Orange SA (ORANY) Risk Analysis

Orange's business activities require the transmission through its networks and storage on its infrastructure of data belonging to business or government customers, suppliers, partners and all stakeholders other than natural persons (for information relating to risks regarding personal data, section “-Non-financial risks” below). The increasing use of Cloud services and the outsourcing of digital services exposes Orange to risks of loss, disclosure, unauthorized communication to third parties or inappropriate modification of such data, potentially resulting from (i) the implementation of new services or applications or their updates, (ii) the development of new businesses in the field of connected objects, (iii) malicious acts (such as cyberattacks) targeting data in Orange's possession, or (iv) negligence or errors that may be committed within Orange or by Group partners to which certain operations are outsourced. The Group could be held liable if these risks were to materialize. Moreover, even though the Group's stakeholders have high expectations in terms of security, given Orange's positioning as a trusted operator, its reputation could be significantly adversely affected, which would then have a material effect on its future earnings.

Holders of ADSs are not treated as shareholders and do not have ordinary shareholder rights, which are governed by French law. Indeed, the depositary, through the custodian or the custodian's nominee, is the holder of the Shares underlying all ADSs and ADS holders have only ADS holder rights, as set forth in the deposit agreement. Among other things, ADS holder rights do not provide for double voting rights, which otherwise would be available to holders of Shares held in a shareholder's' name for a period of at least two years. Holders of ADSs may also face more difficulties in exercising their rights than they would if they held Shares directly. For example, to exercise their voting rights, holders of ADSs must instruct the depositary how to vote the underlying Shares. Because of this extra procedural step involving the depositary, the process for exercising voting rights will take longer for holders of ADSs than for holders of Shares. ADSs for which the depositary does not receive timely voting instructions will not be voted at any meeting.

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing Shares provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against Orange or the depositary arising out of or relating to the Shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws. Consequently, if Orange or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable law and ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial. If the waiver of jury trial is enforced, a lawsuit brought against either or both of Orange and the depositary under the deposit agreement would be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiffs in any such action.

The members of the board of directors and senior management at Orange are non-residents of the United States, and all or a substantial portion of assets of Orange and the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible to serve process on such persons or Orange in the United States or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against them or Orange based on civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States, or obtain evidence in France or from any French citizen or any individual being resident in France or any officer, representative, agent or employee of a legal person having its registered office or an establishment in a territory of France. Additionally, it may be difficult to assert U.S. securities law claims in actions originally instituted outside of the United States. In particular, there is some doubt as to whether French courts would recognize and enforce certain civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws in original actions or judgments of U.S. courts based upon these civil liability provisions. In addition, awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere may be unenforceable in France. The United States and France do not currently have a treaty providing for recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitration awards, in civil and commercial matters.