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EXHIBIT 4.3
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of ____________, 1998 (the
"Agreement"), between Conoco Inc. (formerly known as Conoco Energy Company), a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and __________________, a ___________
banking corporation (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on ______________, 1998 (the "Rights Dividend
Declaration Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and
declared dividend distributions of one Class A Right (as hereinafter defined)
for each share of Class A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, and one Class
B Right (as hereinafter defined) for each share of Class B Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share, (the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock
together, the "Common Stock") outstanding at the close of business on
____________, 1998 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one
Class A Right and one Class B Right, respectively, (as such numbers may
hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for
each share of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, respectively,
issued between the Record Date (whether
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originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury) and the
Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) each Right (as hereinafter defined)
initially representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights,
powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation,
Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject
to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the Class A Rights and the Class B
Rights together, the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who
or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be
the Beneficial Owner of (A) 15% or more of the shares of Class A Common Stock
then outstanding, (B) 15% or more of the shares of Class B Common Stock then
outstanding, or (C) shares of Common Stock which have the right to cast 15% or
more of the
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votes that may be cast by all outstanding shares for the election of directors
of the Company, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of
the Company, (iii) 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 for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, (iv)
DuPont, (v) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of shares that meet the
requirements set forth in (A), (B), or (C) above as a result of (i) a reduction
in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding due to the repurchase of
shares of Common Stock by the Company or (ii) the conversion by stockholders of
the Company of any or all outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock into
shares of Class A Common Stock, unless and until (in the case of both (i) and
(ii)) such Person, after becoming aware that such Person has become the
Beneficial Owner of shares that meet the requirements set forth in (A), (B), or
(C) above (and without regard to which of (A), (B) or (C) has been met)
acquires beneficial ownership of additional shares representing (x) one percent
(1%) or more of the Class A Common Stock then outstanding, (y) one percent (1%)
or more of the Class B Common Stock then outstanding, or (z) shares of Common
Stock which have the
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right to cast 1% or more of the votes that may be cast by all outstanding
shares outstanding for the election of directors or (vi) any such Person who
has reported or is required to report such ownership (but less than 20%) on
Schedule 13G under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in
effect on the date of the Agreement (the "Exchange Act") (or any comparable or
successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or
reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the
Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule
(other than the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days
of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to
the Company that such Person acquired shares that meet the requirements set
forth in (A), (B), or (C) above inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms
of the Rights and who, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter
does not acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner
of shares meeting the requirements set forth in (A), (B) or (C) above;
provided, however, that if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so
within 10 Business Days, then
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such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such
10-Business-Day period.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the
respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial
Owner" of, and shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the
right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or
only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such
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Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such
tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B)
securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the
occurrence of a Triggering Event (as hereinafter defined), or (C)
securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the
occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the
Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to Section 3(a)
or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section
11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any
Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the
right to vote or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as
determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding, whether or
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not in writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed
the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any security
under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement
or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement
or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in
response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to,
and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not reportable by
such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether
or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting
(except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to
subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing
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of any voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that
nothing in this paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business
as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any securities acquired through such Person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until
the expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition, and
then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person at
such expiration of forty days;
provided, however that any Affiliates, Associates or other Persons who may be
deemed representatives of DuPont serving as directors of the Company shall not
be deemed to beneficially own securities held by DuPont as a result of (i) their
serving as directors or taking any action in connection therewith or (ii)
discussing the status of DuPont's shares with the Company, absent an express
agreement among DuPont and such stockholders to act in concert with one another
as stockholders so as to cause, in the good faith judgment of the Board of
Directors, each such stockholder to be the Beneficial Owner of the shares held
by DuPont or the other stockholders.
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(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New
York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) "Class A Rights Certificate" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
(g) "Class B Rights Certificate" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
(h) "Class A Common Stock" shall mean the Class A
Common Stock, par value $.01, of the Company.
(i) "Class B Common Stock" shall mean the Class B
Common Stock, par value $.01, of the Company.
(j) "Class A Rights" shall have the meaning set
forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(k) "Class B Rights" shall have the meaning set
forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(l) "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 next succeeding Business Day.
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(m) "Common Stock" shall mean the Class A Common
Stock and the Class B Common Stock, except that "Common Stock" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of
such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such
Person.
(n) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(o) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(p) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(q) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
(r) "DuPont" shall mean the DuPont Company, all
successors to the DuPont Company by way of merger, consolidation or sale of all
or substantially all of its assets, and all corporations, partnerships, joint
ventures, associations and other entities in which the DuPont Company owns
(directly or indirectly) fifty percent of the outstanding voting stock, voting
power, partnership interests or similar ownership interests, but shall not
include the Company.
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(s) "DuPont Company" shall mean E.I. du Pont de
Nemours & Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
(t) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(u) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934.
(v) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(w) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(x) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm,
corporation, partnership or other entity.
(y) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full
exercise of the Rights, any other series of preferred stock of the Company
designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms
of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(z) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 13(b) hereof.
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(aa) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 4(a)(ii) hereof.
(ab) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(ac) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in
the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(ad) "Rights Agent" shall have the meaning set
forth in the parties clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(ae) "Rights Certificates" shall mean the Class A
Rights Certificates and the Class B Rights Certificates.
(aa) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have
the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(bb) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any
event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(cc) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event
described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(dd) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
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(ee) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first
date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall
include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section
13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(ff) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to
any Person, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient
to elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise
controlled by such Person.
(gg) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(hh) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 3(b) hereof.
(ii) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(jj) "Triggering Event" shall mean any
Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of
the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
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Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with
the terms and 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.
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of
business on the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the
tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record
Date, the close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close of business
on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine)
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 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) being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the
Class A Rights
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and the Class B Rights, respectively, will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the
Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock, respectively, registered in
the names of the holders of such class of Common Stock (which certificates for
such class of Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for such
Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of
Common Stock (including transfers to the Company). As soon as practicable
after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class,
postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Class A Common Stock and Class B
Common Stock, respectively, as of the close of business on the Distribution
Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or
more right certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B and C hereto,
evidencing one Class A Right for each share of Class A Common Stock (a "Class A
Rights Certificate") and one Class B Right for each share of Class B Common
Stock (a "Class B Rights Certificate"), respectively, so held, subject to
adjustment as provided herein. In the event that any adjustment in the number
of Rights per share of Common Stock
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has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of
the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate
rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution
Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) The Company will make available, as promptly
as practicable following the Record Date, a copy of a Summary of Rights, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of Rights")
to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the
Expiration Date. With respect to certificates for the Class A Common Stock and
the Class B Common Stock , respectively, outstanding as of the Record Date, or
issued subsequent to the Record Date, unless and until the Distribution Date
shall occur, the Class A Rights and the Class B Rights will be evidenced by
such certificates for such class of Common Stock and the registered holders of
the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights.
Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such term
is
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defined in Section 7(a) hereof), the transfer of any certificates representing
shares of Common Stock in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common
Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all
shares of Common Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (including an issuance of Class A
Common Stock upon the conversion, whether automatic or voluntary, of Class B
Common Stock into Class A Common Stock (and for purposes of the foregoing, any
deemed conversion of Class B Common Stock upon the transfer of such shares or
otherwise shall be deemed to be an issuance of Class A Common Stock)).
Certificates representing such shares of Class A Common Stock shall also be
deemed to be certificates for the associated Class A Rights, and shall bear the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Class A Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
Conoco Inc. (the "Company") and __________________________ (the
"Rights Agent") dated as of ____________, 199_ (the "Rights
Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of
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the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, such Class A Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without
charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under
certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Class A
Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an
Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms
are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on
behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and
void.
Certificates representing such shares of Class B Common Stock shall also be
deemed to be certificates for the associated Class B Rights, and shall bear the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Class B Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
Conoco Inc. (the "Company") and __________________________ (the
"Rights Agent") dated as of ____________, 199_ (the "Rights
Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of
the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, such Class B Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without
charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under
certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Class B
Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an
Acquiring Person
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or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in
the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such
Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legends, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of
election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof)
shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B and Exhibit C
hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate 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 rule or
regulation made
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pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which
the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to
the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates,
whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at
the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one one-thousandth of a
share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type of securities purchasable
upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject
to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to
Section 3(a), Section 11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights
beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring
Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently
with the Acquiring Person
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becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer
(whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of
equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such
Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors
of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and
any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon
transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate
referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the
following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights
Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void
in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights
Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on
behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice
President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed
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thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the
Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature and shall not be valid
for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who
shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer
of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and
delivery by the Company, such Rights 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 person who signed such Rights
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of
the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights
Agent will keep, or cause to be kept, at its
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principal office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender
of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and
transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show
the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates,
the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates
and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b),
Section 7(e) and 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
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering
Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may
be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitles such
holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to
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purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or
exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in
writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights
Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged
at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take
any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered
Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed
the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the
Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), and Section 14
hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The
Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
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transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(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 Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction,
of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and 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 Rights
Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights
Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery
to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen,
destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time
after the Distribution Date the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may
exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein
including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in
Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or in part
upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form
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of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly
executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate
Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a
share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to
which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier
of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on [date that is 10 years from Record
Date], or such later date as may be established by the Board of Directors prior
to the expiration of the Rights (such date, as it may be extended by the Board,
the ("Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the time at which the Rights are
redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being
herein referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a
Right shall initially be $_______,* and shall be subject to adjustment from
time to time as
__________________________________
* The initial exercise price is usually set at a price which
DuPont/Conoco and Xxxxxx can support as representing the potential
long-term value of Xxxxxx.
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provided in Section 11 and Section 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in
accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate
representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right
so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case
may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k)
hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the
shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company
hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such
requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number
of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder
with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary
receipts representing such number of one one- thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock as
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are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred
Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent
with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to
comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash,
if any, to be paid in lieu 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
Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by
such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The
payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or
bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company
is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the Company,
pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the
Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities,
cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent,
if
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and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the
occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of
Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would be
issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights
Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new
Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the
order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such
name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently
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with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to
either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring
Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person
with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the
Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement
or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this
Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no
holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The
Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this
Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no
liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result
of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person
or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action
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with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall
have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election
to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered
for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity
of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split-up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation
or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be
cancelled by it, and no Rights 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 Rights Certificate
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.
The Rights Agent shall deliver all
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cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case
shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will
cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued
shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
out of its authorized and unissued shares of Class A and Class B Common Stock
and/or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its
treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or other
securities) that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding
Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Class A and Class B Common Stock
and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of
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the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall
use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become
exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such
exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i)
file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be
delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in
accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under the
Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on
an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration
statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the
Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date of the
expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such action as may be
appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky"
laws of the
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various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The
Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90)
days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this
Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file
such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension has been rescinded. In
addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is
required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend
the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement
has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement
to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law, or a registration
statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will
take all such action as may be necessary to
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ensure that all one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Class A and Class B Common
Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the
time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that
it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes
and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the
Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall
not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in
respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other
than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-thousandths of a share
of Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or other securities,
as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of the registered
holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing
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Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Class A and
Class B Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name
other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until
such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established
to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in
whose name any certificate for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or other securities,
as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all
purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional
shares of Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such
Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all
applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of
such surrender and payment is a date
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upon which the Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B Common Stock and/or
other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed,
such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares
(fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Class A and Class B
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the
Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the
holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a
stockholder of the Company with respect to 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 and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of 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.
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(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time
after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the
Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide
the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred
Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its
capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including
any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger
in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e)
hereof, 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
Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such
date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any
Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and
kind
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of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be,
which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date
and at a time when the Preferred Stock 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. If an event occurs which would
require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i)
shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment
required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) In the event 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 for or pursuant to the terms of any
such plan), alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any
time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring Person,
unless the event causing the requirements set
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forth in (A), (B) or (C) of the definition of "Acquiring Person" (set forth in
Section 1 hereof) to be met is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof,
then, promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision shall
be made so that each holder of a Class A Right and each holder of a Class B
Right, respectively, (except, in both cases, as provided below and in Section
7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof
at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, in lieu (in both cases) of a number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Class A Common Stock and
Class B Common Stock, respectively, as shall equal the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y)
dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter
be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of
this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per share of such class of Common Stock for which a Right
is exercisable on the date of
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such first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares
of Common Stock (either or both of Class A Common Stock or Class B
Common Stock) which are authorized by the Company's certificate of
incorporation but which are not outstanding or reserved for issuance
for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, are not
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all Rights in accordance
with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the
Company shall (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 (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make
adequate provision to substitute for 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) such class of Common
Stock for which a Right is exercisable or other equity securities of
the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of
shares,
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of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the Board has
deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights as shares
of such class of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable (such
shares of preferred stock being referred to as "Common Stock
Equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets,
or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value
equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the
Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the
Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment
banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, that if the
Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value
pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the
later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y)
the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to
Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to
herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company
shall be
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obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of such class
of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable (to the extent
available) and then, if necessary, cash or shares of the other class
of Common Stock, which shares (of the class of Common Stock for which
a Right is exercisable and/or the other class of Common Stock) and/or
cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the
preceding sentence, the term "Spread" shall mean the excess of (i) the
Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board determines
in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Class A Common Stock and/or Class B Common Stock, as the case may be,
could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of all Rights,
the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the
extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder
approval for the authorization of such
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additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended,
is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that
action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of
this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to
Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the
Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to
seek such shareholder approval for such authorization of additional
shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value
thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue
a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights
has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at
such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of
this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Adjustment Share shall be
the current market price per share of the class of Common Stock for
which a Right is
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exercisable on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or
per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal
the current market price per share of such class of Common Stock on
such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for
the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of
Preferred Stock ("Equivalent Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible into
Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred
Stock or per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price
per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Stock) less than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock 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
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shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of
Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be
paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other
than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith
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 the holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock
owned by or held for the account 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
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fixed, and in the event that such rights 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
a distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation), cash (other than a regular quarterly
cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets
(other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend
payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or evidences of indebtedness, or
of 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 Current
Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of
Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined
in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed
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with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of
indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to a share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be
such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Preferred Stock. 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 be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would
have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current
Market Price per share on any date of such class of Common Stock for which a
Right is exercisable shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing
prices per share of such class of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable
for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date,
and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof,
the Current Market Price per share of such class of Common Stock on any date
shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices
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per share of such class of Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading
Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that
the Current Market Price per share of such class of Common Stock for which a
Right is exercisable is determined during a period following the announcement
by its issuer of (A) a dividend or distribution on such class of Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of
Common Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such class of Common Stock, and the ex-dividend date for
such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the
commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day
period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market
Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The
closing price for each 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 the New York Stock
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Exchange or, if the shares of such class of Common Stock are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of such class of
Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of such class
of Common Stock 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 the
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ")
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of such
class of Common Stock 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 such class of Common Stock selected by the Board. If on any
such date no market maker is making a market in the class of Common Stock for
which a Right is exercisable, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term "Trading Day"
shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which
the
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shares of the class of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable are listed
or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the
shares of such class of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the class of Common Stock
for which a Right is exercisable is not publicly held or not so listed or
traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described
in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if the
Current Market Price per share of the Class B Common Stock is otherwise
determined to be lower than the Current Market Price per share of the Class A
Common Stock, then the Current Market Price per share of the Class B Common
Stock shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price per share of the Class
A Common Stock.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall
be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common
Stock in clause (i) of this Section
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11(d) (other than the last two sentences thereof). If the Current
Market Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the
manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held
or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock
shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 1000 (as such
number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits,
stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current
Market Price per share of the Class A Common Stock. If neither the
Class A Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so
listed or traded, Current Market Price per share of the Preferred
Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith
by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
For all purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market
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Price of a Unit shall be equal to the Current Market Price of one
share of Preferred Stock divided by 1000.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless
such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent
(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
ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a
share of Preferred Stock, 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 (3) years from the date of
the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant
to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right
thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital
stock other
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than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof 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 Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred
Stock 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 one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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), upon each adjustment of the Purchase
Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), 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
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one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest
one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
one-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 (ii) 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 lieu of
any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding
after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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
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announcement 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 Rights Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public
announcement. If Rights 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 Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights 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 Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date
of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new
Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall
be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and
may bear, at the
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option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in
the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price or the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates
theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price
per one one-thousandth of a share and the number of one one-thousandth of a
share which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an
adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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 nonassessable such number of one one-
thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
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(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 until the
occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised
after such record date the number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-thousandths of
a share of Preferred Stock 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 (fractional or otherwise)
or securities 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 reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of
Directors of the Company shall
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determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of
the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred
Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of
shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v)
issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11,
hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be
taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it
shall not, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any
other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to
sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related transactions,
assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company
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and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after
the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or
Section 25 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the
time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company
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shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the
Distribution Date and in accordance with its certificate of incorporation (i)
declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares
of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or
(iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then
outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution
Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter
associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal
the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each
share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the
numerator which shall be the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the
denominator of which shall be the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and
Section 13 hereof, the
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Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly
file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred
Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate and (c) if a
Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of
a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of
a Certificate representing shares of Common Stock). The Rights Agent shall be
fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment
therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets Cash Flow or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the time an
Acquiring Person becomes such, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall
consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation
of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall
consolidate with, or merge with or
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into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such
consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other
Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash
flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in
one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each
holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter
have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current
Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of
validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable
shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter
defined), not subject to any liens,
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encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be
equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price
by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a
Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one
one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior
to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product
(which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred
to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this
Agreement) by (2) 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party
on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party
shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13
Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this
Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such
Principal Party, it being
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specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only
to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
(iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to,
the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in
connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to
assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as
reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter
deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any
Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described
in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the
Person that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of
Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or
consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is
the other party to such merger or consolidation; and
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(ii) in the case of any transaction
described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section
13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest
portion of the assets, cash flow or earning power transferred
pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and
such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common
Stock of which is and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to
such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which
are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of
such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate
market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a
sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been
issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in
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full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior
thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for
the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and
further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any
consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of
this Section 13, the Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration
statement under the Act, with respect to the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such
registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as
practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act)
until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) take such all such other action
as may be necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including
but not limited to the registration or qualification of
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such securities under all requisite securities laws of
jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such
securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be
necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the
Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party
and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with
the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the
Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers
or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13
Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter
become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue
fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in
Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence
fractional
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Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Class A Rights Certificates or the Class B Rights
Certificates, as the case may be, 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 Class A Right or Class B Right, as the case
may be. For 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 of the Class A Rights and the Class B
Rights, as the case may be, 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 the New York Stock Exchange or, if such Rights
are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on
which such Rights are listed or admitted to
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trading, or if such 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
such 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 such Rights, selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If
on any such date no such market maker is making a market in such Rights, the
fair value of such Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors of the Company shall be used. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if
the current market value of a Class B Right is otherwise determined to be lower
than the current market value of a Class A Right, then the current market value
of a Class B Right shall be deemed to equal the current market value of a Class
A Right.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue
fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of
the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
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fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of
fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one
one- thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, 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 one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes
of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-thousandth of the closing price of a
share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof)
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common
Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common
Stock, 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
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equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of such
class of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable. For purposes of this
Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock for which
a Right is exercisable shall be the closing price of one share of such class of
Common Stock (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 Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any
fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section
14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in
respect of this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of
the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any registered holder of the
Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any
other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any registered
holder of the Common Stock), may, in
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his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain
any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act
in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights
Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights 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 and
shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations
hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights 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 Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights
Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the principal
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office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the
appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f)
hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose
name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated
Common Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of
the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or
writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate
made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes
whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last
sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice
to the contrary; and
(d) 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 its inability to
perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any
preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by
a court of
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competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, 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; provided, however, the Company must
use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled
to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
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 24 hereof), or to
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receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised 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 and, from
time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and
counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the
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, or expense, incurred
without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights
Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall
incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted
by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance
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upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other
securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by
the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be
consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to
which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to the corporate trust or 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 any further act on the part of any of
the parties hereto; but only if such corporation would be eligible for
appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21
hereof. In case at the time such successor
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Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the
Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such
successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights
Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at
that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any
successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the
name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in
the Rights 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 Rights Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall
not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the
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full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal
counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such
counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights
Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance
with such 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 any
Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or
established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder,
such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein
specifically prescribed) may (except with regard to matters requiring the
approval or concurrence of the
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DuPont Company) be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice
President, the Treasurer, or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and subject to the aforesaid, such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good
faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate. With respect to matters requiring the approval or concurrence of
the DuPont Company, a certificate to such effect signed by the Chairman of the
Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the
DuPont Company shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent to the extent
the authorization, approval or concurrence of the DuPont Company is required
for any action taken or suffered in good faith by the Rights Agent under the
provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder
only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(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 Rights
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Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), 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 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 validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required
under the provisions of Section 11, or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the
manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice
of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make
any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this
Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any
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shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock 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 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 instructions with respect to the performance of its duties
hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, 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 it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with
instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder,
director, 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
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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 from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other
legal entity.
(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 or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent
shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or
misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company
resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however,
reasonable care was exercised 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 of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
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(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate
surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate
attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case
may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to
clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action
with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting
with 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 thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and
to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered
or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date,
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The
Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty
(30) days' 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 Stock and
Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs
after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the
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Rights 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 thirty (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
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate
for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights
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 (a) a legal business
entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of
the State of New York (or of any other state of the United States so long as
such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the
State of New York), in good standing, having a principal office in the State of
New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, or
stock transfer shareholder services powers and is subject to supervision or
examination by federal or state authority
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and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital
and surplus of at least [$100,000,000] or (b) an affiliate of a legal business
entity described in clause (a) of this sentence. 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 the purpose. 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 Stock and the
Preferred Stock, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date,
mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights
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.
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Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the
contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors 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 Rights
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock
following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of
the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so
issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee
plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon
the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the
Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by
the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing
the appropriate number and class of Rights in connection with such issuance or
sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued
if, and to the
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extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would
create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company
or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate
adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at
its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on
the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock
Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of
business on the tenth Business Day following the Record Date), or (ii) the
Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding
Rights at a redemption price of [$.01] per Right, as such amount may be
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price." Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be
exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
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Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder has
expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
shares of the relevant Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable (based on
the Current Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the
relevant Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, including shares of
the other class of Common Stock; provided, however that the Redemption Price
shall first be paid in shares of the relevant Common Stock for which a Right is
exercisable to the extent of the authorized shares of the relevant Common Stock
for which a Right is exercisable (excluding all such shares that are
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than the exercise of
the Rights).
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of
which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent 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 for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the
Board of
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Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice
of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding
Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's last address
as it appears 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
Stock. 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.
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of
any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution
to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the
holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification
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of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the
subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any
consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), 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 transaction or a
series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company,
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a
notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the
purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the
date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer,
liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of
participation therein by the
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holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, 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 twenty (20) days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever
shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the events set forth in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company
shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof,
and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be
deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other
securities.
Section 25. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate
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to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by
the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:
Conoco Inc.
-------------------------------------------
[Address]
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by
this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or
made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:
[Rights Agent]
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Attention: Corporate Trust Department
[Stock Transfer Administration]
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate
(or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates
representing shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently
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given or made if sent by 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 26. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock.
From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall,
if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any
ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which
may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement
the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, from and after the Distribution
Date, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant
to clause (iii) of this sentence, any
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time period hereunder unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting,
enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of
Rights. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) no
supplement or amendment of any provision of this Agreement shall be effected
without the prior written consent of the DuPont Company unless DuPont
beneficially owns shares of Common Stock representing less than thirty percent
(30%) of the voting power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock at the time
of such supplement or amendment, and (ii) no supplement or amendment of the
definition of "Acquiring Person" (set forth in Section 1 hereof) shall be
effected without the prior written consent of the DuPont Company unless DuPont
beneficially owns less than ten percent (10%) of the voting power of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock at the time of such supplement or amendment.
Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company
which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with
the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or
amendment. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of
Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of the
underlying Common
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Stock. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement may not
be amended at a time when the Rights are not redeemable.
Section 27. 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 28. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors, etc. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including
for purposes of determining the particular percentage of the voting power of
the outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial
Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board 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 (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement,
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and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement); provided however that no action,
calculation, interpretation or determination of the Board of Directors shall
limit the rights of the DuPont Company hereunder pursuant to Section 26. All
such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for
purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing)
which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall, subject to the rights
of the DuPont Company aforesaid, (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and
(y) not subject the Board, or any of the directors on the Board to any
liability to the holders of the Rights.
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 Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) 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
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Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 30. 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 in this Agreement to the
contrary, 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, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23
hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on
the tenth Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board of
Directors.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and
each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of
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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 made and to
be performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. 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.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. 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.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed , and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: [CONOCO INC.]
By By
--------------------------- ---------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Attest: [THE RIGHTS AGENT]
By By
--------------------------- ---------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
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