MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Rights Agent AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT Dated as of July 7, 2009
MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION
and
XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Rights Agent
_________________
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of July 7, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. | Certain Definitions | 1 |
Section 2. |
Appointment of Rights Agent | 6 |
Section 3. |
Issue of Right Certificates | 6 |
Section 4. |
Form of Right Certificates | 7 |
Section 5. |
Countersignature and Registration | 8 |
Section 6. |
Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, | |
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates | 8 | |
Section 7. |
Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights | 9 |
Section 8. |
Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates | 10 |
Section 9. |
Reservation and Availability of Common Shares | 10 |
Section 10. |
Common Shares Record Date | 11 |
Section 11. |
Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights | 12 |
Section 12. |
Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares | 18 |
Section 13. |
[Reserved] | 18 |
Section 14. |
Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares | 18 |
Section 15. |
Rights of Action | 19 |
Section 16. |
Agreement of Right Holders | 19 |
Section 17. |
Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder | 20 |
Section 18. |
Concerning the Rights Agent | 20 |
Section 19. |
Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent | 21 |
Section 20. |
Duties of Rights Agent | 21 |
Section 21. |
Change of Rights Agent | 23 |
Section 22. |
Issuance of New Right Certificates | 24 |
Section 23. |
Redemption | 24 |
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Section 24. | Exchange | 25 |
Section 25. |
Notice of Certain Events | 26 |
Section 26. |
Notices | 27 |
Section 27. |
Supplements and Amendments | 27 |
Section 28. |
Successors | 28 |
Section 29. |
Benefits of this Agreement | 28 |
Section 30. |
Severability | 28 |
Section 31. |
Governing Law | 28 |
Section 32. |
Counterparts | 28 |
Section 33. |
Descriptive Headings; Interpretation | 28 |
Section 34. |
Determinations and Actions by the Board | 28 |
Section 35. |
Book-Entry | 29 |
Section 36. |
Amendment and Restatement | 29 |
Exhibit A — Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit B — Summary of Rights to Purchase Common Shares
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AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT (“Agreement”), dated as of July 7, 2009, between MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”), and XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association (the “Rights Agent”), amends and restates that certain Rights Agreement, dated as of July 22, 1999 (as amended by the first through third amendments thereto, the “Original Rights Agreement”).
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the Original Rights Agreement, declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) outstanding upon the close of business on August 9, 1999 (the “Record Date”) payable on such date (the “Payment Date”), and authorized the issuance of one Right for each Common Share issued between the Record Date on the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in the Original Rights Agreement), each Right representing the right to purchase one-half of one Common Share, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Original Rights Agreement; and
WHEREAS, if the Company experiences an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), then its ability to use its Tax Benefits (as hereinafter defined) for U.S. federal income tax purposes could be substantially limited; and
WHEREAS, the Company views its Tax Benefits as valuable assets of the Company, which are likely to inure to the benefit of the Company and its shareholders, and the Company believes that is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders that the Company provide for the protection of the Company’s Tax Benefits on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring Person” means any Person that is or has become, by itself or together with its Affiliates and Associates, a Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include:
(i) any Related Person; |
(ii) any Grandfathered Person, provided that if the Percentage Stock Ownership of any Person that had qualified as a Grandfathered Person ceases to be at least 5.0%, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person until such later time (if any) as the Percentage Stock Ownership of such Person is 5.0% or more, and then only if such Person does not qualify (A) for the exception in subsection (iii) of this Section 1(a), (B) as a Grandfathered Person pursuant to subsection (m)(ii) of this Section 1, or (C) in the case of any Person who was a Grandfathered Person pursuant to subsection (m)(i) of this Section 1, as a Grandfathered Person pursuant to subsection (m)(ii) of this Section 1, which shall be applied to such Person as if the Percentage Stock Ownership of such Person at the Amendment Effective Time had been less than 5.0%; and |
(iii) any Person that the Board determines, in its sole discretion, has, at or after the Amendment Effective Time, by itself or together with its Affiliates and Associates, inadvertently become a Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding (or has inadvertently failed to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person); provided that such Person promptly enters into, and delivers to the Company, an irrevocable commitment promptly to divest or cause its Affiliates and Associates to divest, and thereafter such Person or its Affiliates and Associates promptly divest (without exercising or retaining any power, including voting power, with respect to such Common Shares (or other securities the beneficial ownership of which by a Person also results in such Person beneficially owning Common Shares)), sufficient Common Shares (or other securities the beneficial ownership of which by a Person also results in such Person beneficially owning Common Shares) so that such Person’s Percentage Stock Ownership is less than 5.0% (or, in the case of any Person who or which has inadvertently failed to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person, Common Shares (or other securities the beneficial ownership of which by a Person also results in such Person beneficially owning Common Shares) in an amount sufficient to reduce such Person’s beneficial ownership of Common Shares by the number of Common Shares that caused such Person to so fail to qualify as a Grandfathered Person); provided further that any such Person shall cease to qualify for the exclusion from the definition of “Acquiring Person” contained in this subsection (iii) from and after such time (if any) as the Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, subsequently becomes a Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding (or fails to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person), unless the Person independently meets the conditions set forth in this subsection (iii) with respect to the circumstances relating to the Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, subsequently becoming a Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding (or failing to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person). |
(b) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall 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 and, to the extent not included within the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(b), shall also include, with respect to any Person, any other Person whose Common Shares are treated, for purposes of Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, as being (i) owned by such first Person (or by a Person or group of Persons to which the Common Shares owned by such first Person are attributed pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-2T(h)), or (ii) owned by the same “entity” (as defined in the second sentence of Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-3(a)(1)(i)) as is deemed to own the Common Shares owned by such first Person; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed to be an Affiliate or Associate of another Person solely because either or both Persons are or were directors or officers of the Company.
(c) “Amendment Effective Time” means the close of business on July 7, 2009.
(d) A Person shall be deemed a “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own,” any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly; |
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants, options, or other rights (in each case, other than upon exercise or exchange of the Rights); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed a 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; |
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(iii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has or shares the right to vote or dispose of, or has “beneficial ownership” (as defined under Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) of, including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing); or |
(iv) with respect to which any other Person is a Beneficial Owner, if the Person referred to in the introductory clause of this Section 1(d) or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with such other Person (or any of such other Person’s Affiliates or Associates) with respect to acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company; |
provided, however, that the preceding provisions of this Section 1(d) shall not be applied to cause a Person to be deemed a “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security (A) solely because such Person has the right to vote such security pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy 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 (B) if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act; provided further, however, that nothing in this Section 1(d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities or member of a selling to group to be a Beneficial Owner of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in an underwriting syndicate until the expiration of 40 calendar days after the date of such acquisition, or such later date as the directors of the Company may determine in any specific case. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent not within the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(d), a Person shall be deemed a “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, any securities that are owned by another Person and that are treated, for purposes of Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, as being (x) owned by such first Person (or by a Person or group of Persons to which the securities owned by such first Person are attributed pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-2T(h)), or (y) owned by the same “entity” (as defined in the second sentence of Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-3(a)(1)(i)) as is deemed to own the securities owned by such first Person.
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(e) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(f) “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Wisconsin are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(g) “close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Milwaukee, Wisconsin time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Milwaukee, Wisconsin time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(h) “Common Shares” means the shares of common stock, par value $1.00, of the Company.
(i) “Distribution Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
(j) “Exchange Act” has the meaning set forth in subsection (b) of this Section 1.
(k) “Expiration Date” means earliest of (i) Final Expiration Date; (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”); (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof; (iv) the repeal of Section 382 of the Code if the Board determines that this Agreement is no longer necessary for the preservation of the Tax Benefits; and (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward.
(l) “Final Expiration Date” means the close of business on August 17, 2012, subject to extension.
(m) “Grandfathered Person” means:
(i) any Person who does not qualify as an “Acquiring Person” (as defined in the Original Rights Agreement) immediately prior to the Amendment Effective Time and who at the Amendment Effective Time is a Beneficial Onwer of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares outstanding at the Amendment Effective Time; provided that any such Person shall cease to be a Grandfathered Person from and after such time (if any) as the Person’s Percentage Stock Ownership shall be increased from such Person’s lowest Percentage Stock Ownership on or after the Amendment Effective Time, other than any increase pursuant to or as a result of (A) an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company and/or (B) such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of additional Common Shares due solely to (x) such Person beneficially owning the Company’s 9% Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2063 (the “2063 Debentures”) immediately prior to the Amendment Effective Time and (y) during the period thereafter in which the 2063 Debentures then beneficially owned continue to be beneficially owned by such Person, the occurrence of one or more 2063 Debenture Adjustment Events (as such term is defined at the end of this Section 1(m)); and |
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(ii) any Person who (x) at the Amendment Effective Time is not a Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares outstanding at the Amendment Effective Time and (y) if the definition of Acquiring Person did not include an exclusion for any Grandfathered Person, would qualify as an Acquiring Person after the Amendment Effective Time as a result of (I) an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company and/or (II) such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of additional Common Shares due solely to the occurrence of one or more 2063 Debenture Adjustment Events during the period in which 2063 Debentures are beneficially owned by such Person; provided that any such Person shall cease to be a Grandfathered Person from and after such time (if any) as the Person’s Percentage Stock Ownership shall be increased from such Person’s lowest Percentage Stock Ownership on or after the date of the first occurrence of any event described in clause (I) or (II), other than any increase pursuant to or as a result of (A) an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company and/or (B) such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of additional Common Shares due solely to the occurrence of one or more 2063 Debenture Adjustment Events during the period in which 2063 Debentures are beneficially owned by such Person. |
If any Person that had qualified as a Grandfathered Person ceases to so qualify, then for purposes of Section 1(a) such Person and such Person’s Affiliates and Associates shall be deemed to have become, as of the time the Person ceased to qualify as a Grandfathered Person, a Beneficial Owner of the Common Shares that such Person and such Person’s Affiliates and Associates then beneficially own. For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the qualifications and exceptions in subsections (m) (i) and (ii) of this Section 1 with respect to 2063 Debenture Adjustment Events do not apply to Common Shares attributable to 2063 Debenture Adjustment Events that are delivered and beneficially owned on conversion of 2063 Debentures. “2063 Debenture Adjustment Events” means each of (x) effective as of each date on which the interest so deferred would have been due and payable in the absence of such deferral, the Company deferring the payment of interest on the 2063 Debentures, (y) effective as of each date on which such compounded interest accrues, compounded interest on account of such a deferral, and (z) an increase pursuant to the terms of the 2063 Debentures in the number of Common Shares that are deliverable on conversion of the 2063 Debentures. Changes in the average price per Common Share that affect the number of Common Shares deliverable on conversion of the 2063 Debentures shall be considered adjustments under the immediately preceding clause (z).
(n) “Percentage Stock Ownership” of a Person means the percentage calculated by dividing (i) the number of Common Shares as to which the Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, is a Beneficial Owner, divided by (ii) the number of Common Shares then outstanding.
(o) “Person” means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, trust, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, governmental entity, or other entity, or any group of any one or more of the foregoing making a “coordinated acquisition” of shares or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.382-3(a)(1)(i) and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of any such entity.
(p) “Redemption Date” has the meaning set forth in subsection (k) of this Section 1.
(q) “Related Person” means the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company (in each case including, without limitation, in any fiduciary capacity), any employee benefit plan or compensation arrangement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding Common Shares to the extent organized, appointed or established by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan or compensation arrangement.
(r) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(s) “Shares Acquisition Date” means the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act), by the Company or a Person or an Affiliate of the Person, (i) that the Person has become an Acquiring Person or (ii) of information that leads the Board to conclude that the Person has become an Acquiring Person.
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(t) “Subsidiary” of any Person means any other Person of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power, in the absence of contingencies, to elect a majority of the board of directors or other Persons performing similar functions are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such first Person.
(u) “Tax Benefits” means the net operating loss carryovers, capital loss carryovers, general business credit carryovers, alternative minimum tax credit carryovers and foreign tax credit carryovers, as well as any loss or deduction attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(v) “Treasury Regulation” means a final, proposed or temporary regulation of the U.S. Department of Treasury promulgated under the Code.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Company’s Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of any Person to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will 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) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares; provided, however, that if a tender or exchange offer is terminated prior to the occurrence of a Distribution Date, then no Distribution Date shall occur as a result of such tender or exchange offer. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, 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 A hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share of the Company so held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
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(b) The Company has prepared a Summary of Rights to Purchase Common Shares, attached as Exhibit B hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), a copy of which is available free of charge from the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof. Until the Distribution Date (or the Expiration Date, if earlier), 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, certificates for reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c) and certificates issued on the transfer of Common Shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend in substantially the following form (provided, however, that certificates for Common Shares in existence on the date of this Agreement may bear the legend required by the Original Rights Agreement):
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement between MGIC Investment Corporation and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, dated as of July 7, 2009, and as such agreement may be amended (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 MGIC Investment Corporation. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. MGIC Investment Corporation will 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 set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or beneficially owned by, an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether beneficially owned by such person or any subsequent holder, shall 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 which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Common Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit A 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 Common Shares as shall be set forth therein at the purchase price per Common Share set forth therein, but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon exercise of each Right and such purchase price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein (such purchase price, as so adjusted, the “Purchase Price”).
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Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent manually or by facsimile and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company. 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, shall be 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.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its principal office, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been redeemed or exchanged pursuant to Section 23 or Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of Common Shares as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the Rights Agent. 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 Right Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a 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 Company will 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.
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Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Each Right shall be exercisable to purchase one-half of one Common Share of the Company, subject to further adjustment as provided herein. 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 the principal office of the Rights Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each Common Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the Expiration Date; provided, however, that if the number of Rights exercised would entitle the holder thereof to receive any fraction of a Common Share greater than one-half of a Common Share, then the holder thereof shall not be entitled to exercise such Rights unless such holder concurrently purchases from the Company (and in such event the Company shall sell to such holder), at a price in proportion to the Purchase Price, an additional fraction of a Common Share which, when added to the number of Common Shares to be received upon such exercise, will equal an integral number of Common Shares.
(b) The Purchase Price for each full Common Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $25.00 (equivalent to $12.50 for each one-half of one Common Share), shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the Common 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, as set forth below, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the Common Shares certificates for the number of Common 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 Common 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. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made by certified check, cashier’s check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, except that, if so provided by the Board, the payment of the Purchase Price following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as hereinafter defined) may be made wholly or in part by delivery of a certificate or certificates (with appropriate stock powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a number of Common Shares equal to the then Purchase Price divided by the closing price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Common Share on the Trading Day (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately preceding the date of such exercise. If the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.
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(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action with respect to a registered holder of a Right Certificate upon the occurrence of any purported transfer, assignment or exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate following the form of assignment or election to purchase set forth on the reverse of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer, assignment or exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of 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 Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. Subject to applicable law and regulation, the Rights Agent shall maintain in a retrievable database electronic records of all cancelled or destroyed Right Certificates that have been canceled or destroyed by the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall maintain such electronic records or physical records for the time period required by applicable law and regulation. Upon written request of the Company (and at the expense of the Company), the Rights Agent shall provide to the Company or its designee copies of such electronic records or physical records relating to Rights Certificates cancelled or destroyed by the Rights Agent.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares or any authorized and issued Common Shares held in its treasury the number of Common Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7.
(b) So long as the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all Common Shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
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(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares (except as otherwise provided by any corporation law applicable to the Company).
(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Common Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates for the Common Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates for Common Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have 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.
(e) If the Company determines that registration under the Securities Act is required, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts (i) to file, as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights, (ii) to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company shall also take such action as may be appropriate to ensure compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective or to qualify the rights, the exercise thereof or the issuance of securities upon the exercise thereof under state securities or blue sky laws. The Company shall issue a public announcement upon any such suspension stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement when the suspension is no longer in effect. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable for securities in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction has not been obtained, such exercise is not permitted under applicable law or a registration statement in respect of such securities has not been declared effective.
Section 10. Common Shares Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Common Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Common 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 Common Shares transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Common Shares transfer books of the Company are open.
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Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Common Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii). |
(ii) Subject to the following paragraph and Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any Person shall become an Acquiring Person (a “Section 11(a)(ii) Event”), each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to two times the then current Purchase Price per full Common Share multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of Common Shares as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying two times the then current Purchase Price per full Common Share by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date the Person became an Acquiring Person (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”). |
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From and after a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights that are or were beneficially owned by such 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 or 6 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. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this paragraph are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. |
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued (and not reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) over (2) the Purchase Price payable with respect to such Right (such excess, the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right (subject to the second paragraph of Section 11(a)(ii)), make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock, if any, which the Board has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares and which, in the written opinion of counsel addressed to such Board, may be issued without violating the representation in the sixth paragraph under the caption “Amendment of Articles of Incorporation to Authorize Preferred Stock” in the Company’s Proxy Statement for its 1998 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (such shares of preferred stock, hereinafter referred to as “common stock equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of any portion of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares might be authorized for issuance for exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to the last paragraph of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Shares shall be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any “common stock equivalent” shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such date. |
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(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares (or securities convertible into Common Shares) at a price per Common Share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Common Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Common Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Common 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, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Common 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 which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
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(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Common 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 (it is understood that without creating any implication that an increase of more than such amount would cause a dividend to fail to satisfy such standard, an increase of not to exceed one cent per share, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend of similar transaction occurring after the date hereof, shall not cause a dividend not to be a regular quarterly cash dividend) or a dividend payable in Common 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 shall be the then current per share market price of the Common Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, 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 Common Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Common 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 which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Common Shares is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (i) a dividend or distribution on such Common Shares payable in Common Shares or securities convertible into Common Shares, or (ii) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of Common Shares and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per Common Share. The closing price for each Trading Day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Shares 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 Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System (“Nasdaq”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares 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 Common Shares selected by the Board. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
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(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Common 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 Common Shares contained in this Section 11 and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 14 with respect to the Common Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 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 Common Shares (calculated to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Common Shares covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
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(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 Common Shares 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 Common Shares 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, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and 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 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of Common Shares which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the par value, if any, of the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable (except as otherwise provided by any corporation law applicable to the Company) Common Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such 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 shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Common Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Common Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Common Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, dividends on Common Shares payable in Common Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Common Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
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(n) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 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 a copy of such certificate and (c) mail (or, if deemed appropriate by the Board, make available at no charge) a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.
Section 13. [Reserved]
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on 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. 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 shall be used.
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(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise or exchange of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares equal to one-half of a Common Share or less upon the exercise of Rights, 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 Common Share. Any exercise of Rights that would entitle the holder thereof to receive any fraction of a Common Share greater than one-half of a Common Share shall be governed by Section 7(a) hereof. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares upon the exchange of Rights, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exchanged as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d) 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 right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under 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, 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, of the Common Shares), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such 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 will 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.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;
(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; and
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(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court or competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or other distributions or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Common Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Common 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.
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Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the 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 shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. 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, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter 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 the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President and by the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or any Assistant 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 shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be 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, 23 or 24, 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 Common Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares or other securities will, 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, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered 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 shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in, or act as the transfer agent for, any of the Rights, Common Shares or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
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Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 90 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares by registered or certified mail and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 90 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 by registered or certified mail and, if such removal occurs after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares are the same Person, the appointment of a successor transfer agent for the Common Shares shall without any further action be the appointment of such Person as successor Rights Agent. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent of the Common Shares are the same Person, notwithstanding the foregoing notice provisions, (a) prior to the Distribution Date, no notice of resignation or removal need be given to holders of the Rights, and (b) a resignation notice from, and a removal notice to, the Rights Agent shall be given upon such number of days’ notice as is specified in the agreement governing the Rights Agent’s services as transfer agent, as such agreement may be amended from time to time. If the Rights Agent and the transfer agent are not the same Person and the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 90 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 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) a legal business entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or the State of Wisconsin (or of any other state of the United States so long as such entity is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the State of New York or the State of Wisconsin), in good standing, having an office or agency in the State of Wisconsin or the State of New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, stock transfer or shareholder services powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million, or (b) an Affiliate of a legal business entity described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, 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.
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Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board 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. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale by the Company of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company (a) will, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities (other than Rights) issued prior to the Distribution Date that are exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, Common Shares and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary, appropriate or desirable by the Board, issue Right Certificates representing an equivalent number of Rights as would have been issued in respect of such Common Shares if they had been issued or sold prior to the Distribution Date, as appropriately adjusted as provided herein as if they had been so issued or sold; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate will be issued if, and to the extent that, in its good faith judgment the Board determines that the issuance of such Right Certificate could have a material adverse tax consequence to the Company or to the Person to whom or which such Right Certificate otherwise would be issued and (ii) no such Right Certificate will be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment otherwise has been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Rights may be redeemed by action of the Board pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 23 and shall not be redeemed in any other manner.
(b) The Board 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 $0.001 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 may be made effective at such time on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish.
24
(c) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; 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 the effectiveness of the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to subsection (b), 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 Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board 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 (which shall not include 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 shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after an Acquiring Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding. The exchange of the Rights by the Board may be made effective as such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Prior to effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Board may direct the Company to enter into a trust agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board shall approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by the Trust Agreement (the “Trust”) all of the Common Shares or common stock equivalents, to the extent applicable pursuant to Section 24(c), issuable pursuant to the exchange (and any cash in lieu of fractional shares), and all Persons entitled to receive shares pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such Common Shares or common stock equivalents (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such shares are deposited in the Trust and any cash in lieu of fractional shares) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (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 which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
25
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute common stock equivalents (as such term is defined in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) for some or all of the Common Shares exchangeable for Rights.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares or common stock equivalents 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 common stock equivalents for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Common Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of Common Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Common Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of Common Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Common Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with (other than a merger of a Subsidiary into or with the Company), to effect any share exchange with or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common 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 Common 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, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case a Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then (i) 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 include a brief summary of the Section 11(a)(ii) Event and the consequences thereof to holders of Rights.
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Section 26. Notices.
(a) 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 overnight delivery service or registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
MGIC
Investment Corporation 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000 Attention: Secretary |
(b) 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 overnight delivery service or registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Xxxxx
Fargo Bank, National Association Attn: Xxxxx Fargo Shareowner Services Manager of Account Administration 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xx. Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000-0000 |
(c) 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.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing Common Shares. From and after the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, that from and after the Distribution Date this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which reduces the then effective Redemption Price or moves to an earlier date the then effective Final Expiration Date. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
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Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, provided that nothing contained in this Section 30 will affect the ability of the Company under the provisions of Section 27 to supplement or amend this Agreement to replace such invalid, void or unenforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction with a legal, valid and enforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction.
Section 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 Wisconsin 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.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof. Any reference in this Agreement to a statutory or regulatory provision includes a reference to any successor provision thereof.
Section 34. Determinations and Actions by the Board. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (a) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (b) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement and any determination as to whether actions of any Person shall be such as to cause such Person to beneficially own Common Shares or to become an Acquiring Person). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (ii) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of the Company in good faith, shall (i) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (ii) not subject the Board of the Company to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
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Section 35. Book-Entry. Reference in this Agreement to certificates for Common Shares includes, in the case of uncertificated Common Shares, the balances indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Shares, and prior to the Distribution Date, any uncertificated Common Shares shall also evidence the associated Rights. Any legend required to be placed on any certificate for Common Shares may instead be included on any book-entry confirmation or notification to the registered holder of such Common Shares.
Section 36. Amendment and Restatement. This Agreement amends and restates the Original Rights Agreement in its entirety, effective at the Amendment Effective Time
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION | |
Attest: | |
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Xx. |
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx |
Title: Assistant Secretary | Title: Executive Vice President |
XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | |
Attest: | |
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxx |
By: /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx |
Title: Vice President | Title: Vice President |
30
EXHIBIT A | |
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- | _______ Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 17, 2012 (SUBJECT TO EXTENSION) OR EARLIER EXPIRATION OF THE RIGHTS AS PROVIDED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. |
Right Certificate
MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION
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 July 7, 2009, and as such agreement may be amended (the “Rights Agreement”), between MGIC Investment Corporation, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association (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., Milwaukee, Wisconsin time, on August 17, 2012, subject to extension, or earlier expiration of the Rights as provided under the Rights Agreement at the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one-half of one fully paid nonassessable (except as otherwise provided by any corporation law applicable to the Company) share of common stock, par value $1.00 (“Common Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $25.00 per Common Share (the “Purchase Price”) (equivalent to $12.50 for each one-half of a Common Share), 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 Common Shares which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of July 7, 2009, based on the Common Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of Common Shares which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the 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.
A-1
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, 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.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Common Shares. The Board may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, but prior to such Person’s acquisition of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, exchange the Rights evidenced by this Certificate for Common Shares, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, subject to adjustment, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof and subject to the following sentence a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement. No Rights may be exercised that would entitle the holder to any fraction of a Common Share greater than one-half of a Common Share unless concurrently therewith such holder purchases an additional fraction of a Common Share which, when added to the number of Common Shares to be received upon such exercise, equals an integral number of Common Shares, 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 Common Shares or of any other securities of the Company which 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 shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (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.
A-2
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of ____________, ____.
MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION | |
Attest: | |
_______________________________________ |
By:_______________________________________ |
Title:_____________________________________ | |
Countersigned: | |
XXXXX FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | |
By:_______________________________________ | |
Authorized Signature |
A-3
[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:____________, ____
____________________________________________ | |
Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
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 defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________________ | |
Signature |
A-4
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate — continued]
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if
holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate.)
To MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise__________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Common Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or
other identifying number
(Please print name and address) |
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or
other identifying number
(Please print name and address) |
Dated:____________, ____
____________________________________________ | |
Signature |
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States.
A-5
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate — continued]
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 defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________________ | |
Signature |
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election 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 defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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EXHIBIT B | |
MGIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO
PURCHASE
COMMON SHARES
On July 22, 1999, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of MGIC Investment Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, $1.00 par value (the “Common Shares”), of the Company. The dividend was payable on August 9, 1999 to the shareholders of record on that date (the “Record Date”). Giving effect to the Rights Agreement referred to below, each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one-half of one Common Share, at a price of $25.00 per Common Share (equivalent to $12.50 for each one-half of a Common Share), subject to adjustment (the “Purchase Price”). The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person has become an Acquiring Person or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) prior to such time as any person becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in a person becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate. An Acquiring Person is any Person that becomes, by itself or together with its Affiliates and Associates, a beneficial owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but will not include:
(i) the Company, its subsidiaries and certain benefit plans of the Company and its subsidiaries; |
(ii) any of certain “grandfathered” persons (“Grandfathered Persons”) that would otherwise be Acquiring Persons as of the effective time of the amendment (as described in the Rights Agreement) and that continue to qualify for this status; and |
(iii) any person who or which the Board determines, in its sole discretion, has inadvertently become a beneficial owner of 5.0% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding (or has inadvertently failed to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person), provided such person promptly enters into, and delivers to the Company, an irrevocable commitment promptly to divest or cause its affiliates and associates to divest, and thereafter such person or its affiliates and associates promptly divest (without exercising or retaining any power, including voting, with respect to such Common Stock), sufficient Common Shares so that the percentage stock ownership of such person and its affiliates and associates is less than 5.0% (or, in the case of any person who or which has inadvertently failed to continue to qualify as a Grandfathered Person, the Common Shares that caused such person to so fail to qualify as a Grandfathered Person). |
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The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new issuance of Common Shares, will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares, outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on the earliest to occur of (i) August 17, 2012 (the “Final Expiration Date”); (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in the Rights Agreement; (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged provided in the Rights Agreement; (iv) the repeal of Section 382 if the Board determines that the Rights Agreement is no longer necessary for the preservation of the net operating loss carryovers, other tax carryovers and tax benefits of the Company and its subsidiaries that would have been affected by such section (the “Tax Benefits”); and (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Common Shares or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Common Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Common Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at a price, or securities convertible into Common Shares with a conversion price, less than the then current market price of the Common Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Common Shares of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends or dividends payable in Common Shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person (a “Flip-In Event”), each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided in the Rights Agreement) will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise that number of Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances cash, property or other securities of the Company or a reduction in the Purchase Price) having a market value of two times the then current Purchase Price. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of a Flip-In Event all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, or subsequently become beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person, related persons and transferees will be null and void.
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With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional Common Shares will be issued in connection with the exercise or exchange of Rights.
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by any Acquiring Person which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares equal to one-half of a Common Share or less upon the exercise of Rights, the Company will pay cash with an equivalent value based on the market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise. No Rights may be exercised that would entitle the holder thereof to any fractional Common Share greater than one-half of a Common Share unless concurrently therewith such holder purchases an additional fraction of a Common Share which when added to the number of Common Shares to be received upon such exercise, equals an integral number of Common Shares. In lieu of issuing fractional Common Shares upon the exchange of Rights, the Company will pay cash with an equivalent value based on the market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of exchange.
The Purchase Price is payable by certified check, cashier’s check, bank draft or money order or, if so provided by the Company, the Purchase Price following the occurrence of a Flip-In Event may be paid in Common Shares having an equivalent value.
At any time prior to a person becoming an Acquiring Person, the Board may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
Other than amendments that would change the Redemption Price or move to an earlier date the Final Expiration Date, the terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights, except that from and after the Distribution Date no such amendment may adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
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