As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2021

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

DYNAVAX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

2100 Powell Street, Suite 900

Emeryville, CA 94608

(510) 848-5100

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,

Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Dynavax Technologies Corporation Amended and Restated 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Dynavax Technologies Corporation 2021 Inducement Award Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

Kelly MacDonald

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Dynavax Technologies Corporation

2100 Powell Street, Suite 900

Emeryville, CA 94608

(510) 848-5100

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,

Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Steven M. Przesmicki, Esq.

Cooley LLP

4401 Eastgate Mall

San Diego, CA 92121

(858) 550-6000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.    ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

PART I

EXPLANATORY NOTE AND GENERAL INSTRUCTION E INFORMATION

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed by Dynavax Technologies Corporation (“Dynavax” or the “Company”) for the purpose of registering an additional 2,750,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), comprising of (i) 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock issuable under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2014 ESPP”) and (ii) 1,750,000 shares of Common Stock issuable under the Company’s 2021 Inducement Award Plan (the “2021 Inducement Plan”). The shares of the Company’s Common Stock previously reserved for issuance under the 2014 ESPP and 2021 Inducement Plan were registered on the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-197838, 333-211747, 333-225525, and 333-253515) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on August 4, 2014, June 1, 2016, June  8, 2018 and February 25, 2021 (the “Prior Forms S-8”). This Registration Statement relates to securities of the same class as those to which the Prior Forms S-8 relate and is submitted in accordance with General Instruction E of Form S-8. Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the contents of Prior Forms S-8 are incorporated by reference herein.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

All reports and other documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items, after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of filing such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes that statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not constitute a part of this Registration Statement, except as so modified or superseded.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Emeryville, State of California, on this 4th day of August 2021.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Ryan Spencer and Kelly MacDonald, and each of them, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him or her and in their name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file this Registration Statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as they or he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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Exhibit 5.1

Steven M. Przesmicki

+1 858 550 6070

przes@cooley.com

August 4, 2021

Dynavax Technologies Corporation

2100 Powell Street, Suite 900

Emeryville, CA 94608

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Dynavax Technologies Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) in connection with the filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission covering the offering of up to 2,750,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), consisting of (i) 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2014 ESPP”) and (ii) 1,750,000 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Inducement Plan (together with the 2014 ESPP, the “Plans”).

In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon (a) the Registration Statement and related prospectuses, (b) the Plans, (c) the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, each as currently in effect and (d) originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such other records, documents, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness and authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies thereof, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials, and the due authorization, execution and delivery by all persons other than by the Company, of all documents where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.

Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the Plans, the Registration Statement and related prospectuses, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable (except as to shares issued pursuant to certain deferred payment arrangements, which will be fully paid and nonassessable when such deferred payments are made in full).

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

Cooley LLP 4401 Eastgate Mall San Diego, CA 92121

t: (858) 550-6000 f: (858) 550-6420 cooley.com

August 4, 2021

Page Two

Very truly yours,

COOLEY LLP

Cooley LLP 4401 Eastgate Mall San Diego, CA 92121

t: (858) 550-6000 f: (858) 550-6420 cooley.com

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 pertaining to the Dynavax Technologies Corporation Amended and Restated 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the Dynavax Technologies Corporation 2021 Inducement Award Plan of our reports dated February 25, 2021, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Dynavax Technologies Corporation and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Dynavax Technologies Corporation, included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

San Francisco, California

August 4, 2021