OFFICE DEPOT, INC. and COMPUTERSHARE INC., as Rights Agent Rights Agreement Dated as of May 5, 2020

Exhibit 4.1

Execution Version

OFFICE DEPOT, INC.

and

COMPUTERSHARE INC.,

as Rights Agent

Rights Agreement

Dated as of May 5, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page
Section 1.	Definitions		1

Section 2.	Appointment of Rights Agent		8

Section 3.	Issue of Right Certificates		8

Section 4.	Form of Right Certificates		11

Section 5.	Countersignature and Registration		11

Section 6.	Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates		12

Section 7.	Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights		13

Section 8.	Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates		14

Section 9.	Availability of Preferred Shares		15

Section 10.	Preferred Shares Record Date		15

Section 11.	Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights		15

Section 12.	Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares		22

Section 13.	Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power		22

Section 14.	Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares		24

Section 15.	Rights of Action		26

Section 16.	Agreement of Right Holders		26

Section 17.	Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder		27

Section 18.	Concerning the Rights Agent		27

Section 19.	Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent		28

Section 20.	Rights and Duties of Rights Agent		28

Section 21.	Change of Rights Agent		31

Section 22.	Issuance of New Right Certificates		32

Section 23.	Redemption		32


Section 24.	Exchange	33

Section 25.	Notice of Certain Events	35

Section 26.	Notices	36

Section 27.	Supplements and Amendments	36

Section 28.	Successors	37

Section 29.	Benefits of this Agreement	37

Section 30.	Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors	37

Section 31.	Severability	37

Section 32.	Governing Law	38

Section 33.	Counterparts	38

Section 34.	Descriptive Headings; Interpretation	38

Section 35.	Force Majeure	38

Section 36.	Customer Identification Program	38

Exhibit A - Form of Certificate of Designations

Exhibit B - Form of Right Certificate

Exhibit C - Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares

RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of May 5, 2020 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Agreement”), between Office Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Inc., a Delaware corporation, as rights agent (the “Rights Agent”).

The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the issuance and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on May 21, 2020 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).

Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (other than a Grandfathered Stockholder who has not been deemed an Acquiring Person pursuant to the definition thereof) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 10% (20% in the case of a Passive Institutional Investor) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an Acquiring Person as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares of the Company by the Company which, by reducing the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Common Shares of the Company Beneficially Owned by such Person to 10% (20% in the case of a Passive Institutional Investor) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that, if a Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall become the Beneficial Owner of 10% (20% in the case of a Passive Institutional Investor) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, of any additional Common Shares of the Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares of the Company or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company), then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines that a Person who or which would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently (including, without limitation, because such Person was unaware that it Beneficially Owned a percentage of the Common Shares of the Company that would otherwise cause such Person to be an Acquiring Person or such Person was aware of the extent of the Common Shares of the Company that it Beneficially Owned but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership pursuant to this

Agreement), and such Person divests as promptly as practicable (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) a sufficient number of Common Shares of the Company (or, in the case solely of shares of Derivative Common Shares of the Company, such Person terminates the subject Derivative Contract or disposes of the subject derivative security or securities with respect to a sufficient number of Derivative Common Shares of the Company) so that such Person would no longer be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purposes of this Agreement. The Company shall provide prompt written notice to the Rights Agent of a determination by the Board of Directors under the preceding sentence. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a bona fide swaps dealer who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person has become so as a result of its actions in the ordinary course of its business that the Board of Directors of the Company determines, in its sole discretion, were taken without the intent or effect of evading, or assisting any other Person to evade, the purposes and intent of this Agreement, or otherwise seeking to control or influence the management or policies of the Company, then, and unless and until the Board of Directors of the Company shall otherwise determine, such Person shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 1(a) to the contrary, no New Holding Company or its Affiliates or Associates, either individually, collectively or in any combination, shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” solely by virtue or as a result of the approval, public announcement or consummation of a Holding Company Reorganization.

(b) “Adjustment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(c) “Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (as hereinafter defined) as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(d) “Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the first paragraph hereof.

(e) “Associate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(f) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, shall be deemed to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, and shall be deemed to “Beneficially Own,” any securities:

(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement;

(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has, directly or indirectly, (A) the right or the obligation to acquire (whether such right is exercisable, or such obligation is required to be performed, immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, or upon the exercise of conversion rights,

exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), and (3) does not constitute a trust, proxy, power of attorney or other device with the purpose or effect of allowing two or more persons, acting in concert, to avoid being deemed Beneficial Owners of such security or otherwise avoid the status of “Acquiring Person” under the terms of this Agreement or as part of a plan or scheme to evade the reporting requirements under Schedule 13D or Sections 13(d) or 13(g) of the Exchange Act; or

(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), whether or not in writing, (A) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(f)(ii)(B) hereof) or disposing of any securities of the Company, or (B) to obtain, change or influence control of the Company.

Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary:

(A) The phrase “then outstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which are issuable by the Company and which such Person would be deemed to Beneficially Own hereunder.

(B) For purposes of determining whether a Person is an Acquiring Person, the number of Common Shares of the Company that a Person is deemed to Beneficially Own in connection with a particular Derivatives Contract shall equal the number of Notional Common Shares associated with such Derivatives Contract.

(C) Solely for purposes of determining whether a Right is Beneficially Owned by a Person who has become an Acquiring Person (thereby rendering such Right null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)), an Acquiring Person shall be deemed to Beneficially Own the Common Shares of the Company which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Counterparty (or any of such Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract (without regard to any short or similar position under the same or any other Derivatives Contract) to which such Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring Person’s Affiliates or Associates is a Receiving Party, including without limitation all securities specified or referenced in such Derivatives Contract that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any

other Counterparty (or any of such other Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) under any Derivatives Contract to which such first Counterparty (or any of such first Counterparty’s Affiliates or Associates) is a Receiving Party, with this proviso being applied to successive Counterparties as appropriate; provided, however, that (1) the number of Common Shares of the Company that an Acquiring Person is deemed to Beneficially Own pursuant to this clause (C) in connection with a particular Derivatives Contract shall not exceed the number of Notional Common Shares associated with such Derivatives Contract, and (2) the Board may determine in a particular instance that an Acquiring Person shall not be deemed to Beneficially Own securities which were acquired by a Counterparty for purposes other than hedging against its economic exposure under Derivatives Contracts.

(g) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York, New York, the State of New York, or the state in which the principal office of the Rights Agent is located are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

(h) “Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that, if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the following Business Day.

(i) “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company. “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or the equivalent equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons who or which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.

(j) “Common Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(k) “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the first paragraph hereof.

(l) “Counterparty” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(o) hereof.

(m) “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(n) “Customer Identification Program” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 36 hereof.

(o) “Derivative Common Shares” shall mean Common Shares that are deemed to be Beneficially Owned pursuant to Section 1(f)(iv)(B) hereof.

(p) “Derivatives Contract” shall mean a contract between two parties that is designed to produce economic benefits and risks for one party (the “Receiving Party”, and the other party, the “Counterparty”) that correspond substantially to the ownership by such Receiving Party of a number of Common Shares as specified or referenced in such contract (such number corresponding to such economic benefits and risks, the “Notional Common Shares”), regardless

of (i) whether such contract conveys any voting rights, (ii) whether obligations under such contract are required or permitted to be settled through the delivery of cash, Common Shares or other property, or (iii) any short position under the same or any other Derivative Contract. For the avoidance of doubt, interests in broad-based index options, broad-based index futures and broad-based publicly traded market baskets of stocks approved for trading by the appropriate federal governmental authority shall not be deemed to be Derivatives Contracts.

(q) “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

(r) “equivalent preferred shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.

(s) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(t) “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(u) “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

(v) “Grandfathered Stockholder” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, at the time of the first public announcement of this Agreement, is a Beneficial Owner of 10% (20% in the case of a Passive Institutional Investor) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Grandfathered Stockholder, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Grandfathered Stockholder, becomes, after such time, the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares of the Company or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company), regardless of whether, thereafter or as a result thereof, there is an increase, decrease or no change in the percentage of Common Shares of the Company then outstanding Beneficially Owned by such Grandfathered Stockholder, then such Grandfathered Stockholder shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person; provided, further, that upon the first decrease of a Grandfathered Stockholder’s Beneficial Ownership below 10% (20% in the case of a Passive Institutional Investor), such Grandfathered Stockholder shall cease to be a Grandfathered Stockholder and this definition shall have no further force or effect with respect to such Person.

For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that after the time of the first public announcement of this Agreement, any agreement, arrangement or understanding pursuant to which any Grandfathered Stockholder is deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares of the Company expires, terminates or no longer confers any benefit to or imposes any obligation on the Grandfathered Stockholder, then in such event any direct or indirect replacement or extension of or substitution for such agreement, arrangement or understanding which confers Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company on such Grandfathered Stockholder shall be considered the acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares of the Company by such Grandfathered Stockholder; provided, however, that a Grandfathered Stockholder shall not be deemed to acquire Beneficial Ownership of additional Common Shares of the Company if,

upon final expiration of a Derivatives Contract which is settled solely in cash or in cash-settled instruments (a “Cash Settled Derivative”) pursuant to which such Grandfathered Stockholder was deemed to have Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company such Grandfathered Stockholder replaces, extends or substitutes such Cash Settled Derivative with a Cash Settled Derivative which does not result in such Grandfathered Stockholder having Beneficial Ownership of a greater number of Common Shares of the Company than such Grandfathered Stockholder Beneficially Owned pursuant to the expiring Derivatives Contract.

(w) “Holding Company Reorganization” means a merger of the Company with a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to which the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of a holding company that is, immediately prior to the effective time of such merger, a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company (“New Holding Company”) in accordance with Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

(x) “NASDAQ” shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

(y) “New Holding Company” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(v) hereof.

(z) “Notional Common Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(o) hereof.

(aa) “Passive Institutional Investor” shall mean any Person who or which has reported or is required to report Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), but only so long as (i) such Person is eligible to report such ownership on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), and (ii) such Person has not reported and is not required to report such ownership on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) and such Person does not hold Common Shares of the Company on behalf of any other Person who is required to report Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company on such Schedule 13D; provided, however, that if a formerly Passive Institutional Investor should report or become required to report Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company on Schedule 13D, that formerly Passive Institutional Investor will not be deemed to be or to have become an Acquiring Person if and for so long as (A) at the time it reports or becomes required to report Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company on Schedule 13D, that formerly Passive Institutional Investor has Beneficial Ownership of less than 10% of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; or (B) (1) it divests as promptly as practicable (but in any event not later than five Business Days after becoming required to report on Schedule 13D) Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient number of Common Shares of the Company so that it would no longer be an “Acquiring Person” as defined herein, and (2) prior to reducing its Beneficial Ownership of Common Shares of the Company then outstanding to below 10%, it does not increase its Beneficial Ownership of the Common Shares then outstanding (other than by reason of share purchases by the Company) above such Person’s lowest Beneficial Ownership of the Common Shares then outstanding at any time during such five Business Day period.

(bb) “Person” shall mean any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity, as well as any group under Rule 13d-5(b)(1) of the Exchange Act.

(cc) “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designations, which will be filed by the Company with the Secretary of State of Delaware on May 6, 2020, a copy of which is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A.

(dd) “Purchase Price” shall mean the price (subject to adjustment as provided herein) at which a holder of a Right may purchase one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), which price shall initially be $9.00.

(ee) “Receiving Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(o) hereof.

(ff) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

(gg) “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

(hh) “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.

(ii) “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

(jj) “Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

(kk) “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the first paragraph hereof.

(ll) “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(mm) “Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

(nn) “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which for purposes of this definition shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, a Share Acquisition Date shall not be deemed to have occurred solely by virtue or as a result of the approval, public announcement, or consummation of a Holding Company Reorganization.

(oo) “Signature Guarantee” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a) hereof.

(pp) “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

(qq) “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.

(rr) “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.

(ss) “Trust” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(tt) “Trust Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as rights agent for the Company in accordance with the express terms and conditions (and no implied terms or conditions) hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable, upon 10 days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-rights agent. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-rights agent(s), the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any co-rights agent shall be as the Company shall reasonably determine, provided that such duties and determination are consistent with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and that contemporaneous with such appointment, if any, the Company shall notify the Rights Agent in writing thereof.

Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates. The Rights shall be deemed issued, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, as of the Record Date, or if later, the date on which the Common Shares of the Company underlying such Rights become outstanding, provided that:

(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the 10th day after the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if the 10th day after the Shares Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date) and (ii) the Close of Business on the 10th day (or such later date as the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine, prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if, upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii), the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights, unless earlier expired, redeemed or terminated, will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares of the Company registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates), or, in the case of Common Shares of the Company held in uncertificated form, by the transaction statement or other record of ownership of such Common Shares of the Company, and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the Rights, including the right to receive Right Certificates, will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares of the Company. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on, or prior to, the Business Day next following the day on which such oral notification is given. Until

such written notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, and upon written request from the Company, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information and documents at the expense of the Company, send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Shares of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, a Distribution Date shall not be deemed to have occurred solely by virtue or as the result of the approval, public announcement or consummation of a Holding Company Reorganization.

(b) As soon as practicable after the Record Date, the Company will send (directly, or at the expense of the Company, upon the written request of the Company and after providing all necessary information and documents, through the Rights Agent or the Company’s transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company) a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to any record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who may request it prior to the Final Expiration Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Shares of the Company. With respect to any Common Shares of the Company outstanding as of the Record Date, and until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, (i) in the case of certificated Common Shares of the Company, (A) the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented by any certificate will be evidenced by such certificate and the registered holders of the Common Shares of the Company shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights and (B) the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby, and (ii) in the case of Common Shares of the Company held in uncertificated form, (A) the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company shall be evidenced by the balances indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for such Common Shares of the Company and the registered holders of the Common Shares of the Company shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights and (B) the transfer of any Common Shares of the Company in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for such Common Shares of the Company shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares of the Company.

(c) In the case of certificated Common Shares of the Company, certificates issued for Common Shares of the Company after the Record Date (including upon transfer or exchange of outstanding Common Shares of the Company), but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend in substantially the following form:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Office Depot, Inc. and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent (or any successor rights agent), dated as of May 5, 2020, as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (the “Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Office Depot, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Office Depot, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. As set forth in the Agreement, Rights Beneficially Owned (as defined in the Agreement) by any Person (as defined in the Agreement) who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Agreement) shall be null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any Common Shares of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares of the Company shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company which are no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding this Section 3(c), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights.

(d) In the case of Common Shares of the Company held in uncertificated form, the Company shall cause the confirmation and account statements sent to holders of Common Shares of the Company in book-entry form (including upon transfer or exchange of outstanding Common Shares of the Company) prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date to bear a legend in substantially the following form:

Each share of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of Office Depot, Inc. entitles the holder thereof to certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Office Depot, Inc. and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent (or any successor rights agent), dated as of May 5, 2020, as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (the “Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Office Depot, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by the shares to which this

statement relates. Office Depot, Inc. will mail to the holder of the shares to which this statement relates a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. As set forth in the Agreement, Rights Beneficially Owned (as defined in the Agreement) by any Person (as defined in the Agreement) who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Agreement) shall be null and void.

Notwithstanding this Section 3(d), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights.

Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof), when and if issued, shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the rights, duties, liabilities or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any applicable rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or to conform to customary usage. Subject to the provisions of Sections 11 and 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the Purchase Price, but the number of such one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.

(a) The Right Certificates shall be duly executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents or its Treasurer, either manually or by electronic signature, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by electronic signature. Upon written request by the Company, the Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by electronic or facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed or attested any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the individual who signed or attested such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed or attested on behalf of the Company by any individual who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such individual was not such an officer.

(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of written notice to that effect and all other relevant information and documents referred to in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share (subject to adjustment as provided herein) as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, accompanied by a signature guarantee from an eligible guarantor institution participating in a signature guarantee program approved by the Securities Transfer Association (a “Signature Guarantee”) and such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request. The Right Certificates are transferrable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder thereof shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate, (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby and the Affiliates and Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request, and (iii) paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates as required hereunder. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Sections 11(a)(ii), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested, registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under any section of this Agreement that requires the payment of taxes or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes or charges have been paid.

(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request,

accompanied by such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will issue, execute, and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may amend this Agreement to provide for uncertificated Rights in addition to or in place of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates.

Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein), in whole or in part, at any time after the Distribution Date, upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the appropriate form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, accompanied by a Signature Guarantee and such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid in cash, or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on May 4, 2021 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”), and (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof. Except for those provisions herein that expressly survive the termination of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate at such time as the Rights are no longer exercisable hereunder.

(b) The Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the appropriate form of election to purchase properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by cash or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or from the Company if there shall be no such transfer agent, or make available if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes any such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares with such depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such

request; (ii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof; (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated in writing by such holder; and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue securities of the Company other than Preferred Shares (including Common Shares of the Company) of the Company pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities are available for distribution by the Rights Agent.

(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Right Certificate to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights or other securities upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise as set forth in Section 6 hereof or this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certification following the appropriate form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise and affixing a Signature Guarantee, (ii) tendered the Purchase Price (and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9) to the Company in the manner set forth in Section 7(c), and (iii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of and accepted for exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents (other than the Rights Agent), be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if delivered or surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request and expense of the Company, destroy or cause to be destroyed such cancelled Right Certificates, and, in such case, shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7 hereof. The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or Common Shares of the Company or other securities, as the case may be) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (or Common Shares of the Company and other securities, as the case may be) (subject to payment of the Purchase Price and compliance with all other applicable provisions of this Agreement), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

(b) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s and the Rights Agent’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered with the forms of election and certification properly completed and duly executed and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made; provided, however, that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a share exchange, consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except

as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.

(ii) Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then-current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then-current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date on which such Person becomes an Acquiring Person (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”). In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

From and after the occurrence of any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are or were acquired or Beneficially Owned by (i) any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person), (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with any Person becoming an Acquiring Person and receives such Rights pursuant to either (x) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or in any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (y) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company determines is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this section, or (iv) any subsequent transferee receiving transferred Rights from any such transferee referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii), either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees, shall, in each case, be null and void without any further action, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. Neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights Beneficially Owned

by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to this subparagraph (ii) or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to this subparagraph (ii) or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate or with respect to any Common Shares of the Company otherwise deemed to be Beneficially Owned by any of the foregoing; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person or other Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to this subparagraph (ii) shall be cancelled. The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such written notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, unless and until it shall have received such written notice.

(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued (after taking into account, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company, any necessary reserves of Common Shares of the Company) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with subparagraph (ii) above, the Company shall either (x) take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares of the Company for issuance upon exercise of the Rights or (y) (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”), and (B) with respect to each Right (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for some or all of the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) shares (or fractions of a share) of other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or units of shares of any series of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value or economic rights as a Common Share of the Company) (such shares of equity securities, the “Common Stock Equivalents”), (4) Preferred Shares (or fractions of a Preferred Share), (5) debt securities of the Company, (6) other assets or (7) any combination of the foregoing, in any case set forth in clauses (1) through (7) above, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of an investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. To the extent that action is to be taken pursuant to the preceding sentence, the Company (x) shall provide that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to this second sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii) and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), (I) the value of each Adjustment Share shall be the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), (II) the value of each Common Share shall be the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), (III) the value of each Preferred Share shall be the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), and (IV) the value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be the same value as a Common Share of the Company, in each case of clauses (I) through (IV), on such date as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person.

(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having similar rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then-current per share market price (as defined in Section 11(d)) of the Preferred Shares on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a share exchange, consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights and conclusive for all purposes) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of

such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that, in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or Securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the bid and asked prices, regular way, reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Eastern time or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported as of 4:00 P.M. Eastern time by NASDAQ or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by ten thousand. If neither the Common Shares of the Company nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and conclusive for all purposes.

(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.

(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c) hereof, inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number of one ten-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (B) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

(i) The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price, to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known

at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and delivered by the Company, and countersigned by the Rights Agent in the manner provided for herein, and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or in the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b) hereof, hereafter made by the Company to holders of the Preferred Shares, shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

(n) In the event that, at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date (or, with respect to any combination or consolidation of the Common Shares of the Company approved by the stockholders of the Company prior to the Distribution Date and effected substantially concurrently with a Holding Company Reorganization, after the Distribution Date), the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares of the Company payable in Common Shares of the Company, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares of the Company (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares of the Company) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares of the Company, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares of the Company outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share of the Company outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation occurs.

Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made or any event occurs affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including an event that causes Rights to become null and void) as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment or describing such event and a brief, reasonably detailed statement of the facts, computation and methodology accounting for such adjustment or describing such event, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company and the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) if such adjustment occurs at any time after the Distribution Date, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate who shall request it in accordance with Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected and incur no liability in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment or event unless and until it shall have received such a certificate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of, or the force or effect of, the requirement for such adjustment. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 11 or 13 hereof shall be effective as of the date of the event giving rise to such adjustment.

Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.

(a) In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (i) the Company shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (ii) any Person shall effect a share exchange, consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such share exchange, consolidation or merger (and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares of the Company shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property), or (iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or

otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries (in each case of clauses (i) through (iii), other than pursuant to a Holding Company Reorganization), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then-current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and freely tradable Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) (such “issuer”) as shall equal the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (2) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such issuer (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) such issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (C) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (D) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares of the Company thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.

(b) Except pursuant to a Holding Company Reorganization, the Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer described in the foregoing subsection (a) unless, prior thereto, the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing and further providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, such issuer will:

(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Final Expiration Date, and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;

(ii) use its best efforts, if the Common Shares of such issuer shall be listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or on another national securities exchange, to list or admit to trading (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on NASDAQ or such securities exchange, or, if the Common Shares of such issuer shall not be listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be reported by such other system then in use;

(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for such issuer which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act; and

(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect of the Common Shares of such issuer subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights.

(c) The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in Section 13(a) if at the time of or immediately after such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers, share exchanges, or consolidations or sales or other transfers described in the foregoing subsection (a).

(d) In the event the Company shall effect a Holding Company Reorganization, (i) the applicable New Holding Company shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Holding Company Reorganization, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such New Holding Company; and (iii) such New Holding Company shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable to the shares of capital stock of such New Holding Company, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares of the Company and the Preferred Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.

Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(c) Following the occurrence of one of the events specified in Section 11 hereof giving rise to the right to receive Common Shares of the Company, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities upon the exercise of a Right, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares of the Company, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities. In lieu of fractional Common Shares of the Company, Common Stock Equivalents or other securities, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Common Share, such Common Stock Equivalent or such other security. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one Common Share of the Company, Common Stock Equivalent or such other security shall be the closing price of one Common of the Company (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(d) The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).

(e) Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares or other securities is to be made by the Rights Agent under any section of this Agreement, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares or other securities under any section of this Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares or other securities unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under any section of this Agreement, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares of the Company); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares of the Company), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares of the Company), may, on such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement by the Company, and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s inability to perform any of their respective obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court or a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.

Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares of the Company;

(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable (subject to the provisions of this Agreement) only on the registry books maintained by the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate form of assignment and certificates with a Signature Guarantee affixed thereto, properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request; and

(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares of the Company certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificate or the associated Common Shares of the Company certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged in accordance with the provisions hereof.

Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in accordance with a mutually agreed upon fee schedule, and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and expenses and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, negotiation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) that may be paid, incurred or suffered by it, or which it may become subject, without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (each as determined by a final, nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent in connection with the execution, acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim in connection herewith. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall also be paid by the Company. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the exercise or expiration of the Rights, the termination of this Agreement and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

(b) The Rights Agent may conclusively rely upon and shall be fully authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Agreement, and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares of the Company or for other securities of the Company (including in the case of uncertificated securities, by notation in book entry accounts reflecting ownership), instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, instruction, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith unless and until it has received such notice in writing in accordance with Section 26.

Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.

(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent (or any successor Rights Agent) may be merged or with which it may effect a share exchange, be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, share exchange, or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer or other shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or document or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. The purchase of all or substantially all of the Rights Agent’s assets employed in the performance of transfer agent activities shall be deemed a merger or consolidation for purposes of this Section 19. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

Section 20. Rights and Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall perform those duties and obligations upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates, or, prior to the Distribution Date, Common Shares, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel selected by it (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of an Acquiring Person or Affiliate or Associate thereof, and the determination of the current per share market price of any security) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other

evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by a person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such a certificate.

(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a final, nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will be limited to three (3) times the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent under this Agreement. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event will the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the legality or validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or failure by the Company to satisfy any condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be liable or responsible for any modification by or order of any court, tribunal, or governmental authority in connection with the foregoing, or any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment or change in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate pursuant to Section 12 describing such change or adjustment upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it be responsible for any determination by the Board of Directors of the current market value of the Rights or Preferred Shares or Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or other securities will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required or requested by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept written instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder and certificates delivered pursuant to any provision hereof from any person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and it shall not be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with written advice or instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions or advice. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent advice or instructions received by any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the date on or after which such action shall be taken, suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after the date indicated in such application unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any such action, the Rights Agent has received written instructions from the Company in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted to be taken. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent shall not be required to take any action or to follow any instruction of the Company that the Rights Agent believes, in its sole discretion, would cause the Rights Agent to take action that is illegal.

(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, Affiliate, member, director, agent, representative, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any stockholder, Affiliate, member director, agent, representative, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (as each is determined by a final, nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.

(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise any of its rights or powers if it believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(k) The Rights Agent shall have no responsibility to the Company, any holders of Rights or any holders of shares of Common Shares for interest or earnings on any moneys held by the Rights Agent pursuant to this Agreement.

(l) The Rights Agent shall not be required to take notice or be deemed to have notice of any event or condition hereunder, including any event or condition that may require action by the Rights Agent, unless the Rights Agent shall be specifically notified in writing of such event or condition by the Company, and all notices or other instruments required by this Agreement to be delivered to the Rights Agent must, in order to be effective, be received by the Rights Agent as specified in Section 26 hereof, and in the absence of such notice so delivered, the Rights Agent may conclusively assume no such event or condition exists.

(m) The Rights Agent may rely on and be fully authorized and protected in acting or failing to act upon any guaranty of signature by an “eligible guarantor institution” that is a member or participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program or other comparable “signature guarantee program” or insurance program in addition to, or in substitution for, the foregoing.

(n) The Rights Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility in the case of the receipt of any written demand from any holder of Rights with respect to any action or default by the Company, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise or to make any demand upon the Company; provided that upon the receipt of any such written demand, the Rights Agent shall use reasonable efforts to provide the Company with notice thereof as soon as commercially practicable.

(o) The Rights Agent shall act hereunder solely as agent for the Company (as such term may be amended pursuant to Section 13(d) in connection with a Holding Company Reorganization). The Rights Agent shall not assume any obligations or relationship of agency or trust with any of the owners or holders of the Rights or other securities of the Company.

Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ prior notice in writing mailed to the Company and, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent of the Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) upon 30 days’ prior notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise

become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the incumbent Rights Agent or registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be either (a) a Person, other than a natural Person, organized and doing business under the laws of the United States (or of any state of the United States), in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has, along with its Affiliates, at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million or (b) an Affiliate or direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of such Person or its wholly-owning parent. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for such purpose, but such predecessor Rights Agent shall not be required to make any additional expenditure or assume any additional liability in connection with the foregoing; and, except as the context herein otherwise requires, such successor Rights Agent shall be deemed to be the “Rights Agent” for all purposes of this Agreement. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 23. Redemption.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock combination or consolidation, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors of the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, may establish. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, Common Shares of the Company (based on the current market price of the Common Shares of the Company at the time of the election by the Board of Directors of the Company to redeem the Rights as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to the Rights Agent and all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares of the Company prior to the Distribution Date.

Section 24. Exchange.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange Common Shares of the Company for all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) at an exchange ratio of one Common Share of the Company per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any adjustment in the number of Rights pursuant to Section 11(i) (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after an Acquiring Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding. Prior to effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Board of Directors of the Company may direct the Company to enter into a trust agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board of Directors of the Company shall then approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board of Directors of the Company so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by such agreement (the “Trust”) all of the Common Shares of the Company issuable pursuant to the exchange, and all Persons entitled to receive Common Shares of the Company pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such Common Shares of the Company (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such Common Shares of the Company are deposited in the Trust) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares of the Company equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to the Rights Agent and all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares of the Company for Rights will be effected, and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued (after taking into account, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company, any necessary reserves of Common Shares of the Company) to permit the exchange of Rights in accordance with Section 24(a) hereof, the Company shall either (i) take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares of the Company for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or (ii) with respect to each Right (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute, for each Common Share of the Company that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, (A) Preferred Shares (or fractions of a Preferred Share), (B) Common Stock Equivalents, or (C) any combination of the foregoing, in any case set forth in clauses (A) through (C) above, having an aggregate value equal to the product of the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company times the Exchange Ratio as of the date of issuance of such shares or fraction thereof, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of an investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, that, for purposes of this Section 24(c), (x) the value of each Common Share of the Company shall be the current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), (y) the value of each Preferred Share shall be the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), and (c) the value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to be the same value as a Common Share of the Company, in each case, as of the date of issuance of such shares or fraction thereof. To the extent that action is to be taken pursuant to the preceding sentence, the Company may suspend the exercisability of the Rights in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the preceding sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.

(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares of the Company or Preferred Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share of the Company or Preferred Share. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share of the Company or Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share of the Company or Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.

(a) In case the Company shall, at any time after the Distribution Date, propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of the Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of the Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of the Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any share exchange, consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares of the Company payable in Common Shares of the Company or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares of the Company (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares of the Company), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a reasonably detailed notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such share exchange, reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares of the Company and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and, in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares of the Company and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 25 or Section 26, if the Company (i) proposes or consummates a Holding Company Reorganization or (ii) proposes or effects a combination or consolidation of the Common Shares of the Company substantially concurrently with a Holding Company Reorganization, then, in each case of clauses (i) and (ii), the Company shall be deemed to have satisfied all of its obligations under this Section 25 and Section 26 with respect to such Holding Company Reorganization or combination of the Common Shares of the Company, as applicable, if the Company issues a reasonably detailed press release or current report on Form 8-K with respect thereto.

Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, properly addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

Office Depot, Inc.

0000 X Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx

Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000

Attention: N. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, EVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary

With an electronic copy to: Xxxxx.Xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, properly addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

Computershare Inc.

000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000

Attention: Client Services

With an electronic courtesy copy (that shall not constitute noticed under this Section 26 to: Xxxxxxxxx.Xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Subject to this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if directed by the Company, from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to the Rights, this Agreement or otherwise, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that, from and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely

affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than pursuant to Section 13(d) in connection with a Holding Company Reorganization). Upon delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this section, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. The Rights Agent shall execute a supplement or amendment to this Agreement to the extent reasonably requested by the Company pursuant to Section 13(d) in connection with a Holding Company Reorganization. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that adversely affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement. No supplement or amendment to this Agreement shall be effective unless executed by the Rights Agent.

Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares of the Company) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares of the Company).

Section 30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. Without limiting the rights and immunities of the Rights Agent under this Agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise the rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (a) interpret the provisions of this Agreement and (b) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend this Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations that are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent (except with respect to any dispute concerning the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement), the holders of the Rights, as such, and all other parties. The Rights Agent is always entitled to assume that the Company’s Board of Directors acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.

Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or

effect of this Agreement, then the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 will be reinstated (if earlier expired) and (without regard to whether earlier expired) will not expire until the Close of Business on the 10th Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, further, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall adversely affect the rights, immunities, liabilities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately.

Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State, without regard to the principles or rules concerning conflicts of laws which might otherwise require application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction.

Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. A signature to this Agreement transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original signature.

Section 34. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” Each reference in this Agreement to a period of time following or after a specified date or event shall be calculated without including such specified date or the day on which such specified event occurs.

Section 35. Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, pandemics, epidemics, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest.

Section 36. Customer Identification Program. The Company acknowledges that the Rights Agent is subject to the customer identification program (“Customer Identification Program”) requirements under the USA PATRIOT Act and its implementing regulations, and that the Rights Agent must obtain, verify and record information that allows the Rights Agent to identify the Company. Accordingly, prior to accepting an appointment hereunder, the Rights Agent may request information from the Company that will help the Rights Agent to identify the Company, including without limitation the Company’s physical address, tax identification number, organizational documents, certificate of good standing, license to do business, or any other information that the Rights Agent deems necessary. The Company agrees that the Rights Agent cannot accept an appointment hereunder unless and until the Rights Agent verifies the Company’s identity in accordance with the Customer Identification Program requirements.

[The remainder of this page has been left blank intentionally]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


OFFICE DEPOT, INC.

By:	/s/ N. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
	Name:	N. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
	Title:	EVP, Chief Legal &
		Administrative Officer and
		Corporate Secretary

[Signature Page to Rights Agreement]


COMPUTERSHARE INC., AS RIGHTS AGENT

By:		/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
		Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
		Title: VP & Manager

[Signature Page to Rights Agreement]

Exhibit A

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OFFICE DEPOT, INC.

(Pursuant to Section 151 of the

Delaware General Corporation Law)

Office Depot, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 151 of the General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on May 5, 2020:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) in accordance with the provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Board of Directors hereby fixes the relative rights, preferences, and limitations of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) as follows:

Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock”, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 80,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.

A-1

Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.

(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.

A-2

(D) Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 10,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

Section 4. Certain Restrictions.

(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;

(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

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(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.

Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (A) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received the greater of (a) $1.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, or (b) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 10,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (B) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or

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otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (A) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property (other than any merger of the Corporation with and into a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation pursuant to which the Corporation becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company that is, immediately prior to the effective time of such merger, a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation, in accordance with Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware), then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 10,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

Section 9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock.

Section 10. Amendment. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Designations to be signed and acknowledged by the undersigned this 6^th day of May, 2020.



Name:		N. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:		EVP, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary

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Exhibit B

Form of Right Certificate


Certificate No. R-___		Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MAY 4, 2021 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF SHALL BE NULL AND VOID AND SHALL BE NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.

Right Certificate

OFFICE DEPOT, INC.

This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of May 5, 2020 (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Agreement”), between Office Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Inc. (or any successor rights agent) (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on May 4, 2021, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one ten-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), at a purchase price of $9.00 per one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the appropriate Form of Election to Purchase duly completed executed, accompanied by such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of May 21, 2020, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the offices of the Rights Agent. The Company will mail to the holder of this Right Certificate a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.

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This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, accompanied by such documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably request, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

Subject to the provisions of the Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share or, in certain circumstances, Preferred Shares, other equity securities or a combination thereof which are deemed by the Board of Directors of the Company to have the same value as such shares of the Company’s Common Stock, subject to adjustment.

No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Agreement.

No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise or exchange hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged as provided in the Agreement.

This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent.

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WITNESS the electronic signature of the proper officers of the Company. Dated as of _______________, 20__.



Attest:				Chairman of the Board


Secretary

Countersigned:

COMPUTERSHARE INC.,

as Rights Agent

By:

Name:

Title:

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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED ______________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

(Please print name and address of transferee)

Rights represented by this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _____________ Attorney, to transfer said Rights on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.

Dated:

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s Rights Agent. A notary public is not sufficient.

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned from and are not being assigned to an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (each as defined in the Agreement).

Signature

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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)

To: OFFICE DEPOT, INC.

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:

Please insert social security or other identifying number:

Please print name and address:

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security or other identifying number:

Please print name and address:

Dated:

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program at a guarantee level acceptable to the Company’s Rights Agent. A notary public is not sufficient.

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by and are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (each as defined in the Agreement).

Signature

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NOTICE

The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (each as defined in the Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

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Exhibit C

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

PREFERRED SHARES

Introduction

On May 5, 2020, the Board of Directors of our Company, Office Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation, declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of our Company (our “common stock”). The dividend is payable on May 21, 2020 to the stockholders of record on May 21, 2020. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the Rights Agreement, dated as of May 5, 2020 (the “Agreement”), between the Company and Computershare Inc., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

Our Board has adopted the Agreement to preserve the ability of the Board to protect the interests of stockholders in transactions that may result in an acquisition of control of the Company, including tender offers and open market purchases of the Company’s securities. In general terms, it works by significantly diluting the stock ownership of any person or group that acquires 10% (or in the case of Passive Institutional Investors (as that term is defined in the Agreement), 20%), or more, of our outstanding common stock after the adoption of the Agreement without the approval of our Board.

For those interested in the specific terms of the Agreement, we provide the following summary description. Please note, however, that this description is only a summary, and is not complete, and should be read together with the entire Agreement, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 6, 2020. A copy of the Agreement is available free of charge from our Company.

The Rights. On May 5, 2020, our Board authorized the issuance of a Right with respect to each outstanding share of common stock on May 21, 2020. The Rights will initially trade with, and will be inseparable from, the common stock. The Rights are evidenced by certificates that represent shares of common stock or, in the case of shares of common stock held in uncertificated form, by the transaction statement or other record of ownership of such shares. New Rights will accompany any new shares of common stock we issue after May 21, 2020 until the earliest of the date when the Rights become exercisable (the “Distribution Date”), the date that the Rights are redeemed by the Board and the date on which the Rights expire.

Purchase Price. Each Right will allow its holder to purchase from our Company one ten-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (“Preferred Share”) for $9.00 (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment, once the Rights become exercisable. This portion of a Preferred Share will give the stockholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of common stock. Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting or liquidation rights.

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Exercisability. The Rights will not be exercisable until the close of business on the tenth day after the public announcement that a person or group has become an Acquiring Person by obtaining Beneficial Ownership (based on a definition of Beneficial Ownership in the Agreement, which differs from and is generally broader than the definition of Beneficial Ownership under the federal securities laws) of 10% (20% in the case of Passive Institutional Investors) or more of our outstanding common stock (and not being a Grandfathered Stockholder as that term is defined in the Agreement).

Certain synthetic interests in our common stock created by derivative positions—whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying common stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act—are treated as Beneficial Ownership of the notional number of shares of the Company’s common stock referenced in such derivative position for purposes of determining whether a Person is an Acquiring Person and, for purposes of determining whether particular Rights are Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person (and therefore null and void) such Acquiring Person is deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of shares of the Company’s common stock that are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts. Swaps dealers unassociated with any control intent or intent to evade the purposes of the Agreement are excepted from such imputed beneficial ownership.

Until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the date that the Rights are redeemed by the Board and the date on which the Rights expire, (i) in the case of certificated shares, the Rights associated with the shares of common stock represented by any certificate will be evidenced by such certificate, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of common stock represented thereby, and (ii) in the case of shares of common stock held in uncertificated form, the Rights associated with the shares of common stock shall be evidenced by the balances indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for such shares and the transfer of any shares of common stock in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for such shares shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares. Therefore, until the Distribution Date, the Rights may be transferred with and only with the underlying shares of common stock of the Company. After that date, the Rights will separate from the common stock and be evidenced by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of common stock. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person will become null and void and may not be exercised.

Consequences of a Person or Group Becoming an Acquiring Person.

•

Flip In. If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, all holders of Rights (not including the Rights of the Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void) may, for $9.00, purchase shares of our common stock (or, in certain circumstances, Preferred Shares, other securities, cash, assets or a combination thereof) with a market value of $18.00, based on the market value of the common stock prior to such acquisition.

•

Flip Over. In the event that, at any time after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person, (i) the Company or its subsidiaries are party to a merger with another company in which the Common Shares are converted into other securities, cash or property, or (ii) the Company sells or otherwise transfers 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to another company, all holders of Rights (not including the Rights of the Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void) may, for $9.00, purchase shares of common stock of such other company with a then current market value of $18.00, based on the market price of the acquiring company’s stock prior to such merger or sale.

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Notional Common Shares. Shares held by Affiliates and Associates of an Acquiring Person, and Notional Common Shares (as such term is defined in the Agreement) held by counterparties to a derivatives contract with an Acquiring Person, will be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person.

Preferred Share Provisions. Each one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, if issued:

•

will not be redeemable.

•

will entitle holders to quarterly dividend payments of $0.0001, or an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of common stock, whichever is greater.

•

will entitle holders upon liquidation either to receive $0.0001 or an amount equal to the payment made on one share of common stock, whichever is greater.

•

will have the same voting power as one share of common stock.

•

if shares of our common stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation, or a similar transaction (other than pursuant to a Holding Company Reorganization (as such term is defined in the Agreement)), will entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share of common stock.

The value of one ten-thousandth interest in a Preferred Share should approximate the value of one share of common stock.

Expiration. The Rights will expire on May 4, 2021.

Redemption. Our Board may redeem the Rights for $0.001 per Right at any time before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person. If our Board redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights. Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $0.001 per Right. The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split, reverse stock split or stock dividends of our common stock.

Exchange. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of our outstanding common stock, our Board may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of common stock (or, in certain circumstances, Preferred Shares, other equity securities or a combination thereof which are deemed by our Board to have the same value as one Common Share, subject to adjustment) for each Right (not including the Rights of the Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void).

Anti-Dilution Provisions. Our Board may adjust the Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reverse stock split or a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or common stock. No adjustments to the Purchase Price of less than 1% will be made.

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Amendments. The terms of the Agreement may be amended by our Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights. After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, our Board may not amend the Agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights.

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Table of Contents

OFFICE DEPOT, INC. and COMPUTERSHARE INC., as Rights Agent Rights Agreement Dated as of May 5, 2020

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