AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT between SHURGARD STORAGE CENTERS, INC. and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Rights Agent Dated as of March 12, 2004
Exhibit 2.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
between
SHURGARD STORAGE CENTERS, INC.
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY,
as Rights Agent
Dated as of March 12, 2004
CONTENTS
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1. | Certain Definitions | 1 | ||
2. | Appointment of Rights Agent | 3 | ||
3. | Issuance of Right Certificates | 3 | ||
4. | Form of Right Certificates | 5 | ||
5. | Countersignature and Registration | 5 | ||
6. | Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates |
6 | ||
7. | Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights | 6 | ||
8. | Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates | 7 | ||
9. | Availability of Shares | 7 | ||
10. | Preferred Shares Record Date | 8 | ||
11. | Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights | 8 | ||
12. | Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares | 13 | ||
13. | Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power | 13 | ||
14. | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares | 14 | ||
15. | Rights of Action | 15 | ||
16. | Agreement of Right Holders | 15 | ||
17. | Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Xxxxxxxxxxx | 00 | ||
00. | Concerning the Rights Agent | 16 | ||
19. | Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent | 16 | ||
20. | Duties of Rights Agent | 17 | ||
21. | Change of Rights Agent | 18 | ||
22. | Issuance of New Right Certificates | 19 | ||
23. | Redemption | 19 | ||
24. | Exchange | 20 |
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25. | Notice of Certain Events | 21 | ||
26. | Notices | 22 | ||
27. | Supplements and Amendments | 22 | ||
28. | Successors | 23 | ||
29. | Benefits of This Agreement | 23 | ||
30. | Severability | 23 | ||
31. | Governing Law | 23 | ||
32. | Counterparts | 23 | ||
33. | Descriptive Headings | 23 |
Exhibit A – Form of Designation of Rights and Preferences of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
Exhibit B – Form of Right Certificate
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AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of March 12, 2004, between Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the “Rights Agent”).On March 17, 1994, the Board of Directors of the Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., a Delaware corporation and the predecessor of the Company (“Shurgard Delaware”), authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of Shurgard Delaware outstanding on March 25, 1994 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Shurgard Delaware upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Original Rights Agreement (as hereinafter defined), and further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to appropriate adjustments, as hereinafter provided) with respect to each Common Share that becomes outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
Shurgard Delaware and Gemisys Corporation, a California corporation, as the initial Rights Agent, entered into a Rights Agreement dated March 17, 1994 (the “Original Rights Agreement”) to govern the rights and obligations of Shurgard Delaware and the holders of the Rights and to administer the Rights through the Rights Agent.
On May 14, 1997, by virtue of a merger of Shurgard Delaware with and into the Company, the Company became the successor corporation to Shurgard Delaware under the Rights Agreement and succeeded to all of the rights and obligations of Shurgard Delaware under the Original Rights Agreement, and each Right became a right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company. On July 1, 2000, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company replaced Gemysis Corporation as the Rights Agent.
The Original Rights Agreement provides that the Rights will expire on March 17, 2004. The Original Rights Agreement also provides that the Company may from time to time amend or supplement the Original Rights Agreement. The Company desires to amend the Original Rights Agreement to extend the expiration date of the Rights to March 12, 2014 and to make related changes to the Original Rights Agreement and to restate the Rights Agreement together with these and other amendments. This Amended and Restated Rights Agreement restates and supersedes in its entirety the Original Rights Agreement and all earlier amendments.
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. | Certain Definitions |
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring Person” means any Person (as hereinafter defined) who, together with all Affiliates and Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, is the Beneficial Owner (as hereinafter defined) of 10% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but does not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary (as hereinafter defined) of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or (iv) any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the
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foregoing, no Person shall become an Acquiring Person as the result of (A) an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company that, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding or (B) the issuance of Common Shares by the Company in connection with the acquisition (through merger or otherwise) of Shurgard Incorporated if such acquisition is approved in accordance with the provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as may be amended from time to time; provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases or share issuance by the Company and, after such share purchases or share issuance by the Company, becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed an Acquiring Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Agreement.
(b) “Affiliate” and “Associate” have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own,” any securities:
(i) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company.
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Notwithstanding anything in this definition of “Beneficial Owner” to the contrary, the phrase “then outstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s beneficial ownership of securities of the Company, means the number of such securities then issued and outstanding, together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding that such Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
(d) “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the state of Washington are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) “Close of business” on any given date means 5:00 p.m., Pacific standard time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it means 5:00 p.m., Pacific standard time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company means the shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, and Excess Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company. “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company means the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons that ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) “Distribution Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.
(h) “Final Expiration Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(i) “Person” means any individual, firm, corporation or other entity, and includes any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(j) “Preferred Shares” means the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in a Designation of Rights and Preferences of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
(k) “Redemption Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(l) “Shares Acquisition Date” means the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(m) “Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
2. | Appointment of Rights Agent |
The Rights Agent has been appointed by the Company to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent has accepted such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.
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3. | Issuance of Right Certificates |
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date and (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement 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 entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of 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 entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares aggregating 10% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares (including any such date that is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights, the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (A) the Rights shall be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates (as hereinafter defined)) and not by separate Right Certificates and (B) the right to receive Right Certificates shall be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company shall prepare and execute, the Rights Agent shall countersign, and the Company shall send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent shall, if requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held (subject to appropriate adjustments, as hereinafter provided). As of the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company sent a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C to the Original Rights Agreement (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof, together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto. Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares that become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legends substantially as follows:
Through March 12, 2004:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights (the “Rights”) as set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of March 17, 1994, as may be
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amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), between Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. and Gemisys Corporation (or any successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights shall be evidenced by separate certificates and shall no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. shall mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
After March 12, 2004:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights (the “Rights”) as set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of March 12, 2004, as may be amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), between Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (or any successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights shall be evidenced by separate certificates and shall no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc. shall mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares that are no longer outstanding.
4. | Form of Right Certificates |
The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate 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 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 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of Preferred Shares as is set forth therein at the price per Preferred Share set forth therein (the “Purchase
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Price”), but the number of such Preferred Shares and the Purchase Price are subject to adjustment as provided herein.
5. | Countersignature and Registration |
The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who has signed any of the Right Certificates ceases to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, is a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent shall keep or cause to be kept, at an office designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
6. | Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates |
Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificates (other than any Right Certificate(s) representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate(s), entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of Preferred Shares as the Right Certificate(s) surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate(s) shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate(s) to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at an office designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right 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 transfer, split-up, combination or exchange of any Right Certificate(s).
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the
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Company shall make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
7. | Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at an office designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the close of business on March 12, 2014 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”), and (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $110, and is subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof and is payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the Preferred Shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate exercises less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, the Rights Agent shall issue a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares the number of Preferred Shares that shall be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with this Section 7.
8. | Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates |
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split-up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to 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 Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and
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retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
9. | Availability of Shares |
The Company covenants and agrees that it shall take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares or other securities delivered upon exercise of Rights, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares or other securities (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), are duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
The Company further covenants and agrees that it shall pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares or other securities upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates for the Preferred Shares or other securities in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax has been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
10. | Preferred Shares Record Date |
Each person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such Preferred Shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights are 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.
11. | Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights |
The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declares a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivides the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combines the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares, or (D) issues any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
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Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time is entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock that, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Sections 23 and 24 hereof, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, that number of Common Shares of the Company equal to, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of the Preferred Shares for which the Right was otherwise exercisable, the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to any Person becoming an Acquiring Person and (B) dividing that product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of the occurrence of such event. In the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person while the Rights are outstanding, the Company may not take any action that would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled.
(iii) In the event that there are not sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.
(b) In case the Company fixes a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into
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Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price (as defined in Section 11(d)) of the Preferred Shares on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares that the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares 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 is the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall 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. Preferred Shares 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 fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company fixes a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), 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 is the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares 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 with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which is such current per share market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall
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be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day is 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 the Security is 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 Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price 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, Inc. Automated Quotations System (“Nasdaq”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term “Trading Day” means a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly held or listed or traded, “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares is conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by 100. If neither the Preferred Shares nor the Common Shares are publicly held or listed or traded, “current per share market price” means the fair value per share 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.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one ten-millionth of a Preferred Share or one-thousandth of any other share or security, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction that requires such adjustment and (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised becomes entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the
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number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company has 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 one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (A) the number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (B) 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 substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, must be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredths of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
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(l) In any case in which this Section 11 requires 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 issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional Preferred Shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion determines to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares, shall not be taxable to such holders.
(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company (i) declares or pays any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effects a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (A) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights that each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
12. | Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares |
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
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13. | Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power |
In the event, directly or indirectly, (a) the Company consolidates with, or merges with and into, any other Person (except for a merger with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company for purposes of effecting a change in the Company’s state of incorporation), (b) any Person consolidates with the Company, or merges with and into the Company and the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares are changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company sells or otherwise transfers (or one or more of its Subsidiaries sells or otherwise transfers), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of any event referenced in clauses (a) through (c) above, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of the Preferred Shares for which the Right was otherwise exercisable, such number of Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) equal to the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of any event referenced in clauses (a) through (c) above and (B) dividing that product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof are thereafter applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements that, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
14. | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
(a) The Company is not required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right is the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day is the last sale price,
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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 the 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 the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company is not required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share is the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
15. | Rights of Action |
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares), and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any registered holder of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any registered holder of the Common Shares), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for his or her 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 or her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
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16. | Agreement of Right Holders |
Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates shall be transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at an office designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
17. | Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder |
No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate is entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Right or Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate is exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
18. | Concerning the Rights Agent |
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 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.
The Rights Agent shall be protected against 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 upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares 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, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, the Rights Agent shall receive written certificates or instructions from the Company for all computations required hereunder (if applicable, all such computations shall be provided by the Company to the Rights Agent on a per Right or per share basis), including, but not limited to, computation of adjustments to Rights, fractional shares and
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fractional Rights, transfer taxes and exchange or redemption of Rights, and 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 reliance upon any such certification or instruction.
19. | Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
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 stock transfer or corporate trust 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, provided that 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 Rights Agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates have not been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent is changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned, and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates have not been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name, and in all such cases such Right Certificates have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
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 Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, are 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 deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter 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 be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent, and 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.
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(c) The Rights Agent is liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent is not liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) and is not required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent is not 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 Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor is it responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor is it responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares shall, when 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 any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it is not liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.
(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 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 precludes 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 is not 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 reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
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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 60 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 60 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 Shares and the Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent resigns or is removed or otherwise becomes incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company fails to make such appointment within a period of 60 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his or her Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the state of Washington or 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 Washington or New York), in good standing, having an office in the state of Washington or New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and that has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least the amount of combined capital and surplus required by the New York Stock Exchange for qualification of transfer agents and registrars. 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 within a reasonable period of time. In the event that the predecessor Rights Agent incurs extraordinary costs and/or expenses in connection with its performance of acts and deeds necessary to transfer property to the successor Rights Agent, and the removal of the Rights Agent occurred at the election of the Company for reasons other than the incapability of the Rights Agent (as determined in the reasonable discretion of the Company) or the breach of this Agreement by the Rights Agent, then the Company shall promptly reimburse the Rights Agent for all such reasonable extraordinary costs incurred by the Rights Agent. In all other cases, such extraordinary costs shall be borne by the Rights Agent. 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 Preferred Shares and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
22. | Issuance of New Right Certificates |
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
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23. | Redemption |
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.0001 per Right, 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”). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Preferred Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price shall be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
24. | Exchange |
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (not including Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors is not empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange shall state
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the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights shall be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that shall be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or equivalent preferred shares, as such term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at an initial rate of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or equivalent preferred share) for each Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Shares pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the fraction of a Preferred Share delivered in lieu of each Common Share have the same voting rights as one Common Share.
(d) In the event that there is not sufficient Common Shares, Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares or preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company is not required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this paragraph (e), the current market value of a whole Common Share is the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
25. | Notice of Certain Events |
(a) In case the Company proposes at any time after the Distribution Date to (i) pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of the Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of the Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) offer to the holders of the Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or effect any sale or other transfer (or permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which notice shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or 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 holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred
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Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof occurs, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
26. | Notices |
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
00 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX
00000
Attn: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxxxx X. XxXxx, General Counsel
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if 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.
27. | Supplements and Amendments |
The Company may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement, without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates, to modify this Agreement or the Rights or make any other provisions with respect to the Rights that the Company may deem necessary or desirable (including, without limitation, in order to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein), any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that from and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement may not be amended in any manner that would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a) hereof to not less than the greater of (i) the sum of .001% and the largest percentage of the outstanding Common Shares then known by the Company to be beneficially owned by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company) and (ii) 9.8%.
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28. | Successors |
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
29. | Benefits of This Agreement |
Nothing in this Agreement may be construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement is for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
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.
31. | Governing Law |
This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the state of Washington and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such state.
32. | Counterparts |
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all of which shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
33. | Descriptive Headings |
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do 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 Amendment to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date written above.
SHURGARD STORAGE CENTERS, INC. | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Title: | President |
ATTEST: | ||||
By: | ||||
Title: |
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President |
ATTEST: | ||||
By: | ||||
Title: |
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Exhibit A
DESIGNATION OF RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF SERIES A JUNIOR
PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
The Board of Directors of Shurgard Washington Corporation (the “Corporation”) hereby establishes a series of the Company’s Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share, and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences and limitations thereof as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount
The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 2,800,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Class A Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (i) $1 or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all noncash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section 2 immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided, however, that,
A-1
in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights
The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Designation of Rights and Preferences creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid
A-2
dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares
Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Designation of Rights and Preferences creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up
Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate
A-3
amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc.
In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. Redemption and Stop Transfer for REIT Qualification
(A) Definitions. Whenever used in this Section 8, the terms defined below shall have the following respective meanings:
(i) “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from time to time.
(ii) “Owner, owns or ownership” shall mean that a Person (as defined below) is the owner of such shares or a right to acquire such shares for purposes of Subchapter M Part II of the Code, including ownership provisions of Code Section 542 and 544.
(iii) “Person” shall mean and include individuals, corporations, limited partnerships, general partnerships, joint stock companies or associations, joint ventures, companies, trusts, banks, trust companies, land trusts, business trusts, estates or other entities and governmental agencies and political subdivisions thereof.
A-4
(iv) “REIT” shall mean a real estate investment trust as defined in Sections 856 through 860 of the Code.
(v) “Ownership Limit” shall mean nine and eight-tenths of one percent (9.8%) of the total value of the outstanding Preferred and Common Stock of the corporation including any rights to acquire Preferred or Common Stock of the corporation; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may increase such percentage in accordance with the procedures prescribed in Section 8(B) for certain Persons, in which event the Ownership Limit for such Persons shall be the percentage interest established at the time the Board of Directors approved the Persons’ acquisition.
(B) Redemption Provision. If, at any time, (i) five or fewer Persons shall be or become the Owners of more than fifty percent (50%) of the value of the total outstanding shares of Preferred and Common Stock of the Corporation (including any rights to acquire Preferred or Common Stock of the Corporation), (ii) a Person shall be or become an Owner of a total number of outstanding shares of Preferred and/or Common Stock of the Corporation (including any rights to acquire Preferred or Common Stock) in excess of the Ownership Limit, excluding, however, any Person acquiring outstanding shares of Common Stock in the Corporation, in exchange for interests in the Partnerships or in the Partnerships’ cash available for distribution held as of the record date of November 8, 1993, in excess of the Ownership Limit as a result of the Corporation’s acquisition of the assets of, or equity interest in, the Partnerships referenced in Section 2.3 of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, or (iii) the Board of Directors shall in good faith be of the opinion that Ownership of the outstanding shares of Preferred and Common Stock of the Corporation has or may become concentrated to an extent that may prevent the Corporation from qualifying as a REIT, then the Board of Directors shall have the power:
(1) With respect to any Ownership or proposed transfer or acquisition of outstanding shares in excess of the Ownership Limit, to refuse to permit or give effect to such transfer or acquisition, to take any action to void any such transfer or acquisition or to cause it not to occur, and/or to call for redemption the number of shares of common stock of the corporation sufficient to cause such Person’s Ownership not to exceed the Ownership Limit, and
(2) With respect to subparagraphs (i) and (iii) above, by lot or other means deemed equitable by it, to prevent the transfer or acquisition of and/or, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to call for redemption of a number of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock of the corporation sufficient, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to maintain or bring the direct or indirect Ownership thereof in order to permit the corporation to qualify, or to continue its qualification as a REIT under the provisions of the Code.
The redemption price to be paid for the shares of the corporation so called for redemption, on the date fixed for redemption (which date shall be the date the corporation designates as the date for redemption), shall be the closing price of such shares on the national stock exchange or national market system on which such shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if no such closing price is available, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. From and after the date fixed for redemption by the Board of Directors, the holder of any shares of the corporation so called for redemption shall cease to be entitled to any distributions, voting rights or other benefits with respect to such shares of the Corporation, other than the right to payment of the redemption price determined as set forth herein.
At any time a corporate investor desiring to be exempted from the restriction that its stock ownership may not exceed the Ownership Limit may, in writing, petition the Board of Directors for approval to acquire, or to continue to hold, shares of common stock in excess of the Ownership Limit. The Board of Directors shall grant such written request unless it determines in good faith that the
A-5
acquisition or ownership of such shares of common stock may jeopardize the corporation’s qualification as a REIT under existing federal tax laws and regulations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall be deemed to obligate the Board of Directors to approve a request to adjust the Ownership Limit as to any corporate investor if the Board of Directors believes, based upon advice from legal counsel, that the granting of such request would cause the Board of Directors to breach its fiduciary duties to the stockholders.
(C) Notification of Certain Transfers. Any Person intending to acquire shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the Ownership Limit shall give written notice to this Corporation of the proposed or actual transaction no later than the date upon which such transaction occurs and shall timely furnish such opinions of counsel, affidavits, undertakings, agreements and information as may be required by the Board of Directors to evaluate or to protect against any adverse effect of the transfer. If, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, which shall be conclusive upon all parties, any such transfer or acquisition has taken place or is proposed to occur, the Board of Directors shall have the power to act in accordance with subparagraph (B)(1) above.
(D) Invalid Determination. If any provision of this Section 8 or any application of any such provision is determined to be invalid by any federal or state court having jurisdiction over the issues, the validity of the remaining provisions shall be affected only to the extent necessary to comply with the determination of such court.
(E) Preservation of REIT Status. Nothing contained in this Section 8 shall limit the authority of the Board of Directors to take such other action as they deem necessary or advisable to protect the corporation and the interests of the stockholders by preservation of the corporation’s status as a REIT under the Code.
(F) Amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Designation of Rights and Preferences or the Articles of Incorporation to the contrary, this Section 8 or any provision hereof shall not be altered, amended or repealed except in accordance with Article 9 of the Articles of Incorporation and Section 11 herein; provided, however, if in connection with an offering of shares (whether Common or Preferred Stock) by the corporation any state refuses to permit such offering to be made in such state because of the power of redemption conferred upon the Board of Directors by this Section 8, the Board of Directors shall have the authority (but is not obligated), without requiring stockholder approval, to amend this Section 8 to reduce or eliminate all or any portion of such restrictions to be made in the objecting state. If the Board of Directors amends this Section 8, it shall mail, within thirty (30) days of the effective date of such amendment, notice to all stockholders of record on the effective date of such amendment, setting forth the nature of the amendment.
(G) Legend on Shares. All certificates for shares of common stock and all shares of any Preferred Stock subject to these restrictions shall bear a conspicuous legend describing the restrictions set forth in this Section 8 and stating that by acquiring the shares represented by the certificate the Owner consents to such restrictions and requirements.
Section 9. No Redemption
Except as otherwise provided in Section 8 hereof, the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
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Section 10. Rank
The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock.
Section 11. Amendment
The Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.
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Exhibit B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- |
Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MARCH 12, 2014 OR EARLIER IF
REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT
TO REDEMPTION AT $.0001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE
TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
SHURGARD STORAGE CENTERS, INC.
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of March 12, 2004 (the “Rights Agreement”), between Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), andAmerican Stock Transfer and Trust Company, a New Yorkcorporation (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m., Pacific standard time, on March 12, 2014, at an office designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $110 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of Preferred Shares that may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above and the Purchase Price set forth above are the number and Purchase Price as of March 12, 2004, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof, and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at an office designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Common Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
B-1
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be (i) redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.0001 per Right or (ii) exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares, preferred share equivalents or shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of the day of , 20 .
ATTEST: |
SHURGARDSTORAGE CENTERS, INC. | |||||||
By: | ||||||||
Countersigned: |
||||||||
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY |
||||||||
By |
||||||||
Authorized Signature |
B-2
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer
the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _________________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: , 20
Signature |
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).
Signature |
B-3
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate, Cont.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise the Rights represented
by the Right Certificate.)
To: SHURGARD STORAGE CENTERS, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address and insert social security or other identifying number.)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address and insert social security or other identifying number.)
Dated: , 20
Signature |
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).
Signature |
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
B-4