EXHIBIT 5
[LETTERHEAD OF GRAY CARY WARE & FREIDENRICH LLP]
400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1825
Phone: 650-833-2000 Fax: 650-327-3699 www.gcwf.com
September 15, 2000
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As legal counsel for Network Peripherals Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), we are rendering this opinion in connection with the registration
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of up to 3,500,000 shares of the
Common Stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company which may be issued pursuant to
the exercise of options and purchase rights granted under the Network
Peripherals Inc. 1997 Stock Plan and 1999 Stock Plan (collectively, the
"Plans").
We have examined all instruments, documents and records which we deemed relevant
and necessary for the basis of our opinion hereinafter expressed. In such
examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to
the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We are admitted to
practice only in the State of California and we express no opinion concerning
any law other than the law of the State of California, the corporation laws of
the State of Delaware and the federal law of the United States. As to matters of
Delaware corporation law, we have based our opinion solely upon our examination
of such laws and the rules and regulations of the authorities administering such
laws, all as reported in standard, unofficial compilations. We have not obtained
opinions of counsel licensed to practice in jurisdictions other than the State
of California.
Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that the 3,500,000 shares of
Common Stock which may be issued upon exercise of options and purchase rights
granted under the Plans are duly authorized shares of the Company's Common
Stock, and, when issued against receipt of the consideration therefor in
accordance with the provisions of the Plans, will be validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement referred to above and the use of our name wherever
it appears in said Registration Statement.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP
GRAY CARY WARE & FREIDENRICH LLP
