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[HALE AND DORR LLP LETTERHEAD]
EXHIBIT 5
August 2, 2000
Edison Schools Inc.
521 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10175
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with a Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on this date pursuant to Rule 462(b)
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), for the
registration of an aggregate of 575,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $0.01
par value per share (the "Shares"), of Edison Schools Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), of which (i) up to 475,000 Shares (including 75,000
Shares issuable upon exercise of an over-allotment option granted by the
Company) will be issued and sold by the Company and (ii) the remaining 100,000
Shares will be sold by certain stockholders of the Company (the "Selling
Stockholders").
The Shares are to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders
pursuant to an underwriting agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") to be
entered into by and among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and Merrill
Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Banc of America
Securities LLC, Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation, Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette Securities Corporation and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., as
representatives of the several underwriters named in the Underwriting Agreement,
the form of which has been filed as Exhibit 1 to the Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-39516) previously filed in connection with the
same offering (the "Original Registration Statement").
We are acting as counsel for the Company in connection with the sale by
the Company and the Selling Stockholders of the Shares. We have examined signed
copies of the Registration Statement and the Original Registration Statement as
filed with the Commission. We have also examined and relied upon the
Underwriting Agreement, minutes of meetings of the stockholders and the Board of
Directors of the Company as provided to us by the Company, stock record
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EDISON SCHOOLS INC.
August 2, 2000
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books of the Company as provided to us by the Company, the Certificate of
Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company, each as restated and/or amended to
date, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary for purposes of
rendering the opinions hereinafter set forth.
In our examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us
as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to
us as copies, the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents and the
legal competence of all signatories to such documents.
Our opinion in clause (ii) below, insofar as it relates to the Selling
Stockholders' shares being fully paid, is based solely on a certificate of the
Chief Financial Officer of the Company confirming the Company's receipt of the
consideration called for by the applicable resolutions authorizing the issuance
of such shares.
We assume that the appropriate action will be taken, prior to the offer
and sale of the Shares in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, to
register and qualify the Shares for sale under all applicable state securities
or "blue sky" laws.
We express no opinion herein as to the laws of any state or jurisdiction
other than the state laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United
States of America.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that (i)
the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly authorized for
issuance and, when such Shares are issued and paid for in accordance with the
terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, such Shares will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable and (ii) the Shares to be sold by the
Selling Stockholders have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.
It is understood that this opinion is to be used only in connection with
the offer and sale of the Shares while the Registration Statement is in effect.
Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth
herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters. This opinion
is based upon currently existing statutes, rules, regulations and judicial
decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any of
these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might
affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of
Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act and to the use of our
name therein and in the related Prospectus under the caption "Validity of Common
Stock." In giving such consent, we do not hereby 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.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Hale and Dorr LLP
HALE AND DORR LLP
