; (B) principles which limit the availability of a remedy under certain circumstances where another remedy has been elected; (C) principles requiring reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing in the performance and enforcement of an agreement by the party seeking enforcement; (D) principles which may permit a party to cure a material failure to perform its obligations; and (E) principles affording equitable defenses such as waiver, laches and estoppel. It is possible that terms in a particular contract covered by our enforceability opinion may not prove enforceable for reasons other than those explicitly cited in this letter should an actual enforcement action be brought, but (subject to all the exceptions, qualifications, exclusions and other limitations contained in this letter) such unenforceability would not in our opinion prevent the party entitled to enforce that contract from realizing the principal benefits purported to be provided to that party by the terms in that contract which are covered by our enforceability opinion.

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc.

January 30, 2023

Page 3

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

We do not find it necessary for the purposes of this opinion, and accordingly we do not purport to cover herein, the application of the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the various states to the issuance and sale of the Securities.

This opinion is limited to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein. This opinion speaks only as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion after the date of effectiveness should the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise after the date hereof.

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose.