Exhibit 4.4
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CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
and
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C., as
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of November 30, 1998
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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Section 1. Certain Definitions.............................................2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.....................................8
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.....................................8
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.....................................13
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration..............................13
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Right Certificates......................................15
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.................................................17
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.............19
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares...............................20
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date...................................21
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares
or Number of Rights............................................22
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or
Number of Shares...............................................39
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power........................................40
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares........................42
Section 15. Rights of Action...............................................45
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders.....................................46
Section 17. Right Holder Not Deemed a Shareowner...........................47
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent....................................47
Page
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Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name
of Rights Agent................................................49
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.........................................50
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.........................................55
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.............................57
Section 23. Redemption.....................................................57
Section 24. Exchange.......................................................59
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.......................................62
Section 26. Notices........................................................64
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.....................................66
Section 28. Successors.....................................................67
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement.....................................67
Section 30. Severability...................................................67
Section 31. Governing Law..................................................68
Section 32. Counterparts...................................................68
Section 33. Descriptive Headings...........................................68
Exhibit A - Form of Right Certificate
ii
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Agreement, dated as of November 30, 1998, between Conexant
Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and ChaseMellon
Shareholder Services, L.L.C. (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and
declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each
Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company to be issued in the
distribution of Common Shares of the Company (the "Spin-Off") by Rockwell
International Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Rockwell"), to Rockwell's
shareowners, each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of
a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the
conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the
issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share of the Company that
shall become outstanding between the effective date of the Spin-Off (the "Record
Date") and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the
Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person,
shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of
20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but
shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of
Rockwell, the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring
Person" as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company
which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the
proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 20%
or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided,
however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 20% or
more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of
share
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purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the
Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of
the Company (other than an acquisition that does not directly or
indirectly increase the proportionate share of the Common Shares of the
Company beneficially owned by such Person), then such Person shall be
deemed to be an "Acquiring Person". Notwithstanding the foregoing, if
the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a
Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person", as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become
such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable
a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person", as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed
to be an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a),
Rockwell shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as a result of
its ownership of capital stock of the Company prior to the Spin-Off.
3
(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.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and
shall be deemed to have "Beneficial Ownership" of and 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 has (A) the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with and
between underwriters and selling group members with respect to
a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other
than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial
Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant
to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until
such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or
exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person
shall
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not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own,
any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to
vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or
consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with,
the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the
Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor
report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any
of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements
5
with and between underwriters and selling group members with
respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent
contemplated by the proviso to Section l(c)(ii)(B)) or
disposing of any securities of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to
the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding", when used with reference
to a Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall
mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together
with the number of such securities not then actually issued and
outstanding which such Person would be deemed to own beneficially
hereunder.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such
date is not a Business
6
Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company
shall mean the shares of Common Stock (as such term is hereinafter
defined). "Common Shares" when used with reference to any Person other
than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with
the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person
is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, par value $1
per share, of the Company.
(h) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(i) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7 hereof.
(j) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or
other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise)
of such entity.
(k) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, without par value, of the Company having
the rights and
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preferences set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Company.
(l) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(m) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(n) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or
other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting
equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly,
by such Person.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 Board of
Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an
8
Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any Person (other than
the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first public
announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result in any Person becoming the Beneficial Owner
of Common Shares aggregating 20% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares
(the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"),
(x) the Rights will be attached to (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b)
hereof) the Common Shares (whether in book-entry, uncertificated or certificated
form) issued and outstanding and the Rights will be owned by the registered
holders of the Common Shares and will not be evidenced by separate Right
Certificates, and (y) any transfer of Common Shares (or any interest therein,
including the creation of a security interest) will also effect a transfer of
the associated Rights (or the equivalent interest therein) and
9
neither the Rights nor any interest therein may be transferred otherwise than by
transfer of the associated Common Shares (or the equivalent interest therein).
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 so held, subject, in the case of Common Shares held in uncertificated form
on the Distribution Date, to the rights provided by law to a registered pledgee
whose security interest has been duly registered with the Company. As of the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) Until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the
Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, certificates for Common Shares
shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them
substantially the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Rights
10
Agreement between Conexant Systems, Inc. and ChaseMellon Shareholder
Services, L.L.C., dated as of November 30, 1998 (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 Conexant Systems, Inc. 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. Conexant Systems, Inc. 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, as set
forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to any Person who becomes
an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) may become
null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the
Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, confirmations and account
statements sent to holders of Common Shares in book-entry form and initial
transaction statements relating to the registration, pledge or release from
pledge of Common Shares in uncertificated form shall have impressed on, printed
on, written on or otherwise affixed to them substantially the following legend:
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The shares of the Common Stock, par value $1 per share, of Conexant
Systems, Inc. to which this statement relates also evidence and entitle
the holder thereof to certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement
between Conexant Systems, Inc. and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services,
L.L.C., dated as of November 30, 1998 (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 Conexant
Systems, Inc. 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 the shares to which this statement
relates. Conexant Systems, Inc. will mail to the holder of the shares
to which this statement relates and any registered pledgee of
uncertificated shares a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge
after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to
any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) may become null and void.
With respect to Common Shares in book-entry form for which there has been sent a
confirmation or account statement and Common Shares in uncertificated form for
which there has been sent an initial transaction statement containing the
foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with such
Common Shares shall be evidenced by such Common Shares alone, and the
registration of transfer or pledge, or the release from pledge, of any such
Common Shares shall also constitute the registration of transfer or pledge, or
the release from pledge, as the case may be, of the Rights associated with such
Common Shares.
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(d) 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 canceled 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. Subject to the
provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates (and the forms of
election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the
reverse thereof) shall be substantially 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.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Right
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the
Board, any of its Vice
13
Presidents, or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall
have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be
attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either
manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be
countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature,
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; and any Right
Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, 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.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at an office designated for
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such purpose (the "Designated 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, DestroySection 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination
and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right
Certificates. Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after
the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of
business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final 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 exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right
Certificates, entitling the registered holder of the Rights evidenced thereby to
purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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
15
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 Designated 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.
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 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 (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24
hereof) shall initially entitle the registered holder thereof to purchase one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof. The purchase price (the "Purchase Price")
for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the
exercise of a Right shall initially be $75.00, and shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof and shall be
payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with
paragraph (c) below.
(b) 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 evidencing such Rights, with the form of election to purchase
on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the Designated
Office of the Rights Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each
one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at
or prior to the earliest
17
of (i) the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the Record Date (the
"Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at
which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(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 shares to be purchased and
an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder
of the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9
hereof by certified check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order
of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition
from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of
Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be
deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company
hereby directs the
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depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition
from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional
shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such
certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon
the order of the registered holder of the Rights evidenced by 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 the Rights evidenced by such Right
Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of the Rights evidenced by
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
Rights or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section
14 hereof.
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 canceled
form, or, if surrendered to the
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Rights Agent, shall be canceled 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. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates
to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such
canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of
destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares. The Company
covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of
its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its
treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7 hereof.
The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be
necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights
shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and
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validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights or the Right
Certificates or of any Preferred 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 Rights or Right Certificates to a person
other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts
for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of
the Rights evidenced by Right Certificates surrendered for exercise or to issue
or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon
the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax
being payable by the holder of such Rights at the time of surrender of the
related Right Certificates) or until it has been established to the Company's
reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date1. Each Person in
whose name any Preferred Shares are issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to
21
have become the holder of record of such Preferred Shares on, and the date of
issuance of such Preferred Shares and the date of any certificate for such
Preferred Shares shall be, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing
such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any
applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such
surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books
of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record
holder of such shares on, and the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares and
the date of any such certificate shall be, the next succeeding Business Day on
which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the
exercise of any Rights, the holder thereof shall not be entitled to any rights
of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable,
including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to
receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or
Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by
each Right and the
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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
Record Date (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred
Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the
outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D)
issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred
Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation
or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect
at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of
shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted
so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to
receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have
owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such
23
dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each registered holder of a Right shall
thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to
the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of
shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50%
of the then current per share market price of the Common Stock (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event.
In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and the Rights
shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would
eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
24
From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that
are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void and any holder of
such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any
provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to
Section 3 hereof that evidences Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person
(or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) whose Rights would be
void pursuant to the preceding sentence thereof and any Right Certificate
evidencing Rights beneficially owned by any such Acquiring Person (or any
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void; no Right
Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an
Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) whose
Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence 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 (or any
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) whose Rights would be void
pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be canceled.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares
of Common Stock issued but not outstanding
25
or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall take all such
action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for
issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good
faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
such additional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each
share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right,
a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share
market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is
equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock as of
the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record
date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same
rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares ("equivalent
preferred shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or
equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent
26
preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security
convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the
then current per share market price (as defined in Section 11(d)) of the
Preferred Shares on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the
number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so
to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator
of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date
plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred
shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible
securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may
27
be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than
cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Preferred Shares owned by or held for
the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of
any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are
not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making
of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred
to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior
28
to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then
current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date, less
the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of
the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so
to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one
Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable 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 be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then
be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current per share market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose
of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such Security for the
29
30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately
prior to but not including such date; provided, however, that in the event that
the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities
convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days
after but not including the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution,
or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then,
and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately
adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such
Security; and provided, further, that in the event that the current per share
market price of the shares of Common Stock is determined as of a date prior to
the expiration of 30 Trading Days following the Record Date, the current per
share market price of the Common Stock shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of Common Stock for the period of Trading Days
commencing with the Record Date and ending immediately prior to such date. The
closing price of a Security for each day shall be the last
30
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is
not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last
quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the The Nasdaq Stock
Market, Inc. National Market System ("Nasdaq") or such other system then in use,
or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors
of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal
national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to
trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not
31
listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business
Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in
accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred
Shares are not publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the
Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market
price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
(appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If
neither the shares of Common Stock nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or
so listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value
per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required
unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in
the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried
32
forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations
under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or
security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section
11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than
the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires
such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any
Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled
to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred
Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise
of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on
terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the
Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Preferred Shares
shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price
33
hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to
time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as
provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number
of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution
for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the
34
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the
number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one
ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a
public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating
the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the
adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase
Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have
been issued, 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 registered holders of Rights
on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof,
the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as
35
a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be
distributed to such registered holders 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 registered holders of the Rights on the record date specified
in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued
may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share 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 one one-hundredth of the then par value, if
any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company
shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of
36
its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(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 registered holder of any Right exercised after such
record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the
Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares
and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment;
provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or
other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such
additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such 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
37
of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at
less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares
or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or
issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section
11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall
not be taxable to such shareowners.
(n) In the event that at any time after the Record Date and
prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (A) the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event
upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number
of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to
such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares
38
outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the
number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each
Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with
respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share outstanding
immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments
provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a
dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation
is effected.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13
hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common
Shares or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief
summary thereof to each registered holder of a Right in accordance with Section
25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such
certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall have no duty with
respect to and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment unless
and until it shall have received such a certificate.
39
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power. In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after
a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall consolidate with,
or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall consolidate with
the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such
merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for
stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any
other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned
Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so
that (i) each registered holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price
equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then
40
exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of
Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of such other Person (including
the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal
the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share
market price of the Common Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be
liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this
Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such
issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited
to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance
with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary
to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly
as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable
upon the exercise of the Rights. The
41
Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company
shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13
if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments
or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result
of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially
diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of
this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or
sales or other transfers.
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 Rights 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
42
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 of Directors of the Company. If on any such
date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of
the Rights
43
on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share).
Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a
depositary selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the
holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and
preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred
Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred
Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of
this Section
44
14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price
of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section
11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(c) 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
Rights and any registered holder of any Right, without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right, may, in his or her own behalf and for
his or her own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action
or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of,
his or her right to exercise the Rights registered in his or her name in the
manner provided in the Right Certificates 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
45
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 Rights are transferable
only on the registry books of the Rights Agent upon surrender of the
Right Certificates evidencing such Rights at the Designated Office of
the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument
of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the
person in whose name the Right is registered as the absolute owner
thereof (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Right Certificates evidencing such Rights or any certificate for the
associated Common Shares made by anyone other than the Company or the
Rights Agent) for all purposes
46
whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary, except as required by law.
Section 17. Right Holder Not Deemed a Shareowner. No holder,
as such, of any Right shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed
for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of
the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of such Rights,
nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to
confer upon the holder of any Right, as such, any of the rights of a shareowner
of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any
matter submitted to shareowners at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other
actions affecting shareowners (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until such Right or
Rights shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. The Company agrees to
pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements
47
incurred in the execution, delivery, administration and amendment of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement,
cost or expense, 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. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the
Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect, consequential or incidental loss
or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, without limitation, lost profits),
even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or
damage.
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 Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for
other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney,
48
endorsement, affidavit, letter, instruction, 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.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent. Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock
transfer or corporate trust powers 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 Person 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
49
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
the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
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 the Rights
evidenced by 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 only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement
upon the following terms and
50
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights, 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 any one of the Chairman of the Board, any Vice
President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered
to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization
to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by
it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
51
(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 execution 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, 13, 23
52
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 Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this
Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred
Shares 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, any Vice
President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply
53
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 shareowner, affiliate, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of
the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily
interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested,
or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully
and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement.
Nothing herein 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,
54
default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised
in the selection and continued employment thereof.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Rights by first-class mail.
The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30
days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent,
as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred
Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the registered holders of the
Rights by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or
shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a
successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or
after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the
resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the registered holder of a Right
(who shall, with such notice, submit his or her Right Certificate, if any, or
his
55
or her certificate, if any, for the associated Common Shares 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 Person, or an affiliate of such a Person, organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business as a banking institution in the State of New York), in good
standing, having an office in the State of New York, which is authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to
supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the
time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50 million. 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
56
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 or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Rights. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Right
Certificates to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right
Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of
Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the
number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable
upon exercise of a Right made in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement.
Section 23. Redemption. (a) The Board of Directors of the
Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes
an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then
57
outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter
referred to as the "Redemption Price"). The redemption of the Rights by the
Board of Directors of the Company may be made effective at such time, on such
basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion
may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of
the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights 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 such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of
redemption to all the registered 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
58
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 of Directors of the
Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights
(which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions
of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of
one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the Record Date
(such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio").
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to
effect such exchange at any time after the Record Date if any Person (other than
the Company, any
59
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of Rockwell, the Company or
any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then
outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of
the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock
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 shall
promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the registered 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
60
exchange of the shares of Common Stock 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.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of
Common Stock 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
shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event
the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as
may be necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the
Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be
issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction
thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share
multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market
price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such Preferred
Shares or fraction thereof.
61
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the
Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights with regard to which
such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of
Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value
of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common
Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof)
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. (a) In case at any time
after the Record Date the Company shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable
in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any
other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular
quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares
rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred
Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or
options, (iii) to effect any
62
reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect
any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other
transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or
other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any
other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in
Common Shares or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the
Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in
Common Shares), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each
registered holder of a Right, 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, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, if any such
date is to be fixed,
63
and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause
(i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining
holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of
any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such
proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the
Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each registered holder of a Right, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event
and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Conexant Systems, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
64
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 to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in
writing with the Company) as follows:
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.
0 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Manager of Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right 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 or the registry books of the holders of the Rights maintained by the
Rights Agent after the Distribution Date as herein provided. Any notice or
demand given prior to the Distribution Date by the Company or the Rights Agent
to the holders of the Rights shall also be given to any registered pledgee of
any uncertificated Common Share by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed
to such registered pledgee at the address of such registered pledgee as shown on
the registry books of the Company.
65
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. The Company may from
time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Rights in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to the Rights or
in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder which the Company may deem
necessary or desirable, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a
writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that
nothing herein shall obligate the Rights Agent to execute such a supplement or
amendment if such supplement or amendment changes or increases the rights,
duties or obligations of the Rights Agent; and further provided that from and
after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall
not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the
holders of Rights. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time
prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this
Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a) to not
less than the greater of (i) the sum of .001% and the largest percentage of the
outstanding Common Shares then known by the Company to be beneficially owned by
66
any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of Rockwell, the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any
entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) and
(ii) 10%.
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 or corporation other than the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights 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 Rights.
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
67
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated.
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 Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall
not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
68
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.
CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
Attest:
By /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, XX By /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
---------------------------- --------------------------------
Assistant Secretary Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER
SERVICES, L.L.C., as Rights Agent
Attest:
By /s/ Xxx Lug By /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
---------------------------- --------------------------------
Vice President Vice President
69
Exhibit A
---------
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- _____ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER ________, 2008 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION
OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT
$.01 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
This certifies that ________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Rights Agreement, dated as of November 30, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between Conexant Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. (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., New York City time, on , 2008 at
the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as
Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, without par value (the "Preferred
Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $75.00 per one one-hundredth of
a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of
this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise
thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number
and Purchase Price as of __________, 1998, based on the Preferred Shares as
constituted at such
A-1
date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise
of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification
and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the 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 Rights. Copies of the
Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company
and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right
Certificates, upon surrender at 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 Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If the
Rights evidenced by 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 Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a
redemption price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part
for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value $1 per
share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
A-2
No holder of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall
be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder
of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at
any time be issuable on the exercise thereof, nor shall anything contained in
the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder of any
Rights evidenced hereby, as such, any of the rights of a shareowner of the
Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to shareowners at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent
to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions
affecting shareowners (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided
in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of ____________.
ATTEST: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
____________________ By:______________________
Countersigned:
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C.
as Rights Agent
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 Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _______________________________ hereby
sells, assigns and transfers unto _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_____________________________________________________________ Rights evidenced
by this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________________ attorney,
to transfer the said Rights on the books of the within-named Company, with full
power of substitution.
Dated:________________
______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered
national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States, in each case, participating in a Medallion
program approved by the Securities Transfer Association, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate.)
To: Conexant Systems, Inc.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
___________________ Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to purchase the
Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that
certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
--------------------------------------
Please insert social security | |
or other identifying number | |
--------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of
such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
--------------------------------------
Please insert social security | |
or other identifying number | |
--------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: ____________
_______________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a
registered national securities exchange, a member of the
A-5
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or a
commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States, in each case,
A-6
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
------------------------------------------------------------------------
participating in a Medallion program approved by the
Securities Transfer Association, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Form of Assignment or Form of Election to
Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face
of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of
the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
A-7
