General Maritime Corporation and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT Dated as of August 31, 2006
Exhibit
3
General
Maritime Corporation
and
Mellon
Investor Services LLC,
as
Rights
Agent
AMENDED
AND RESTATED
Dated
as
of August 31, 2006
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Page
Section
1.
|
Certain
Definitions
|
1
|
Section
2.
|
Appointment
of Rights Agent
|
9
|
Section
3.
|
Issuance
of Rights Certificates
|
9
|
Section
4.
|
Form
of Rights Certificates
|
10
|
Section
5.
|
Execution,
Countersignature and Registration
|
11
|
Section
6.
|
Transfer,
Division, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates
|
12
|
Section
7.
|
Exercise
of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights
|
13
|
Section
8.
|
Cancellation
and Destruction of Rights Certificates
|
15
|
Section
9.
|
Reservation
and Availability of Preferred Stock
|
15
|
Section
10.
|
Preferred
Stock Record Date
|
17
|
Section
11.
|
Adjustments
to Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights
|
17
|
Section
12.
|
Certification
of Adjustments
|
24
|
Section
13.
|
Consolidation,
Merger or Sale or Transfer of Property, Assets or Earning
Power
|
25
|
Section
14.
|
Fractional
Rights and Fractional Shares
|
28
|
Section
15.
|
Rights
of Action
|
29
|
Section
16.
|
Agreement
of Rights Holders Concerning Transfer and Ownership of
Rights
|
30
|
Section
17.
|
Rights
Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder
|
30
|
Section
18.
|
Concerning
the Rights Agent
|
31
|
Section
19.
|
Merger
or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent
|
31
|
Section
20.
|
Duties
of Rights Agent
|
32
|
Section
21.
|
Change
of Rights Agent
|
34
|
Section
22.
|
Issuance
of New Rights Certificates
|
35
|
i
Section
23.
|
Redemption
|
35
|
Section
24.
|
Notice
of Certain Events
|
36
|
Section
25.
|
Notices
|
37
|
Section
26.
|
Amendments
and Supplements
|
38
|
Section
27.
|
Successors
|
39
|
Section
28.
|
Benefits
of this Agreement; Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors
|
39
|
Section
29.
|
Severability
|
39
|
Section
30.
|
Governing
Law
|
39
|
Section
31.
|
Counterparts
|
40
|
Section
32.
|
Descriptive
Headings
|
40
|
Section
33.
|
Grammatical
Construction
|
40
|
ii
AMENDED
AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Amended
and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of August 31, 2006, between General
Maritime Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic
of
the Xxxxxxxx Islands (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services
LLC.
R E C I T A L S
The
Board
of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared the payment of a
dividend of one preferred share purchase right (the “Right”) for each share of
Common Stock (as defined in Section 1) outstanding on the Record Date (as
defined in Section 1) and has authorized the issuance of one Right for each
share of Common Stock issued between the Record Date and the Distribution Date
(as such terms are defined in Section 1), and, in certain cases, following
the
Distribution Date. Each Right represents, as of the Record Date, the right
to
purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (as defined in Section
1) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set
forth.
In
connection with the authorization of the issuance of the Rights, the Company
and
Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent, entered into that certain Rights
Agreement, dated as of December 5, 2005 (the “Original Rights
Agreement”).
On
July
24, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Company unanimously determined to amend
and restate the Original Rights Agreement in its entirety.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements set forth
in this Agreement, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section
1. Certain
Definitions.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
indicated:
(a) (i)
“Acquiring
Person” means any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, is (or has previously been, at any time on or after
the date of this Agreement, whether or not such Person(s) continues to be)
the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Outstanding Common Stock (as defined
in
this Section 1). However, “Acquiring Person” shall not include any Exempt
Person.
(ii) A
Person
does not become an “Acquiring Person” solely as the result of (A) an acquisition
of Common Stock by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which, by reducing
the
number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares
Beneficially Owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Outstanding Common
Stock; or (B) such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of
the Outstanding Common Stock solely as a result of an Exempt Event; provided,
however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the
Outstanding Common Stock solely by reason of such a share acquisition by the
Company or the occurrence of such an Exempt Event and such Person shall, after
becoming the Beneficial Owner of such Common Stock, become the Beneficial Owner
of additional shares of Common Stock constituting 1% or more of the then
Outstanding Common Stock by any means whatsoever (other than as a result of
the
subsequent occurrence of an Exempt Event, a stock dividend or a subdivision
of
the Common Stock into a larger number
of
shares
or a similar transaction), then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring
Person”; or (C) the inadvertent acquisition of beneficial ownership of 15%
or more of the Common Stock of the Company if the Board of Directors determines
in good faith that such acquisition was inadvertent and such Person promptly
divests itself of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such
Person could no longer be an “Acquiring Person”; or (D) if such Person is an
Institutional Investor, such Institutional Investor becoming the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the Outstanding Common Stock solely by reason of such
Institutional Investor’s Regular Trading Activities; provided, however, that if
an Institutional Investor becomes the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the
then Outstanding Common Stock other than solely as the result of the events
described in clause (B) or (C) of this Section 1(a)(ii) (and in the case of
clause (C), such Institutional Investor promptly divests itself of a sufficient
number of shares of Common Stock as that it is no longer the Beneficial Owner
of
20% or more of the then Outstanding Common Stock), then such Institutional
Investor shall be deemed an “Acquiring Person;” or (E) such Person holds 15% or
more of the Outstanding Common Stock as of the date hereof provided that if
such
Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Stock
constituting 1% or more of the then Outstanding Common Stock by any means
whatsoever (other than as a result of the subsequent occurrence of an Exempt
Event, a stock dividend or a subdivision of the Common Stock into a larger
number of shares or a similar transaction), then such Person shall be deemed
to
be an “Acquiring Person;” or (F) the acquisition of Common Stock in a Qualified
Offer or following consummation of a Qualified Offer.
(b) “Affiliate”
of a Person has the meaning given to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this
Agreement.
(c) “Associate”
of a Person has the meaning given to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this
Agreement.
(d) Except
as
provided below, a Person is the “Beneficial Owner” of, and “Beneficially Owns,”
any securities:
(i) which
such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person Beneficially Owns,
directly or indirectly;
(ii) which
such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person has, directly or
indirectly, the right or obligation (whether or not then exercisable or
effective) to acquire pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise;
provided, however, that a Person will not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of,
or
to Beneficially Own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender offer made by
or
on behalf of such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person until
such
tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; and provided further,
that prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, a Person will not be deemed
the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities obtainable upon
exercise of the Rights;
2
(iii) which
such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person has, directly or
indirectly, the right (whether or not then exercisable or effective) to vote,
or
to direct the voting of, pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security pursuant
to
this clause (iii) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote, or
to
direct the voting of, such security (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy
or
consent given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made
pursuant to, and in accordance with, the Exchange Act and applicable rules
and
regulations thereunder and (B) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D
under
the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor schedule or
report);
(iv) which
such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person has “beneficial
ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act or any comparable or successor provision);
or
(v) which
are
Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person or any Affiliate
or Associate of such other Person with whom such Person or any Affiliate or
Associate of such Person has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting
(except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in subparagraph (iii) of
this
Section 1(d)) or disposing of any securities of the Company.
Nothing
in this Section 1(d) causes a Person engaged in business as an underwriter
of
securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “Beneficially Own,” any
securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of 40 days after the date of such
acquisition.
Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, for purposes of this Agreement,
no
Person is to be treated as the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,”
any securities owned by any other Person that is an Exempt Person.
(e) “Board
of
Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company, as the same is
constituted from time to time, or if the Company ceases to exist as a result
of
a Business Combination or otherwise, the board of directors of the Company’s
successor, if any.
(f) “Business
Combination” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(a).
(g) “Business
Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking
institutions in the States of New York and New Jersey are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
(h) “Close
of
Business” on any given date means 5:00 p.m., New York, New York time, on such
date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean
5:00 p.m., New York, New York time, on the next succeeding Business
Day.
(i) “Common
Stock” when used with respect to the Company and in any context applicable prior
to a Business Combination means the common stock, par value $.01 per share,
of
the Company (as the same may be changed by reason of any combination,
subdivision
3
or
reclassification of the Common Stock). “Common Stock” when used with reference
to any Person (other than the Company prior to a Business Combination) means
shares of capital stock of such Person (if such Person is a corporation) of
any
class or series, or units of equity interests in such Person (if such Person
is
not a corporation) of any class or series, the terms of which shares or units
do
not limit (as a fixed amount and not merely in proportional terms) the amount
of
dividends or income payable or distributable on such shares or units or the
amount of property or assets distributable on such shares or units upon any
voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person
and do not provide that such shares or units are subject to redemption at the
option of such Person, or any shares of capital stock or units of equity
interests into which the foregoing shall be reclassified or changed; provided,
however, that if at any time there are more than one such class or series of
capital stock of or equity interests in such Person, “Common Stock” of such
Person will include all such classes and series substantially in the proportion
of the total number of shares or other units of each such class or series
outstanding at such time.
(j) “Current
Market Price” per share of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares on
any date is the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common
Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares for the 30 consecutive Trading
Days
(as defined below in this Section 1(j)) ending on the last Trading Day
immediately prior to such date for the purpose of any computation under this
Agreement except computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii), and for
the
10 consecutive Trading Days immediately following but not including such date
for the purpose of any computation under Section 11(a)(iii); provided, however,
that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock,
Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares is determined during a period following
the
announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Shares of (i) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock, Preferred Stock
or Equivalent Shares other than a regular quarterly cash dividend, or (ii)
any
subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, Preferred
Stock or Equivalent Shares, 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 Market Price” shall be appropriately adjusted to
take into account such dividend, distribution, subdivision, combination or
reclassification. The closing price for each Trading Day shall be the last
sale
price, regular way, on such day, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, on such
day,
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 (“NYSE”) or, if the Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal United States national securities exchange on which
the
Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares are listed or admitted to
trading or, if the Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares are not
listed or admitted to trading on any United States national securities exchange,
the closing price quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if not so quoted, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market
on
such day, as reported by any National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
quotations system or such other system then in use. If on any such day the
Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares are not quoted by any such
system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day as furnished
by a professional market maker making a market in the Common
4
Stock,
Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares selected by a majority of the Board of
Directors shall be used (which selection shall be final, binding and conclusive
for all purposes). If on such day no such market maker is making a market,
the
fair market value of such shares on such day as determined in good faith by
a
majority of the Board of Directors or the Board of Directors of the issuer
of
such Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares must be used, which
determination must be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent
and
shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes. The term “Trading Day”
means a day on which the principal United States national securities exchange
on
which the Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares are listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common
Stock, Preferred Stock of Equivalent Shares are not listed or admitted to
trading on any United States national securities exchange, but are traded in
the
over-the-counter market and reported by Nasdaq, then any day for which Nasdaq
reports the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, or
if
the Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares are not traded in the
over-the-counter market and reported by Nasdaq, then a Business Day. If the
Common Stock, Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares have not been so listed
or
admitted to trading for 30 or more Trading Days or traded in the
over-the-counter market and reported by Nasdaq for 30 or more Trading Days,
“Current Market Price” per share means the fair market value per share as
determined in good faith by a majority of the Board of Directors, whose
determination must be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent
and
shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes.
(k) “Distribution
Date” means the earlier of (i) the tenth Business Day after the Stock
Acquisition Date, (ii) the tenth Business Day after the Tender Offer Date and
(iii) the first date on which a Business Combination is deemed to occur. The
Board of Directors of the Company may, at its election, defer the date set
forth
in either of clauses (i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence to a specified later
date or to an unspecified later date to be determined by a subsequent action
or
event and shall provide the Rights Agent with prompt written notice
thereto.
(l) “Equivalent
Shares” means any class or series of capital stock of the Company, other than
the Preferred Stock, which is entitled to participate on a proportional basis
with the Preferred Stock in dividends and other distributions, including
distributions upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company.
In
calculating the number of any class or series of Equivalent Shares for purposes
of Section 11, the number of shares, or fractions of a share, of such class
or
series of capital stock that is entitled to the same dividend or distribution
as
a whole share of Preferred Stock shall be deemed to be one share.
(m) “Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor
statute.
(n) “Exchange
Date” means the time at which the Rights are exchanged pursuant to Section
11(a)(iv).
(o) “Exempt
Event” means with respect to any Person, the acquisition by such Person of
Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock of the Company solely as a result of the
occurrence of a Triggering Event and the effect of such Triggering Event on
the
last proviso of
5
clause
(ii) of the definition of Beneficial Owner, other than a Triggering Event in
which such Person becomes an Acquiring Person.
(p) “Exempt
Person” means (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii)
any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company,
and (iv) any Person holding Common Stock for any such employee benefit plan
or for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company pursuant
to
the terms of any such employee benefit plan.
(q) “Expiration
Date” means the Close of Business on December 5, 2010.
(r) “Institutional
Investor” means a Person who is principally engaged in the business of managing
investment funds for unaffiliated securities investors including, as part of
such Person’s duties as agent for fully managed accounts, holding or exercising
voting or dispositive power over shares of Common Stock.
(s) “Outstanding
Common Stock” shall be determined in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act
(or
any successor or comparable provision); provided, however, that any such
calculation made for purposes of determining the particular percentage of
outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner
shall also include any such other securities not then actually issued and
outstanding which such Person would be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of,
or
to Beneficially Own, pursuant to Section 1(d).
(t) “Person”
means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
joint venture, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity,
and shall include any “group” as that term is used in Rule 13d-5(b) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (or any successor
provision).
(u) “Preferred
Stock” means the Company’s Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01
per share, having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of
Designation, Preferences and Rights of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock attached hereto as Exhibit A.
(v) “Principal
Party” means (i) in the case of any Business Combination described in clause
(i), (ii) or (iii) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), (A) the Person that
is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company
are converted or for which they are exchanged in such Business Combination
or,
if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer of the Common Stock which
has
the greatest aggregate market value or (B) if no securities are so issued,
the
Person that survives or results from such Business Combination or, if there
is
more than one such Person, the Person the Common Stock of which has the greatest
aggregate market value; and (ii) in the case of any Business Combination
described in clause (iv) of the first sentence in Section 13(a), the Person
that
receives the greatest portion of the property, assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such Business Combination or, if each Person that is
a
party to such Business Combination receives the same portion of the property,
assets or earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest
portion of the assets or earning power cannot reasonably be determined,
whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the
6
Common
Stock which has the greatest aggregate market value; provided, however, that
in
any such case, if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has
not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act and such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of one or more other Persons, then (A) “Principal Party” refers to
whichever of such other Persons has Common Stock that is and has been
continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12
of
the Exchange Act; (B) if the Common Stocks of two or more of such other Persons
are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” refers to whichever of such
other Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock which has the greatest aggregate
market value; or (C) if the Common Stock of none of such other Persons has
been
so registered, “Principal Party” refers to whichever of such other Persons
(other than an individual) is the Person which has the equity securities with
the greatest aggregate market value. In case such Person is owned, directly
or
indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned,
directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth above apply
to
each of the chains of ownership having an interest in such joint venture as
if
such Person were a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers and the
Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear the obligations set forth in
Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or indirect interests in such
Person bear to the total of such interests.
(w) “Purchase
Price” with respect to each Right is initially $175.00 per one one-hundredth of
a share of Preferred Stock, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time
as
provided in Sections 11 and 13, and shall be payable in lawful money of the
United States of America in cash or by certified check or bank draft payable
to
the order of the Company.
(x) “Qualified
Offer” means an offer to purchase Common Stock that satisfies each of the
following conditions: (i) the Person making the offer shall have publicly
announced a tender offer, or a bona fide intention to conduct a tender offer,
for all outstanding shares of Common Stock; (ii) the consideration offered
shall
be all cash, and such consideration shall be equal for all holders of Common
Stock; (iii) the offer shall be subject to the non-waivable condition that
the
Person making the offer will beneficially own a majority of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock upon consummation of the offer and shall provide that
the
Person making the offer irrevocably commits that, if the offer is consummated,
holders who do not tender their shares in the offer will receive the offer
consideration in a merger to be completed as promptly as practicable following
consummation of the offer; (iv) the Person making the offer shall indicate
the
source of financing for the offer and that such financing is unconditionally
available to consummate the offer; (v) the Person making the offer shall have
made a filing under Section 14A or 14(d) of the Exchange Act setting forth
the
information in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above; (vi) the Person making
the offer is not an Acquiring Person at the time the offer is first made and
shall not have become an Acquiring Person; and (vii) holders of at least 75%
of
the outstanding Common Stock shall have stated in a writing delivered to the
Secretary of the Company that the offer should be deemed a Qualified Offer
under
this Agreement.
(y) “Record
Date” means the Close of Business on December 7, 2005.
(z) “Redemption
Date” means the time at which the Rights are scheduled to be redeemed as
provided in Section 23.
(aa) “Redemption
Price” has the meaning given to such term in Section 23.
7
(bb) “Regular
Trading Activities” means trading activities undertaken in the Institutional
Investor’s normal course of business and not for the purpose of exercising,
either alone or in concert with any other Person, power to direct or cause
the
direction of the management and policies of the Company.
(cc) “Rights
Agent” means (i) Mellon Investor Services LLC, (ii) its successor or replacement
as provided in Sections 19 and 21 hereof or (iii) any co-Rights Agent appointed
by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof.
(dd) “Securities
Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor
statute.
(ee) “Stock
Acquisition Date” means the first date (including, without limitation, any such
date which is on or after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance
of the Rights) of public disclosure by the Company, an Acquiring Person or
otherwise that a Person has become an Acquiring Person.
(ff) “Subsidiary”
has the meaning given to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this
Agreement.
(gg) “Tender
Offer Date” means the date of commencement or public disclosure of an intention
to commence (including any such commencement or public disclosure which occurs
on or after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights)
a tender offer by a Person if, after acquiring the maximum number of securities
sought pursuant to such offer, such Person, or any Affiliate or Associate of
such Person, would be an Acquiring Person.
(hh) “Triggering
Event” occurs when a Person becomes an Acquiring Person.
8
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, upon ten (10) days’
prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty
to
supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any
such co-Rights Agents.
Section
3. Issuance
of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until
the
Distribution Date: (i) the Rights shall be issued in respect of and shall be
evidenced by the certificates representing the shares of Common Stock issued
and
outstanding on the Record Date and shares of Common Stock issued or which become
outstanding after the Record Date and prior to the earliest of the Distribution
Date, the Redemption Date, the Exchange Date and the Expiration Date (which
certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed to also be certificates evidencing
the Rights), and not by separate certificates; (ii) the registered holders
of
such shares of Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the Rights
associated with such shares; and (iii) the Rights shall be transferable only
in
connection with the transfer of shares of Common Stock and the surrender for
transfer of any certificate for such shares of Common Stock shall also
constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the shares
of Common Stock represented thereby. As soon as practicable after the Company
has notified the Rights Agent of the occurrence of the Distribution Date, the
Company will prepare and execute, and the Company will deliver to the Rights
Agent to be countersigned, which the Rights Agent shall do, and the Company
shall send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if so requested
by
written notice, and provided with a shareholder list and all other relevant
information which the Rights Agent may request, send) by first-class, insured,
postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close
of Business on the Distribution Date, as shown by the records of the Company,
at
the address of such holder shown on such records, one or more certificates
evidencing the Rights (“Rights Certificates”), in substantially the form of
Exhibit B hereto, evidencing one Right (as adjusted from time to time pursuant
to this Agreement) for each share of Common Stock so held. From and after the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights
Certificates. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share
of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(o), at the time of
distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company may make the necessary
and
appropriate adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a)) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and
cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. The
Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence
of
the Distribution Date. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the
Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution
Date has not occurred.
(b) On
the
Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a
copy
of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock, in substantially the form
of
Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid
mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on
the
Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of
any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of
the
Company. With respect to certificates for Common Stock outstanding as of the
Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by
such
certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with the
Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption
Date and the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate
for
Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the
Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Stock represented thereby.
(c) Rights
shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock which are issued or
sold by the Company after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the
Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, the Exchange Date or the Expiration
Date. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock
by
the Company following the Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of the
Redemption Date, the Exchange Date or the Expiration Date, the Company shall,
with respect to Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise
of
stock options issued prior to the Distribution Date or under any employee plan
or arrangement created prior to the Distribution Date, or (ii) upon the
exercise, conversion or exchange of securities issued by the Company prior
to
the Distribution Date, issue Rights and Rights Certificates representing the
appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided,
however, that (x) no such Rights and Rights Certificates shall be issued if,
and
to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance
would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificates would be issued; and
(y)
no such Rights and Rights Certificates shall be issued, if, and to the extent
that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the
issuance thereof. Certificates issued after the Record Date representing shares
of Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date or shares of Common Stock issued
after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the
Redemption Date, the Exchange Date and the Expiration Date shall have impressed,
printed, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend substantially in
the
following form:
This
certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights
as
set forth in a Rights Agreement between General Maritime Corporation and Mellon
Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent, dated as of August 31, 2006, as may
be
amended from time to time (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 General Maritime Corporation. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be
evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. General Maritime Corporation will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of
a
written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, Rights that were, are or become beneficially owned by
Acquiring Persons or their Associates or Affiliates (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void and the holder of any of
such
Rights (including any subsequent holder) shall not have any right to exercise
such Rights.
Section
4. Form
of Rights Certificates.
10
(a) The
Rights Certificates (and the form of election to purchase shares and the form
of
assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be in substantially
the
form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or
designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as
the
Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the rights, duties or
obligations of the Rights Agent as set forth in this Agreement) and as are
not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any 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 any securities association on whose interdealer quotation
system the Rights may be from time to time authorized for quotation, or to
conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Rights
Certificates, whenever issued, shall be dated as of the Distribution Date,
and
on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of
shares of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the Purchase Price
set forth therein, but the number and kind of such securities and the Purchase
Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in this Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, (i) any Rights Certificate issued
pursuant to this Agreement that represents Rights Beneficially Owned or formerly
Beneficially Owned, on or after the Distribution Date, by a Person known by
the
Company to be: (A) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person; (B) a direct or indirect transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or
of an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) who becomes or becomes
entitled to be a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such; or (C)
a
direct or indirect transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of an Associate or
Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) who becomes or becomes entitled to be a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such
and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (x) a direct or indirect transfer
(whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or from an
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) to holders of equity interests
in such Acquiring Person (or to holders of equity interests in an Associate
or
Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) or to any Person with whom such Acquiring
Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights, or (y) a direct or indirect transfer which a majority of the Board
of
Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which
has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e); or (ii) any
Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Agreement upon transfer, exchange,
replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate Beneficially Owned
by
a Person referred to in this Section 4(b), shall contain, provided that the
Company has notified the Rights Agent that this Section 4(b) applies and to
the
extent feasible, the following legend:
The
Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned
by
a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
of
an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).
Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may
become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the
Rights Agreement.
Section
5. Execution,
Countersignature and Registration.
11
(a) Each
Rights Certificate shall be executed on behalf of the Company by the Company’s
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the
Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Company’s
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, either manually or by facsimile signature.
Each Rights Certificate shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent either
manually or, if permitted by the Company, by facsimile signature and shall
not
be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the
Company who shall have signed a Rights Certificate shall cease to be such
officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance
and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificate nevertheless may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered with the same force
and effect as though the Person who signed such Rights Certificate had not
ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be
signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who, at the actual date of the
execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company
to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this
Agreement any such Person was not such an officer.
(b) Following
the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of (i) written notice
of
the Distribution Date pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof, and (ii) a shareholder
list and all relevant information requested by the Rights Agent pursuant to
Section 3(a) hereof, the Rights Agent shall keep or cause to be kept, at its
office designated for such purposes, books for registration and transfer of
the
Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number
of
Rights evidenced by each Rights Certificate, and the certificate number and
the
date of issuance of each Rights Certificate.
Section
6. Transfer,
Division, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject
to the provisions of Section 14, at any time after the Close of Business on
the
Distribution Date and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earliest
of
the Redemption Date, the Exchange Date or the Expiration Date, any Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates may be transferred, divided, combined or
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling
the
registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Preferred Stock (or,
following a Triggering Event or a Business Combination, other securities, cash
or other property, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates surrendered entitled such holder to purchase immediately prior
to
such surrender. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, divide, combine
or
exchange any Rights Certificate shall make such request in writing delivered
to
the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates to be transferred, divided, 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 Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. As a condition to such
transfer, division, combination or exchange, the Company may require payment
by
the surrendering holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that
may
be imposed in connection therewith. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company
shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer
of
any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have
duly completed and executed the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional
12
evidence
of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or such former or proposed Beneficial
Owner) thereof or such Beneficial Owner’s Affiliates or Associates as the
Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request. The
Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under any
Section of this Agreement which requires the payment by a Rights holder of
applicable taxes and/or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such
taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Upon
receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory
to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate,
and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably
satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent
of
all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights
Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company
will
make and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent
for
countersignature by the Rights Agent and delivery to the registered owner in
lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated.
Section
7. Exercise
of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Each
Right shall entitle (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement) the
registered holder thereof, upon the exercise thereof as provided in this
Agreement, to purchase, for the Purchase Price, at any time after the
Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of the Expiration Date, the Exchange
Date or the Redemption Date, one one-hundredth (1/100) of a share of Preferred
Stock (or other securities, cash or other property or assets, as the case may
be, as provided herein), subject to adjustment from time to time as provided
in
Sections 11 and 13.
(b) The
registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced
thereby (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement) in whole or in part
(except that no fraction of a Right may be exercised) at any time after the
Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of the Expiration Date, the Exchange
Date or the Redemption Date, by surrendering the Rights Certificate, 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 share of Preferred Stock
(or other securities, cash or other property or assets, as the case may be,
as
provided herein) as to which the Rights are exercised.
(c) Upon
receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form
of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase
Price for each one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other property or assets, as the case may be, as provided
herein) to be purchased and an amount in cash, certified bank check or bank
draft payable to the order of the Company equal to any applicable tax or charge
required to be paid by the surrendering holder pursuant to Section 9(d), the
Rights Agent shall, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, thereupon
promptly (i)(A) requisition from any transfer agent for the Preferred Stock
(or
make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred
Stock) certificates for the total number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock to be purchased (and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests), or (B) if the Company
shall have
13
elected
to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise
of the Rights with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent
depositary receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a share
of
Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the
Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer
agent with the depositary agent) and the Company shall direct the depositary
agent to comply with such request; (ii) after receipt of such certificates
or
depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of
the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder; and (iii) if appropriate, requisition
from
the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional
shares in accordance with Section 14 and, promptly after receipt thereof, cause
the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Rights Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other
securities (including shares of Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or
distribute other property pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will make
all
arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property
are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to
comply with this Agreement.
(d) In
case
the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all
the
Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent
to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and
delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of
Sections 6 and 14.
(e) Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any Rights that are or were formerly
Beneficially Owned on or after the Distribution Date by (i) an Acquiring Person
or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person; (ii) a direct or indirect
transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of an Associate or Affiliate of such
Acquiring Person) who becomes, or becomes entitled to be, a transferee after
the
Acquiring Person becomes such; or (iii) a direct or indirect transferee of
an
Acquiring Person (or of an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person)
who
becomes, or becomes entitled to be, a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either
(A) a direct or indirect transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person (or from an Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person)
to
holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or to holders of equity
interests in any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) or to any
Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or an Associate or Affiliate of such
Acquiring Person) has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights, and (B) a direct or indirect transfer which
a
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company determines is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall, from and after the first occurrence
of a
Triggering Event and without any further action, be null and void and no holder
of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights
whether under this Agreement or otherwise; provided, however, that, in the
case
of transferees described in clause (ii) or clause (iii) of this Section 7(e),
any Rights beneficially owned by such transferee shall be null and void only
if
and to the extent such Rights were formerly beneficially owned by a Person
who
was, at the time such Person beneficially owned such Rights, or who later
became, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring
Person. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing when
this
Section 7(e) applies and shall use all
14
reasonable
efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and of Section 4(b)
are complied with but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have
liability to any holder of a Rights Certificate or to any other Person as a
result of the Company’s failure to make, or any delay in making (including any
such failure or delay by the Board of Directors of the Company), any
determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates
or transferees under this Section 7(e) or any other provision of this
Agreement.
(f) Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the
Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to the
registered holder of a Rights Certificate upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall
have
(i) duly and properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the
form
of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of
the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former or proposed Beneficial Owner)
thereof or the Affiliates or Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former
or
proposed Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably
request.
Section
8. Cancellation
and Destruction of Rights Certificates.
All
Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, division,
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 Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu therefor except as expressly permitted
by
the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent
for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section
9. Reservation
and Availability of Preferred Stock.
(a) The
Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available at all times out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred
Stock or its authorized and issued shares of Preferred Stock held in its
treasury (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Business
Combination, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or
other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock
and/or other securities held in its treasury) free from preemptive rights or
any
right of first refusal, a sufficient number of shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Business Combination, shares
of Common Stock and/or other securities) to permit the exercise in full of
all
Rights from time to time outstanding.
(b) The
Company further covenants and agrees, so long as the Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Business Combination, shares
of Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable upon the exercise of Rights
may be listed on any United States national securities exchange or quoted on
any
automated quotation system, to use its reasonable best efforts to cause, from
and after the time that the Rights become exercisable,
15
all
such
shares and/or other securities reserved for such issuance to be listed on such
exchange or quoted on such automated quotation system upon official notice
of
issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The
Company further covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may
be
necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Business Combination, shares of Common
Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon the exercise of Rights shall,
at
the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares and/or such other
securities (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable, freely tradeable, not subject
to liens or encumbrances, and free of preemptive rights, rights of first refusal
or any other restrictions or limitations on the transfer or ownership thereof,
of any kind or nature whatsoever.
(d) The
Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable
any
and all taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the original
issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or of any certificates for
shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the
case
may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required
to (i) pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer
involved in the issuance or delivery of any Rights Certificates or the issuance
or delivery of any certificates for shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities as the case may be) to a Person other than, or in a
name
other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing
Rights surrendered for exercise; or (ii) transfer or deliver any Rights
Certificate or issue or deliver any certificates for shares of Preferred Stock
(or Common Stock and/or other securities as the case may be) upon the exercise
of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax
or
charge being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of
surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s satisfaction that
no such tax or charge is due.
(e) The
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts (i) as soon as practicable
following the Distribution Date (provided the consideration to be delivered
by
the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with
Section 11(a)(iii)), to prepare and file a registration statement on an
appropriate form under the Securities Act with respect to the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights; (ii) to cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing; and
(iii) to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until
the earlier of (A) the date as of which Rights are no longer exercisable for
such securities or (B) the Expiration Date. The Company shall also use its
reasonable best efforts to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate
under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the
various states in connection with the exercise of the Rights. The Company may
temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days after the date
set forth in clause (i) of this Section 9(e), the exercisability of the Rights
in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall make a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent), as well
as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect (with
prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent). The Company shall notify
the
Rights Agent whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section
9(e), and send the Rights Agent a copy of the announcement. Notwithstanding
any
provision of this
16
Agreement
to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless
the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and
until a registration statement has been declared effective under the Securities
Act.
Section
10. Preferred
Stock Record Date.
Each
Person in whose name any certificate for shares of Preferred Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise
of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record
of the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case
may
be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon
which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and
payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made;
provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date
upon
which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the
case
may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed
to
have become the record holder of such shares (or Common Stock and/or such other
securities, as the case may be) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the
next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company
are
open.
Section
11. Adjustments
to Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights.
The
Purchase Price, the number and kind of securities, cash and other property
obtainable upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section
11.
(a) (i) In
the
event the Company shall at any time on or after the date of this Agreement
(A)
pay a dividend or make a distribution on the outstanding shares of Preferred
Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide (by a stock split
or
otherwise) the outstanding Preferred Stock into a larger number of shares,
(C)
combine (by a reverse stock split or otherwise) the outstanding Preferred Stock
into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any securities in a
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification
in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), then in each
such event the Purchase Price and the Redemption Price set forth in Section
23,
as each is in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or
distribution, or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock or
interests therein 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 or interests
therein which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date
and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open,
such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive
by
virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an
event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i)
and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i)
shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required
pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Upon
the
first occurrence of a Triggering Event, proper provision shall be made so that
each holder of a Right, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, shall
have the right to receive following the later to occur of the Stock Acquisition
Date and the
17
Distribution
Date, and the Company shall issue, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to
the
then-current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths
of a
share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of the number of one one-hundredths
of
a share of Preferred Stock or other securities receivable upon exercise of
a
Right prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event, such number of shares
of
Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the number of one-hundredths
of a
share of Preferred Stock or other securities for which a Right was then
exercisable (without giving effect to such Triggering Event) and (y) dividing
that product by 50% of the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on
the
date of the occurrence of the Triggering Event (such number of shares being
referred to as the “Adjustment Shares”); provided, however, that if the
transaction or event that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment
is also subject to the provisions of Section 13, then only the provisions of
Section 13 shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section
11(a)(ii). Upon the occurrence of such Triggering Event, the Purchase Price
required to be paid in order to exercise a Right shall be unchanged, and the
Purchase Price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect, and shall thereafter
mean, the amount required to be paid per share of Common Stock upon exercise
of
a Right.
(iii) In
lieu
of issuing shares of Common Stock in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii), the
Company may, if a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company determines
that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the interests
of holders of Rights, elect to, and, if the number of shares of Common Stock
which are authorized by the Company’s certificate of incorporation, but which
are not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights, are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of
the
Rights in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall take all such
action as may be necessary to authorize, issue or pay, upon the exercise of
Rights, cash (including by way of a reduction of the Purchase Price), debt
securities, property, assets or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares or units of shares of preferred stock)
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined (which determination
shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes) to have essentially
the
same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such equity securities
referred to herein as “Common Stock Equivalents), or any combination of the
foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the value of the Adjustment Shares
which otherwise would have been issuable pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), which
aggregate value shall be determined by a majority of the Board of Directors
(which determination shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes).
If a majority of the Board of Directors determines to issue or deliver any
equity securities (other than Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents), debt
securities and/or other property or assets pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii),
the value of such securities and/or property or assets shall be determined
by a
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of
a
nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by a majority of the
Board of Directors of the Company (which determination shall be final, binding
and conclusive for all purposes). If the Company is required to make adequate
provision to deliver value pursuant to the first sentence of this Section
11(a)(iii) and the Company shall not have made such adequate provision to
deliver value within ninety (90) days following the later to occur of the Stock
Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date (the “Substitution Period”), then
notwithstanding any provision of Section 11(a)(ii) or this Section 11(a)(iii)
to
the contrary, the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender
for
exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase
18
Price,
shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash,
which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the excess of the
value of the Adjustment Shares over the Purchase Price. If both Common Stock
and
cash are to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence, amounts of both
Common Stock and cash shall be delivered upon surrender of each Right in a
ratio
of Common Stock to cash that bears the same ratio as the total value of all
Common Stock to be delivered (as determined pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii))
bears to the total value of all cash to be delivered; provided, however, that
the Company may adjust such ratio to avoid issuing any fractional shares of
Common Stock so long as the method of adjustment is applied consistently to
each
holder of Rights entitled to receive value with respect thereto pursuant to
this
Section 11(a)(iii). To the extent that the Company determines that some action
is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this Section
11(a)(iii), the Company may suspend the exercisability of the Rights but in
no
event to a time later than the expiration of the Substitution Period. In the
event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended,
as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Adjustment
Share shall be the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on the
Stock Acquisition Date and the per share or per unit value of any Common Stock
Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock on such date.
(iv) A
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time and from time to time after the later to occur of the Stock Acquisition
Date and the Distribution Date, cause the Company to exchange, for all or part
of the then-outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights
that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)),
shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents 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 on or after the date
of
this Agreement (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the
“Exchange Ratio”). Any partial exchange shall be effected on a pro rata basis
based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become null and
void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)) held by each holder of Rights.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered
to
effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than an Exempt Person),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Outstanding Common Stock.
Immediately
upon the action of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering
the exchange of any Rights pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iv) 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 and/or Common Stock Equivalents
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 and, in addition, the Company shall promptly mail a notice of any
such
exchange to all of the holders of such Rights in accordance with Section 25;
provided, however, that the failure to give, any delay in giving or any defect
in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. Each such notice
of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Stock
or
Common Stock Equivalents for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. In the event
19
that
the
number of shares of Common Stock which is authorized but not outstanding or
reserved for issuance for a purpose other than exercise of the Rights is not
sufficient to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with
this Section 11(a)(iv), the Board of Directors of the Company shall take all
such action within its power as may be necessary to authorize additional shares
of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. The Company shall
not
be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or Common Stock
Equivalents or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares
of
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. In lieu of such fractional shares
of
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such
fractional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents would otherwise
be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the product derived by multiplying (x)
the
subject fraction, by (y) the last sale price of the Company’s Common Stock on
the fifth Trading Day following the public announcement of the exchange by
the
Company, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices on such day, in either case on a when issued basis
(taking into account the exchange), as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted
to
trading on the NYSE (or, if the Company’s Common Stock is not so listed or
traded, then as determined in the manner provided under the definition of
“Current Market Price,” adjusted to take into account the exchange). For the
purposes of this Section 11(a)(iv), the value of any Common Stock Equivalent
on
any date shall be the same as the value of the Common Stock, as determined
pursuant to the previous sentence, on such date.
(b) If
the
Company shall at any time on or after the date of this Agreement fix a record
date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to holders of Preferred
Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such
record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares
(or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock or
Equivalent Shares) at a price per share of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares
(or, in the case of a convertible or exchangeable security, having a conversion
or exchange price per share of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares) less than
the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date,
the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such record date, plus
the
number of shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be,
which the aggregate exercise, conversion and/or exchange price for the total
number of shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be,
which are obtainable upon exercise, conversion and/or exchange of such rights,
options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities would purchase
at
such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number
of
shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock or
Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, which may be obtained upon exercise,
conversion and/or exchange of such rights, options, warrants or convertible
or
exchangeable securities. In case such subscription price may be paid in a
consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the
value
of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by a majority of
the
Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in
a
written statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be final, binding and
conclusive for all purposes. Preferred Stock and Equivalent Shares owned by
or
held for the account of the Company or any Subsidiary of the
20
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 issued following
such
adjustment, the Purchase Price shall be readjusted to be the Purchase Price
that
would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In
case
the Company shall at any time on or after the date of this Agreement fix a
record date for the making of a distribution to holders of Preferred Stock
(including any such distribution made in connection with a reclassification
of
the Preferred Stock or a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
surviving corporation) of securities (other than Preferred Stock and rights,
options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities referred to in
Section 11(b)), cash (other than a regular periodic cash dividend at an annual
rate not in excess of: (x) 125% of the annual rate of the regular cash dividend
paid on the Preferred Stock during the immediately preceding fiscal year (or,
if
the Preferred Stock was not outstanding during such preceding fiscal year,
then
125% of the annual rate of the regular cash dividend paid on the Common Stock
during such year), or (y) in the event that a regular cash dividend was not
paid
on the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock) during such preceding fiscal year,
5%
of the Current Market Value of the Preferred Stock on the date such regular
cash
dividend was first declared), property, evidences of indebtedness, or assets,
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined
by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price per
share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as
determined in good faith by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the
Rights Agent and shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes) of
the
portion of such securities, cash, property, evidences of indebtedness or assets
to be so distributed in respect of one share of Preferred Stock, and the
denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price per share of Preferred
Stock on such record date. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not
made
following such adjustment, the Purchase Price shall be readjusted to be the
Purchase Price that would have been in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(d) Except
as
provided below, 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(d) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken
into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section
11 shall be made to the nearest cent, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth
of a
share of Common Stock, or to the nearest one hundred-thousandths of a share
of
Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(d),
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 and (ii) the Expiration Date.
(e) If,
as a
result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or Section 13(a), the
holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
securities of the Company other than shares of Preferred Stock, thereafter
the
Purchase Price and the number of such other securities so receivable upon
exercise of any Right shall be subject to
21
adjustment
from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable
to the provisions with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock contained in
this Section 11 and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 24
with
respect to the shares of Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such
other securities.
(f) All
Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to
the
Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted
Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities,
cash or other property purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of
the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided in this
Agreement.
(g) Unless
the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(h),
upon
each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of any calculation made
pursuant to Sections 11(a)(i), 11(b) and 11(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 share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one
hundred-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock) obtained by (i) multiplying
the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock covered by a
Right immediately prior to adjustment pursuant to this Section 11(g) by 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.
(h) The
Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price
or any adjustment to the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which a Right
may be exercised, to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of an adjustment
in
the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable
upon
the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment
of
the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to such adjustment. Each Right outstanding prior to such adjustment of
the
number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest
one hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
after such adjustment. The Company shall make a public announcement of its
election to adjust the number of Rights (with prompt written notice thereof
to
the Rights Agent), indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known
at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may
be
the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but,
if
the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days after the
date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon
each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(h) the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders
of
record of Rights Certificates on such record date a new Rights Certificate
evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the
Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record, in
substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment and upon surrender thereof (if required by
the
Company), new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates to be
so
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided
for in this Agreement (and may bear, at the option of the Company,
the
22
adjusted
Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record
of
Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public
announcement.
(i) Irrespective
of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number or kind of
shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates
theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price
per
one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock and the number of shares of
Preferred Stock which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued
hereunder.
(j) Before
taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price
below the then par value, if any, of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that
the
Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable one
one-hundredth shares of such Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(k) In
any
case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment be made effective
as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect (with prompt
written notice of such election to the Rights Agent) to defer until the
occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised
after
such record date the shares of Preferred Stock and other securities, cash or
property of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the
shares of Preferred Stock and other securities, cash or property of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect
prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver
to
such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s
right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or other
securities, cash or property upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment.
(l) 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
the
Board of Directors of the Company in its sole discretion shall determine to
be
advisable in order that any combination or subdivision of the Preferred Stock,
issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market
Price per share of Preferred Stock, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock
or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for Preferred Stock, stock dividends or issuance of rights, options
or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to
holders of its Preferred Stock, shall not be taxable to such
shareholders.
(m) The
Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with, (ii) merge with or into, or (iii)
directly or indirectly sell, lease or otherwise transfer or dispose of (in
one
transaction or a series of related transactions) property, assets or earning
power aggregating more than 50% of the property, assets or earning power of
the
Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to any other Person if (A) at
the
time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, transfer
or disposition there are any rights, warrants, securities or other instruments
outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or
otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded
23
by
the
Rights; (B) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such
consolidation, merger, sale, lease, transfer or disposition the shareholders
(or
equity holders) of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the
Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof or any of its Affiliates
or
Associates shall have received a distribution of Rights; or (C) the form or
nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the
exercisability of the Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such
consolidation, merger, sale, lease, transfer or disposition unless prior thereto
the Company and such other Person shall have executed and delivered to the
Rights Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance with this Section
11(m).
(n) The
Company covenants and agrees that, after the later to occur of the Stock
Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted
by
Section 11(a)(iv), 26 or 29(b), take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any
action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that
such action will, directly or indirectly, diminish or otherwise eliminate the
benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) Anything
in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if the Company shall at
any
time prior to the Distribution Date (i) pay a dividend or make a distribution
on
the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii)
combine (by a reverse stock split or otherwise) the outstanding Common Stock
into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issue any securities in a
reclassification of the Common Stock (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the surviving
corporation), then the number of Rights associated with each share of Common
Stock or (in a reclassification) each security then outstanding, or issued
or
delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, and the Purchase Price
under, and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
issuable in respect of, the Rights, shall be proportionately adjusted, so that
following such event one Right (with the Purchase Price and the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock proportionately adjusted
thereunder) shall thereafter be associated with each share of Common Stock
or
(in a reclassification) each security then outstanding, or issued or delivered
thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date. For example, if the Company
effects a two-for-one stock split of the Common Stock at a time when each Right
(if it becomes exercisable) would entitle the holder to purchase one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock for a Purchase Price of $”$100”,
then following such stock split each previous Right would be split into two
current Rights and thereafter each such current Right, upon becoming
exercisable, would (subject to further adjustment) entitle the holder to
purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock at a Purchase Price
of
1/2 x $”$50”.
Section
12. Certification
of Adjustments.
Whenever an adjustment is made or
any
event affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including, without
limitation, an event which causes Rights to become null and void)
occurs
as
provided in Section 11 or 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a
certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts
and
calculations accounting for such adjustment or describing such event, (b)
promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail or cause the Rights
Agent to mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate
(or, if no Rights Certificates have been issued, to each holder of a certificate
representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25.
24
Notwithstanding
the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to give such notice shall
not
affect the validity of or the force or effect of or the requirement for such
adjustment. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 11 or 13 shall be
effective as of the date of the event giving rise to such
adjustment.
The
Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on
any adjustment or
statement contained
therein and shall have
no
duty or liability with respect to and shall not
be
deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment or
event
unless
and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section
13. Consolidation,
Merger or Sale or Transfer of Property, Assets or Earning Power.
(a) A
“Business Combination” shall be deemed to occur in the event that, on or
following a Triggering Event, (i) the Company shall, directly or indirectly,
consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(m)
and
Section 11(n)) in a transaction in which the Company is not the continuing,
resulting or surviving corporation of such merger or consolidation; (ii) any
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies
with Section 11(m) and Section 11(n)) shall, directly or indirectly, consolidate
with the Company, or shall merge with and into the Company, in a transaction
in
which the Company is the continuing, resulting or surviving corporation of
such
merger or consolidation and, in connection with such merger or consolidation,
all or part of the Common Stock shall be changed (including, without limitation,
any conversion into or exchange for securities of the Company or of any other
Person, cash or any other property); (iii) the Company shall, directly or
indirectly, effect a share exchange in which all or part of the Common Stock
shall be changed (including, without limitation, any conversion into or exchange
for securities of any other Person, cash or any other property); or (iv) the
Company shall, directly or indirectly, sell, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge
(other than pledges in the ordinary course of the Company’s financing
activities) or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or one or more of its
Subsidiaries shall directly or indirectly sell, lease, exchange, mortgage,
pledge (other than pledges in the ordinary course of the Company’s financing
activities) or otherwise transfer or dispose of), in one transaction or a series
of related transactions, property, assets or earning power aggregating more
than
50% of the property, assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person (other than the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each and all of which comply with
Section 11(m) and Section 11(n)).
In
the
event of a Business Combination, proper provision shall be made so that each
holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price
equal
to the Purchase Price immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering
Event multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Triggering Event (without giving effect to the Triggering Event)
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Principal Party as shall be equal to the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the Purchase Price immediately prior to the first occurrence of
a
Triggering Event by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Triggering Event (without giving effect to the Triggering
Event), and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the Current Market Price per
share of the Common Stock of
25
such
Principal Party immediately prior to the consummation of such Business
Combination. All shares of Common Stock of any Person for which any Right may
be
exercised after consummation of a Business Combination as provided in this
Section 13(a) shall, when issued upon exercise thereof in accordance with this
Agreement, be duly and validly authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable,
freely tradeable, not subject to liens or encumbrances, and free of preemptive
rights, rights of first refusal or any other restrictions or limitations on
the
transfer or ownership thereof of any kind or nature whatsoever.
(b) After
consummation of any Business Combination, (i) the Principal Party shall be
liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Business Combination and without
the necessity of any further act, all the obligations and duties of the Company
pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) the term “Company” as used in this Agreement
shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, and (iii) such
Principal Party shall take all steps (including, but not limited to, the
reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock in accordance
with Section 9) in connection with such Business Combination as is necessary
to
ensure that the provisions of this Agreement shall thereafter be applicable,
as
nearly equivalent as practicable, in relation to the shares of its Common Stock
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.
(c) The
Company shall not consummate any Business Combination unless prior thereto
(i)
the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of
its
Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance (other than
shares reserved for issuance pursuant to this Agreement to the holders of
Rights) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this
Section 13; (ii) the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the
fulfillment of the Principal Party’s obligations and the terms as set forth in
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon
as
practicable on or after the date of such Business Combination, the Principal
Party, at its own expense, shall (A) prepare and file, if necessary, a
registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act with
respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights; (B) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement
to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Expiration Date; (C) deliver to holders of the Rights
historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its
Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration
on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act; (D) use its
reasonable best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the state securities or “blue sky”
laws of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate; (E) use its
reasonable best efforts to list the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on a United States national securities exchange; and
(F)
obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect
of
the Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of
outstanding Rights; (iii) the Company and the Principal Party shall have
furnished to the Rights Agent an opinion of independent counsel stating that
such supplemental agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the
Principal Party enforceable against the Principal Party in accordance with
its
terms; and (iv) the Company and the Principal Party shall have filed with the
Rights Agent a certificate of a nationally recognized firm of independent
accountants setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock of such issuer
which may be purchased upon the exercise of each Right after the consummation
of
such Business Combination.
26
(d) The
provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive Business
Combinations. In the event a Business Combination shall be consummated at any
time after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Rights which have not
theretofore been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable for the consideration
and in the manner described in Section 13(a). Following a Business Combination,
the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) shall be of no effect.
(e) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no adjustment to the
number of shares of Preferred Stock (or fractions of a share) or other
securities, cash or other property for which a Right is exercisable or the
number of Rights outstanding or associated with each share of Common Stock
or
any similar or other adjustment shall be made or be effective if such adjustment
would have the effect of reducing or limiting the benefits the holders of the
Rights would have had absent such adjustment, including, without limitation,
the
benefits under Sections 11 and 13, unless the terms of this Agreement are
amended so as to preserve such benefits.
(f) The
Company covenants and agrees that it shall not effect any Business Combination
if at the time of, or immediately after such Business Combination, there are
any
rights, options, warrants or other instruments outstanding which would diminish
or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
(g) Without
limiting the generality of this Section 13, in the event the nature of the
organization of any Principal Party shall preclude or limit the acquisition
of
Common Stock of such Principal Party upon exercise of the Rights as required
by
Section 13(a) as a result of a Business Combination, it shall be a condition
to
such Business Combination that such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, a reorganization) as may be necessary to ensure
that the benefits intended to be derived under this Section 13 upon the exercise
of the Rights are assured to the holders thereof.
(h) In
addition to, and without limiting, any other provision of this Section 13,
in
case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a transaction referred to
in
this Section 13 has provision in any of its authorized securities or in its
certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its
corporate affairs (or equivalent documents for a non-corporate Person), which
provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue
(other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13), in connection
with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to
in
this Section 13, Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then
Current Market Price per share or securities exercisable for, or convertible
into, Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than such then Current Market
Price, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax, charge or similar
provisions in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 13, then, in such event, the
Company hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate
any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party
shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement
providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have
been
cancelled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be
redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection
with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed
transaction.
27
Section
14. Fractional
Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractional Rights or to distribute Rights
Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, the Company may at its option pay to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with respect 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 a Right for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights
otherwise would have been issuable. The closing price for any Trading Day shall
be the last sale price, regular way, on such day, or, in case no such sale
takes
place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular
way,
on such day, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted
to
trading on the NYSE or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading
on
the NYSE, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal United States 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 United States national
securities exchange, the closing price quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market or,
if
not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market on such day, as reported by any National Association
of
Securities Dealers, Inc. quotations system or such other system then in use
or,
if on such day the Rights are not quoted by any such system, the average of
the
closing bid and asked prices on such day as furnished by a professional market
maker making a market in the Rights selected by a majority of the Board of
Directors of the Company (which selection shall be final, binding and conclusive
for all purposes). If on such day no such market maker is making a market in
the
Rights, the current market value of the Rights on such day shall be determined
in good faith by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent
and
shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes.
(b) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of
a
share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock). Fractions of shares of Preferred Stock 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 Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share
of Preferred Stock, the Company may at its option (i) issue scrip or warrants
in
registered form (either represented by a certificate or uncertificated) or
in
bearer form (represented by a certificate) which shall entitle the holder to
receive a full one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock upon the
surrender of such scrip or warrants aggregating a full one one-hundredth of
a
share of Preferred Stock, or (ii) pay to the registered holders of Rights
Certificates at the time such Rights Certificates are exercised as provided
in
this Agreement an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b),
the current market value of a share of Preferred Stock
28
shall
be
the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to
the
second sentence of the definition of “Current Market Price” in Section 1) for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock
or
Common Stock Equivalents or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. In lieu of such fractional
shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, the Company shall pay to
the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such
fractional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents would otherwise
be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the product derived by multiplying (x)
the
subject fraction, by (y) Current Market Price of the Company’s Common
Stock.
(d) The
holder of a Right by his acceptance thereof expressly waives any right to
receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right
(except as otherwise provided in this Agreement).
(e) Whenever
a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the Rights
Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent
a
certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such
payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments,
and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully
collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected
in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to,
and
shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights
or
fractional shares under any Section of this Agreement relating to the payment
of
fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall
have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.
Section
15. Rights
of Action.
(a) Except
as
otherwise provided, all rights of action in respect of this Agreement are vested
in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to
the Distribution Date, any registered holders of associated Common Stock);
and
any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution
Date, any share of associated Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right, may, on his own behalf and for his
own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or
proceeding against the Company or any Principal Party to enforce, or otherwise
act in respect of, his rights pursuant to this Agreement. Without limiting
the
foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders
of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this
Agreement and will be entitled, without posting any bond, to specific
performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against any actual
or threatened violation of the obligations of any Person subject to, this
Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights
Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as
a
result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement
by reason of any
29
preliminary
or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether
interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory,
self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule,
regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental
authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation;
provided, however, that the Company shall use all reasonable efforts to have
any
such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise
overturned as soon as reasonably practicable.
Section
16. Agreement
of Rights Holders Concerning Transfer and Ownership of Rights.
Every
holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company
and
the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior
to
the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after
the
Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates will be transferable on the registry
books of the Rights Agent only if surrendered at the designated office of the
Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of
transfer;
(c) the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name a
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common
Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on
the
Rights Certificate or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company, the transfer agent for the Common Stock or the Rights
Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights
Agent
shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights
Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as
a
result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement
by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree,
judgment or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a
governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute,
rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental
authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation;
provided, however, the Company must use its reasonable best efforts to have
any
such order, decree, judgment or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon
as
possible.
Section
17. Rights
Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.
No
holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or to
receive dividends or distributions or shall be deemed for any purpose the holder
of Preferred Stock or any other securities, cash or other property which may
at
any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor
shall anything contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate be
construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any
of
the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
any
right (i) to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted
to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, (ii) to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, (iii) to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 24), (iv) to receive dividends,
distributions or subscription rights,
30
or
(v) to institute, as a holder of Preferred Stock or other securities issuable
on
exercise of the Rights represented by any Rights Certificate, any derivative
action on behalf of the Company, or otherwise,
until and only to the extent that the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions of
this
Agreement.
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
incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise
and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify
the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability
or
expense (including without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of
legal
counsel) incurred without gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct
on
the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree
or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered
or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance,
administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement.
The
costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall
be
paid by the Company. This indemnification shall survive the termination of
this
Agreement, the exercise of or expiration of the Rights and the resignation,
replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.
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 Rights Certificate or
certificate for Preferred Stock or Common Stock or for other securities of
the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other
paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed,
executed and, when necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person
or
Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section
20.
Section
19. Merger
or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
Any
Person or other entity into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent
may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person or other
entity resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or
any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person or other entity
succeeding to the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights
Agent
or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under
this Agreement without the execution or filing of any document or any further
act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person or
other
entity would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
Section 21. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to
the
agency created by this Agreement any of the Rights Certificates shall have
been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt
the
countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificate so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent
may
countersign such Rights Certificate either in the name of the predecessor Rights
Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such
Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
31
In
case
at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time
any
of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered,
the
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign
such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and
in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided
in
the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section
20. Duties
of Rights Agent.
The
Rights Agent undertakes and agrees to perform the duties and obligations
expressly imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties) upon the following
terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights
Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The
Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the
Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete
authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken,
suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with such advice or
opinion.
(b) Whenever
in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall
deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without
limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate
of an Acquiring Person or the determination of Current Market Price) be proved
or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
specifically prescribed in this Agreement) may be deemed to be conclusively
proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board,
the
President, the Chief Executive Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer or
the
Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent
and
the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it under this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
(c) The
Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person
only
for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final,
non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent
jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall
the
Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or
incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited
to
lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood
of
such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement
will
be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights
Agent.
(d) The
Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements
of
fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights 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.
32
(e) The
Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity
of
this Agreement or the execution and delivery of this Agreement (except the
due
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Rights Agent) or in respect
of
the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any change in the transferability or
exercisability of the Rights or any change or adjustment in the terms of the
Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section
3, 11, 13 or 23 or any other provision of this Agreement 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 Rights Certificates after
actual notice of any 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 shares of Preferred Stock, Common Stock
or
other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock, Common Stock or
other securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully
paid
and nonassessable.
(f) The
Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause
to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and
other
acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights
Agent for the carrying out or performance by the Rights Agent of its duties
and
obligations under this Agreement.
(g) The
Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with
respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and such instructions shall be full
authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall
not
be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
in
accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting
while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized
and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received by any
such
officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from
the
Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action
proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent under this
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or
suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be
liable for any action taken or suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent
in
accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the
date
specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five Business
Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such
application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an
earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date
in
the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written
instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken,
suffered or omitted.
(h) The
Rights Agent and any shareholder, 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 the
33
Rights
Agent were not serving as such under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement
shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the
Company or for any other Person.
(i) The
Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested
in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors,
officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights
Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect
or
misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or
any
other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the selection and continued
employment thereof (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct
must
be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling
of a
court of competent jurisdiction).
(j) No
provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk
its
own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of
any
of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights hereunder if there
shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to the Rights Agent.
(k) If,
with
respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise
or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of
election to purchase, as the case may be, either has not been completed or
indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights
Agent
shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or
transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section
21. Change
of Rights Agent.
The
Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from
its
duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the
Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by
registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates
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 Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the
holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent
shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the
Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding any
other
provision of this Agreement, in no event shall the resignation or removal of
a
Rights Agent be effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been
appointed and have accepted such appointment. If the Company shall fail to
make
such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it
has
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning
or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by any holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall,
with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then the incumbent Rights Agent or the registered holder of any Rights
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment
of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the
Company or by such a court, shall be (i) a Person organized and doing business
under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States so long
as
such Person is authorized to conduct a corporate trust or banking business
under
the laws of such state and is in
34
good
standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers
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 surplus and undivided profits aggregating of at least
$50,000,000 or (ii) an Affiliate of a Person described in clause (i). After
appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers,
rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights
Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall
deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time
held
by it hereunder and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance,
act
or deed necessary for such purpose. Not later than the effective date of any
such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the
predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock or
Preferred Stock and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders
of the Rights Certificates. Neither the failure to give any notice provided
for
in this Section 21, however, nor any defect therein, shall 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 Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights
Certificates to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights
Certificates evidencing new Rights in such form as may be approved by
a
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment
or
change in the Purchase Price per share and the number or kind or class of
securities, cash or other property purchasable under the Rights Certificates
made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in
connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock following the Distribution
Date and prior to the Redemption Date, the Company may with respect to Common
Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options,
(ii) under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities notes or debentures issued by the Company
or (iv) a contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing
prior to the Distribution Date, issue Rights Certificates representing the
appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or
sale.
Section
23. Redemption.
(a) The
Board
of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier
of (i) the later of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date and
(ii) the Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the
then-outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right (the “Redemption
Price”) appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring on or after the date of this Agreement. The
Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares (including
fractional shares) of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price of the
Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration
deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
(b) At
the
time and date of effectiveness set forth in any resolution of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights (the “Redemption
Date”), without any further action and without any further 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; provided, however, that
such
resolution of the Board of Directors of the
35
Company
may be revoked, rescinded or otherwise modified at any time prior to the time
and date of effectiveness set forth in such resolution, in which event the
right
to exercise will not terminate at the time and date originally set for such
termination by the Board of Directors of the Company. As soon as practicable
after the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption
to
the Rights Agent and to the holders of the then-outstanding Rights by mailing
such notice to all such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon
the
registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the issuance of Rights
Certificates, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock.
Any notice which is mailed in the manner provided in this Agreement 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. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail, or any defect
in
the notice, to any particular holder of Rights shall not affect the sufficiency
of the notice to other holders of Rights. In the case of a redemption permitted
under this Section 23, the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its
obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing
the manner of redemption of the Rights and (ii) mailing payment of the
Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses
as they appear on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
issuance of the Rights Certificates, on the registry books of the transfer
agent
for the Common Stock, and upon such action, all outstanding Rights Certificates
shall be null and void without any further action by the Company. 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 as specifically set
forth in this Section 23 and other than in connection with the purchase of
shares of Common Stock prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the
Expiration Date.
Section
24. Notice
of Certain Events.
In case
the Company, on or after the Distribution Date, shall propose to (a) pay
any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred
Stock
or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock (other
than a regular periodic regular cash dividend at an annual rate not in excess
of: (x) 125% of the annual rate of the cash dividend paid on the Preferred
Stock
during the immediately preceding fiscal year, or if the Preferred Stock was
not
outstanding during such preceding fiscal year, then 125% of the annual rate
of
the regular cash dividend paid on the Common Stock during such year, or (y)
in
the event that a regular cash dividend was not paid on the Preferred Stock
(or
Common Stock) during such preceding fiscal year, 5% of the Current Market Value
of the Preferred Stock on the date such regular cash dividend was first
declared); or (b) offer to the holders of its Preferred Stock rights, options
or
warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred
Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or
options; or (c) effect any reclassification of the Preferred Stock (other than
a
reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of
Preferred Stock, a change in the par value of such Preferred Stock or a change
from par value to no par value); or (d) directly or indirectly effect any
consolidation or merger into or with, or effect any sale, lease, exchange or
other transfer or disposition (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries
to
effect any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer or disposition), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the
property, assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken
as
a whole) to, any other Person; or (e) effect the liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give
to
each holder of a Right, in accordance with Section 25, a notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify any record
36
date
for
the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution or rights, or the date on
which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, lease, exchange,
transfer, disposition, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place
and if such holders will or may participate therein, the date of participation
therein by the holders of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, if any such
date
is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (a) or (b) above at least 20 days prior to the record date
for
determining holders of the Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and
in
the case of any such other action, at least 20 days prior to the date of the
taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein, if any,
by
the holders of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
In
case
any Triggering Event or Business Combination shall occur, then, in any such
case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter, but not prior to
the
Distribution Date, give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance
with Section 25, notice of the occurrence of such Triggering Event or Business
Combination, which shall specify the Triggering Event or Business Combination
and include a description of the consequences of such event to holders of Rights
under Section 11(a)(ii) or 13.
The
failure to give notice as required by this Section 24 or any defect therein
shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company
or
the vote upon any such action.
Section
25. Notices.
Notices
or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent
or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed (until another address (or another person’s attention) is filed in
writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
General
Maritime Corporation
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention:
General Counsel
Subject
to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
(or
another person’s attention) is filed in writing with the Company) as
follows:
Mellon
Investor Services LLC
00
Xxxx
Xxxxxx, 0xx. Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention:
Relationship Manager
37
With
a
copy to:
Mellon
Investor Services LLC
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx XXX
Xxxxxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx 00000
Attention:
General Counsel
Notices
or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company
or
the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company (or, if no Rights Certificates have been issued, if sent
by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holder of a certificate
representing shares of Common Stock at the address of such holder as shown
on
the Company’s Common Stock registry books).
Section
26. Amendments
and Supplements.
This
Agreement may not be amended or supplemented except as permitted in Section
26(a) or 26(b) or as contemplated by Section 11(a)(iii).
(a) At
any
time prior to the later to occur of the Stock Acquisition Date and the
Distribution Date, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company may,
and
the Rights Agent, subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement,
shall, if so directed, amend or supplement any provision of this Agreement
without the approval of any holders of Rights.
(b) From
and
after the later to occur of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution
Date, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company may, and the Rights
Agent shall, if so directed, amend or supplement this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights Certificates (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii)
to correct or supplement any provision contained in this Agreement which may
be
defective or inconsistent with any other provision of this Agreement, or (iii)
to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company
may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).
(c) Immediately
upon the action of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company providing
for any amendment or supplement pursuant to this Section 26, and without any
further action and without notice, such amendment or supplement shall be deemed
effective. Promptly following the adoption of any amendment or supplement
pursuant to this Section 26, the Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent
a
copy, certified by the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company,
of
resolutions of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company adopting
such
amendment or supplement. Upon such delivery, the amendment or supplement shall
be administered by the Rights Agent as part of this Agreement in accordance
with
the terms of this Agreement, as so amended or supplemented. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent may,
but
shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects
the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this
Agreement.
38
Section
27. Successors.
All the
covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company
or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective
successors and assigns hereunder.
Section
28. Benefits
of this Agreement; Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors.
Nothing
in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of Rights any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; and this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and
the
registered holders of the Rights.
The
Board
of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to
administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or the Company, or as may
be
necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of
this
Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations and calculations deemed necessary
or
advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination
to
redeem or not redeem the Rights, to exchange or not exchange the Rights for
Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or to amend or supplement
this
Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations
(including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to
the
foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company
in
good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other Persons, and (y) not
subject the Board of Directors of the Company to any liability to the holders
of
the Rights. Unless otherwise notified, the Rights Agent shall always be entitled
to assume that the Board of Directors of the Company acted in good faith and
the
Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability in reliance
thereon.
Section
29. Severability.
(a) If
any
term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement or the application
thereof to any Person or to any circumstance is held by a court of competent
jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the
remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement
shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired
or invalidated.
(b) If
legal
counsel to the Company delivers to the Company a written opinion to the effect
that, as a result of changes in federal law or the law of the Republic of the
Xxxxxxxx Islands, any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement
may be invalid, void or unenforceable, then, notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company and the Rights Agent may amend
this Agreement to modify, revise or delete such term, provision, covenant or
restriction to the extent necessary to comply with such law as so
changed.
Section
30. Governing
Law.
This
Agreement and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be
a
contract made under the laws of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands and shall
be interpreted and construed to the extent permitted by Section 13 of the
Republic of Xxxxxxxx Islands Associations Law in a manner consistent with the
internal laws
39
(but
not
including the principles of conflict of laws) of the State of Delaware; except
that all provisions regarding the rights, duties and obligations of the Rights
Agent shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the
State
of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within
such State.
Section
31. Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts and each of such counterparts shall
for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and both such counterparts shall
together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section
32. 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 of this Agreement.
Section
33. Grammatical
Construction.
Throughout this Agreement, where such meanings would be appropriate, (a) any
pronouns used herein shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or
neuter forms (e.g., references to “he” shall also include “she” and “it” and
references to “who” and “whom” shall also include “which”), (b) the plural form
of nouns and pronouns shall include the singular and vice-versa, (c) reference
to a Section means a Section of this Agreement, and (d) the word
“including” means “including, without limitation,” whether expressly stated or
not.
[REMAINDER
OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
40
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
GENERAL MARITIME CORPORATION
Attest:
By: __________________________________
Name:
Name:
Title:
Title:
[Corporate
Seal]
MELLON
INVESTOR SERVICES LLC
Attest:
By: __________________________________
Name:
Name:
Title:
Title:
[Corporate
Seal]
41
Exhibit
A
Form
of Certificate of Designation
Certificate
of Designation
of
General
Maritime Corporation
Pursuant
to Section 35 of Part I (Business Corporations Act) of the Republic of the
Xxxxxxxx Islands Associations Law:
We,
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx , Chief Executive Officer, and Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Secretary, of General Maritime Corporation, a corporation organized and existing
under the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands Associations law (the “Corporation”),
in accordance with the provisions of Section 35 of Part I thereof, DO HEREBY
CERTIFY:
That
pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the
Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, the Board of Directors on
December 2, 2005, adopted the following resolution creating a series of 500,000
shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock:
RESOLVED,
that, pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors of the
Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Certificate of
Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be and it hereby
is created, and that the designations, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions
thereof are as follows:
SECTION
1. Designation
and Amount.
The
designation of the series of Preferred Stock created by this resolution shall
be
“Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of shares
constituting such series shall be 500,000.
SECTION
2. Dividends
and Distributions.
(A)
Out of
the surplus or net profits of the Corporation legally available for the payment
of dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be entitled to receive, when and as such dividends may be declared
by the Board of Directors, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the tenth
days
of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being
referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or
fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an
amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a)
$1.00
or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times
the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the
aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other
distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a
subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification
or
otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series
A
A-1
Junior
Participating Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time
after December 7, 2005 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) pay any dividend on
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding
Common Stock, (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number
of shares or (iv) issue any shares by reclassification of its shares of Common
Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series
A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have been entitled immediately prior
to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted
by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B)
Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares shall
be
prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
which
case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date on which
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are first issued, or
unless the date of issue shall be a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or shall
be
a date after the record date for the next Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and
before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date. No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, shall be payable
in respect of any dividend payment or payments which may be in arrears.
(C)
Dividends payable upon the share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be cumulative (whether or not in any dividend period or periods
there shall be surplus or net profits of the Corporation legally available
for
the payment of such dividends) so that, if on any Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date dividends upon the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not have been paid, or declared and a sum sufficient
for
the payment thereof set apart for such payment, the amount of the deficiency
shall be fully paid, but without interest, or dividends in such amount declared
on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and a sum
sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment, before any
dividend shall be declared or paid upon or set apart for, or any other
distribution shall be made in respect of, or any payment shall be made in
respect of, or any payment shall be made on account of the purchase of, the
Common Stock or any series of Preferred Stock subordinate to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock.
SECTION
3. Distributions
to Holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common
Stock.
Out of
any surplus or net profits of the Corporation legally available for dividends
remaining after full cumulative dividends upon any series of Preferred Stock
ranking senior to Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have
been
paid for all past dividend periods, and after or concurrently with making
payment of, or declaring and setting apart for payment, full dividends on any
series of Preferred Stock ranking senior to the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock then outstanding to the most recent Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date and after the Corporation shall have complied with the provisions in
respect of any and all amounts then or theretofore required to be set aside
in
respect of any sinking fund or purchase fund with respect to any series of
Preferred Stock ranking senior to Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
then outstanding and entitled to the benefit of a sinking fund or purchase
fund,
A-2
and
after
the Corporation shall have made provision for compliance in respect of the
current sinking fund or purchase period for any series of Preferred Stock
ranking senior to Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then and not
otherwise the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
be
entitled to or may receive dividends and redemption payments as provided herein.
Out of any surplus or net profits of the Corporation legally available for
dividends remaining after full cumulative dividends upon the shares of Series
A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been paid
through the preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, and after the Corporation
shall have complied with the provisions in respect of any and all amounts then
or theretofore required (if any) to be set aside or applied in respect of any
redemption payments in respect of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, then and not otherwise, the holders of Common Stock and of
any
series of Preferred Stock ranking subordinate to Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall, subject to the rights of any other series of Preferred
Stock then outstanding, to paragraph (A) of Section 2 hereof and to the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, be entitled to receive such
dividends as may from time to time be declared by the Board of Directors.
SECTION
4. Voting.
(A)
Holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled
to
100 votes for each share of stock held. In the event the Corporation shall
at
any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) pay any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
(iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares
or
(iv) issue any shares by reclassification of its shares of Common Stock, then
in
each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior
to
such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number of votes by a fraction
the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number
of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Except as provided in this Section 4 and except as may be required by applicable
law, holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
vote with the Common Stock on all matters required to be submitted to holders
of
Common Stock and shall not be entitled to vote as a separate class with respect
to any matter.
(B)
So long
as any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be
outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote or written
consent of the holders of a majority of the aggregate number of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at the time outstanding (or such greater
percentage as may be required under applicable law), acting as a single class,
alter or change the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock by the Certificate of Incorporation so as to
affect such powers, preferences or rights adversely.
(C)
If at
the time of any annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation for the
election of directors a default in preference dividends, as the term “default in
preference dividends” is hereinafter defined with respect to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, shall exist, the holders of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class with the holders
of
any other series of Preferred Stock so entitled to vote, shall have the right
to
elect two members of the Board of Directors; and the holders of the
A-3
Common
Stock shall not be entitled to vote in the election of the directors of the
Corporation to be elected as provided in the foregoing clause. Whenever a
default in preference dividends shall commence to exist, the Corporation, upon
the written request of the holders of 5% or more of the outstanding shares
of
Preferred Stock so entitled to vote, shall call a special meeting of the holders
of the Preferred Stock so entitled to vote, such special meeting to be held
within 120 days after the date on which such request shall be received by the
Corporation, for the purpose of enabling such holders to elect members of the
Board of Directors as provided in the immediately preceding sentence; provided,
however, that such special meeting need not be called if an annual meeting
of
shareholders of the Corporation for the election of directors shall be scheduled
to be held within such 120 days; and provided further that in lieu of any such
special meeting, the election of the directors to be elected thereat may be
effected by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding
shares that would be entitled to be voted upon at such special meeting. Prior
to
any such special meeting or meetings, the number of directors of the Corporation
shall be increased to the extent necessary to provide as additional places
on
the Board of Directors the directorships to be filled by the directors to be
elected thereat. Any director elected as aforesaid by the holders of shares
of
Preferred Stock or of any series thereof shall cease to serve as such director
whenever a default in preference dividends shall cease to exist. If, prior
to
the end of the term of any director elected as aforesaid by the holders of
shares of the Preferred Stock or of any series thereof, or elected by the
holders of Common Stock, a vacancy in the office of such director shall occur
by
reason of death, resignation, removal or disability, or for any other cause,
such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner provided
in
the Bylaws; provided, however, that if such vacancy shall be filled by election
by the shareholders at a meeting thereof, the right to fill such vacancy shall
be vested in the holders of that class of stock or series thereof which elected
the director the vacancy in the office of whom is so to be filled, unless,
in
any such case, no default in preference dividends shall exist at the time of
such election. For the purposes of this paragraph (C), a “default in preference
dividends” with respect to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall be deemed to have occurred whenever the amount of dividends in arrears
upon the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be equivalent
to
six full quarterly dividends or more, and, having so occurred, such default
in
preference dividends shall be deemed to exist thereafter until, but only until,
all dividends in arrears on all shares of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been paid. The term “dividends in
arrears” whenever used in this paragraph (C) with reference to the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be deemed to mean (whether or not
in
any dividend period in respect of which such term is used there shall have
been
surplus or net profits of the Corporation legally available for the payment
of
dividends) that amount which shall be equal to cumulative dividends at the
rate
for the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock for all past quarterly
dividend periods less the amount of all dividends paid, or deemed paid, for
all
such periods upon such Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. Nothing
herein contained shall be deemed to prevent an increase in the number of
directors of the Corporation pursuant to its Bylaws as from time to time in
effect so as to provide as additional places on the Board of Directors
directorships to be filled by the directors so to be elected by the holders
of
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or to prevent any other
change in the number of the directors of the Corporation.
(D)
Except
as set forth herein or as otherwise required by law, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not
A-4
be
required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common
Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
SECTION
5. Reacquired
Shares.
Any
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise
acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and
cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon
their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock
and
may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by
resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors.
SECTION
6. Liquidation
Rights.
(A)
Upon any
liquidation (voluntary of otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation (“Liquidation”), the holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive out of the assets
of
the Corporation available for distribution to its shareholders, before any
payment or distribution shall be made on the shares of any series of Preferred
Stock subordinate to Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as to assets
in the event of any Liquidation (“Junior Shares”) or on the Common Stock, the
amount of $100.00 per share, plus a sum equal to all dividends (whether or
not
earned or declared) on such shares accrued and unpaid thereon through the date
of final distribution (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”).
(B)
The
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be subordinate
to
any other series of Preferred Stock unless the provisions of such other series
provide otherwise, and shall be preferred over the Common Stock, as to assets
in
the event of any Liquidation. In the event of any Liquidation, the holders
of
the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled
to
receive, out of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to
its
shareholders (after payment in full of all amounts payable in respect of any
series of Preferred Stock ranking senior to Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock), an amount determined as provided in paragraph (A) of this
Section 6 for every share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
before any distribution of assets shall be made to the holders of any Junior
Shares or to the holders of the Common Stock. If, in the event of any
Liquidation, the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have received all the amounts to which they shall be entitled in
accordance with the terms of paragraph (A) of this Section 6, no additional
distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares
of
Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”)
equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation
Preference by (ii) 100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in paragraph
(C)
of this Section 6 to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause
(ii)
being referred to herein as the “Adjustment Number”). Following the payment of
the full amount of the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares
of
Common Stock, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and
holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate
share of the remaining assets to be distributed to the holders of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock in the ratio of the
Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock,
on
a per share basis, respectively. If, upon any Liquidation, the amounts payable
on or with respect to Series A
A-5
Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and any series of Preferred Stock ranking on
a
parity with Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are not paid in full,
the holders of shares of such Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any
distribution of assets according to the respective amounts which would be
payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all
amounts payable on or with respect to such Preferred Stock were paid in full.
(C)
In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i)
pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issue any shares by
reclassification of its shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the
Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted
by
multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which shall
be
the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event
and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(D)
Neither
the sale, lease or exchange (for cash, shares of stock, securities or other
consideration) of all or substantially all the property and assets of the
Corporation nor the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or with
any
other corporation or other entity or the merger or consolidation of any other
corporation or other entity into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to
be a
Liquidation for the purposes of this Section 6.
SECTION
7. Consolidation,
Merger, etc.
In case
the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or
other
transaction in which the shares of Common Stock shall be exchanged for or
changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then
in
any such case the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share
(subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100
times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property
(payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of
Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at
any
time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) pay any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
(iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares
or
(iv) issue any shares by reclassification of its shares of Common Stock, then
in
each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect
to
the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator
of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares
of
Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
SECTION
8. Optional
Redemption.
(A)
The
Corporation shall have the option to redeem the whole or any part of the Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at any time at a redemption price equal
to, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times
the
“current per share market price” of the Common Stock on the date of the mailing
of the notice of redemption, together with unpaid accumulated dividends to
the
date of such redemption. In the event the Corporation shall
A-6
at
any
time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) pay any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
(iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares
or
(iv) issue any shares by reclassification of its shares of Common Stock, then
in
each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be otherwise entitled immediately prior
to
such event under the immediately preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event. The “current per share market
price” on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the closing prices per
share of such Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Days (as such term
in
hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date. The closing price for
each
Trading Day shall be the last sale price, regular way, on such day or, in case
no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked
prices, regular way, on such day 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 (“NYSE”) or, if the Common
Stock is not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal United States national securities exchange on which
the
Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Stock is not
listed or admitted to trading on any United States national securities exchange,
the closing price quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if not so quoted, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market
on
such day, as reported by any National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
quotations system or such other system then in use or, if on any such day the
Common Stock is not quoted by any such system, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices on such day as furnished by a professional market maker making
a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation (which selection shall be final, binding and conclusive for all
purposes) or, if on such day no such market maker is be making a market in
the
Common Stock, the fair market value of the Common Stock on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (which
determination shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes). The
term
“Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal United States national
securities exchange on which the Common Stock is be listed or admitted to
trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Stock is
not
listed or admitted to trading on any United States national securities exchange,
but are traded in the over-the-counter market and reported by Nasdaq, then
any
day for which Nasdaq reports the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, or if the Common Stock is not traded in the over-the
counter market and reported by Nasdaq, then any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(B)
Notice
of any such redemption shall be given by mailing to the holders of the Series
A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock a notice of such redemption, first class
postage prepaid, not later than the thirtieth day and not earlier than the
sixtieth day before the date fixed for redemption, at their last address as
the
same shall appear upon the books of Corporation. Any notice which shall be
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have
been
duly given, whether or not the shareholder shall have received such notice,
and
failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice, to
any
holder of Series A Junior
A-7
Participating
Preferred Stock shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the
redemption of such Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(C)
If less
than all the outstanding shares of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock are to be redeemed by the Corporation, the number of shares to be redeemed
shall be determined by the Board of Directors and the shares to be redeemed
shall be determined by lot or pro rata or in such fair and equitable other
manner as may be prescribed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
(D)
The
notice of redemption to each holder of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall specify (a) the number of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock of such holder to be redeemed, (b) the date fixed for
redemption, (c) the redemption price and (d) the place of payment of the
redemption price.
(E)
If any
such notice of redemption shall have been duly given or if the Corporation
shall
have given to the bank or trust company hereinafter referred to irrevocable
written authorization promptly to give or complete such notice, and if on or
before the redemption date specified therein the funds necessary for such
redemption shall have been deposited by the Corporation with the bank or trust
company designated in such notice, doing business in the United States of
America and having a capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating at
least
$100,000,000 according to its last published statement of condition, in trust
for the benefit of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
called for redemption, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for such
shares so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered for
cancellation, from and after the time of such deposit all such shares called
for
redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding, all rights with respect to
such shares shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights with respect
to
such shares shall forthwith cease and terminate, except the right of the holders
thereof to receive from such bank or trust company at any time after the time
of
such deposit the funds so deposited, without interest. In case less than all
the
shares represented by any surrendered certificate shall be redeemed, a new
certificate shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares. Any interest
accrued on such funds so deposited shall be paid to the Corporation from time
to
time. Any funds so deposited and unclaimed at the end of six years from such
redemption date shall be repaid to the Corporation, after which the holders
of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock called for redemption
shall look only to the Corporation for payment thereof; provided, however,
that
any funds so deposited which shall not be required for redemption because of
the
exercise of any privilege of conversion or exchange subsequent to the date
of
deposit shall be repaid to the Corporation forthwith.
SECTION
9. Ranking.
The
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other
series of Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution
of
assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
SECTION
10. Fractional
Shares.
Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share
which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional
shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in
distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series
A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
A-8
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate and do affirm
the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this ___ day of December,
2005.
_______________________________
[Name]
[Title]
Attest:
__________________
[Name]
Secretary
A-9
Exhibit
B
Form
of Rights Certificate
Certificate
No. R- ________
Rights
NOT
EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 5, 2010 OR EARLIER IF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION OR
EXCHANGE IS GIVEN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE, AT THE
OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. [THE
RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED
BY
A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN ASSOCIATE OR AFFILIATE
OF
AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT).
ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY
BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]
Rights
Certificate
GENERAL
MARITIME CORPORATION
This
certifies that _________________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement dated as of August 31, 2006, as may be amended from time to time
(the
“Rights Agreement”) between General Maritime Corporation, a corporation
organized under the laws of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands (the
“Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC (the “Rights Agent”), unless notice
of redemption shall have been previously given by the Company, 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, New York time on
December 5, 2010, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth
of a fully paid and nonassessable share of the Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”), at a
purchase price (the “Purchase Price”) of $175.00 per one one-hundredth share,
upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of
Election to Purchase duly executed. The Purchase Price may be paid in cash
or by
certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the
Company.
As
provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of shares
of
Preferred Stock or other securities, cash or other property which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
are subject to modification and adjustment upon the occurrence of certain
events.
If
the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are or were formerly beneficially
owned, on or after the Distribution Date by (i) an Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, or (ii) a direct or indirect
transferee of an Acquiring Person
B-1
(or
of
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), such Rights may become
null
and void, in which event the holder of any such Right (including any subsequent
holder) shall not have any rights with respect to such Right.
No
person
shall become an Acquiring Person as a result of acquisition of Common Stock
upon
consummation of a Qualified Offer or following consummation of a Qualified
Offer.
This
Rights 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 Certificates.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Rights Certificate that are
defined in the Rights Agreement shall have the same meanings ascribed to them
in
the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned office of
the
Rights Agent.
This
Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender
at
the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, may be exchanged
for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number
of
shares of Preferred Stock or other property as the Rights evidenced by the
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered entitled such holder
to
purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder
shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate
or
Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject
to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate (a) may be redeemed by the Board of Directors of the Company at
its
option at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, subject to adjustment, payable,
at the election of the Company, in cash or shares (including fractional shares)
of Common Stock or such other consideration as the Board of Directors may
determine at any time prior to the earlier of (i) 12:00 a.m. (midnight, New
York, New York time) on the later of the Distribution Date and the Stock
Acquisition Date, and (ii) the Expiration Date, or (b) may be exchanged
after the later of the Distribution Date and the Stock Acquisition Date by
the
Board of Directors of the Company at its option in whole or in part for shares
of the Company’s Common Stock or other Company securities.
No
fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions that are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at
the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts) are required
to be
issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu
thereof the Company may elect to (i) evidence fractional shares by depositary
receipts, (ii) issue scrip or warrants in registered form (either represented
by
a certificate or uncertificated) or in bearer form (represented by a
certificate) which shall entitle the holder to receive a full share upon the
surrender of such scrip or warrants aggregating a full share, or (iii) make
a
cash payment, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
B-2
No
holder
of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or to receive
dividends on, or shall be deemed for any purpose the holder of, Preferred Stock
or of any other securities, cash or property which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement
or
this Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such,
any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent
to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions
affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or to institute, as a holder of
Preferred Stock or other securities issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented by this Rights Certificate, any derivative action, or otherwise,
until and only to the extent the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
This
Rights 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 _______ __, ____.
GENERAL
MARITIME CORPORATION
By:
_____________________________
Name:
Title:
Countersigned:
MELLON
INVESTOR SERVICES LLC
By:
__________________________
Name:
Title:
[Form
of
Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
B-3
Form
of Assignment
(To
be
executed by the registered holder if such
holder
desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR
VALUE
RECEIVED the undersigned ________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers
unto
(Please
print name and address of transferee) _________ Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does
hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ________________________ with a power
of attorney to transfer the said Rights and a Rights Certificate evidencing
such
Rights on the books of General Maritime Corporation, with full power of
substitution.
A
new
Rights Certificate evidencing the remaining balance, if any, of such Rights
not
hereby sold, assigned and transferred shall be mailed to and registered in
the
name of the undersigned unless such person requests that such Rights Certificate
be registered in the name of and mailed to (complete only if a Rights
Certificate evidencing any remaining balance of Rights is to be registered
in a
name other than the name of the undersigned):
Please
insert Social Security or
other
identifying number of transferee: _________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Please
print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________
B-4
Certificate
The
undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) this
Rights Certificate or any Rights evidenced hereby __ are __ are not being sold,
assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after
due
inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned __ did
__did not acquire any of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
an
Acquiring Person.
Dated:
___________________________ ____________________________________
Signature
Signature
Guaranteed:
Signatures
must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution with membership in
a
recognized signature guarantee medallion program as approved by the Stock
Transfer Association.
B-5
Notice
The
signature on the foregoing Form of Assignment must correspond to the name as
written upon the face of this Rights 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 is not
completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced
by
this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an assignment
or other transfer of this Rights Certificate or any Rights evidenced hereby,
will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificate issued in whole
or
partial exchange for this Rights Certificate.
B-6
Form
of Election to Purchase
(To
be
executed if holder desires to exercise
the
Rights represented by this Rights Certificate)
To: General
Maritime Corporation
The
undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ____________________ Rights
represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred
Stock
or other securities, cash or other property issuable upon the exercise of such
Rights and requests that certificates for such shares or other securities be
issued in the name of, and such cash or other property be paid to:
Please
insert social security
or
other
identifying number: ________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Please
print name
and address)
_________________________________________________________________
A
new
Rights Certificate evidencing the remaining balance, if any, of such Rights
not
hereby exercised shall be mailed to and registered in the name of the
undersigned unless such person requests that such Rights Certificate be
registered in the name of and mailed to (complete only if Rights Certificate
evidencing any remaining balance of Rights is to be registered in a name other
than the name of the undersigned):
Please
insert social security
or
other
identifying number: ________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________
B-7
Certificate
The
undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate __are __are not being exercised
by
or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement); and
(2) after
due
inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned __ did
__
did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person
who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring
Person.
Dated:
__________________________ __________________________________
Signature
Signature
Guaranteed:
Signatures
must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution with membership in
a
recognized signature guarantee medallion program as approved by the Stock
Transfer Association.
B-8
Notice
The
signature on the foregoing Form of Election to Purchase must correspond to
the
name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular,
without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In
the
event the certification set forth above in the Form of Election to Purchase
is
not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case
of an
assignment or other transfer of this Rights Certificate or any Rights evidenced
hereby, will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificate issued
in
whole or partial exchange for this Rights Certificate.
B-9
Exhibit
C
Summary
of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock
On
December 2, 2005, the Board of Directors of General Maritime Corporation (the
“Company”) authorized the issuance of one preferred share purchase right (a
“Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $.01 per share
(the “Common Stock”), of the Company. The distribution is payable to the
shareholders of record at the close of business on December 7, 2005 (the “Record
Date”), which is also the payment date, and with respect to all shares of Common
Stock that become outstanding after the Record Date and prior to the earliest
of
the Distribution Date (as defined below), the redemption of the Rights, the
exchange of the Rights, or the expiration of the Rights (and, in certain cases,
following the Distribution Date). Each Right entitles the registered holder
to
purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of a Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred
Stock”) at an exercise price of $175.00 per one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. The description
and terms of the Rights, and certain defined terms used herein, are set forth
in
a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and Mellon
Investor Services LLC as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), dated as of August
31, 2006, as may be amended from time to time.
Until
the
earlier to occur of (i) the expiration of the Company’s redemption rights on the
tenth business day after the date of public disclosure that a person or group
other than certain Exempt Persons (an “Acquiring Person”), together with persons
affiliated or associated with such Acquiring Person (other than those that
are
Exempt Persons), has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial
ownership of 15% or more (20% or more in the case of certain acquisitions by
institutional investors) of the outstanding Common Stock (the “Stock Acquisition
Date”), (ii) the tenth business day after the date (the “Tender Offer Date”) of
commencement or public disclosure of an intention to commence a tender offer
by
a person other than an Exempt Person if, upon consummation of the offer, such
person could acquire beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”)
and (iii) the first date on which a Business Combination (as defined below)
is
deemed to occur, the Rights will be evidenced by Common Stock certificates
and
not by separate certificates. The Rights Agreement provides that, until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange or expiration of the Rights),
the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Stock. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange or expiration of the Rights),
new Common Stock certificates issued after December 7, 2005, upon transfer
or
new issuance of shares of Common Stock, will contain a notation incorporating
the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier
redemption, exchange or expiration of the Rights) the surrender for transfer
of
any certificate for Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as
practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing
the Rights (“Rights Certificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the
Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and such
separate Rights Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The
Rights will first become exercisable on the later to occur of the Stock
Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date (unless sooner redeemed or
exchanged). The Rights
C-1
will
expire at the close of business on December 5, 2010 (the “Expiration Date”),
unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described
below.
The
Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other
securities, cash or other property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event
of
a stock dividend or distribution on, or a subdivision, combination or
reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of
the
Preferred Stock of certain rights, options or warrants to subscribe for
Preferred Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred
Stock at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii)
upon
the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends, subject to certain
limitations set forth in the Rights Agreement) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). In addition, the Purchase Price
payable, and the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable, on exercise
of
a Right is subject to adjustment in the event that the Company should (i)
declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or
(ii) effect a subdivision or combination of the Common Stock into a
different number of shares of Common Stock.
With
certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until
cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase
Price. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depositary receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made
based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior
to the date of exercise.
In
the
event that there is public disclosure that an Acquiring Person has become such,
proper provision would be made so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights
that are or were beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person and certain related
persons and transferees (which will thereafter be void), will after the later
to
occur of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution Date have the right
to
receive upon exercise that number of shares of Common Stock (or other
securities) having at the time of such transaction a market value of two times
the Purchase Price of the Right. In addition, the Company’s Board of Directors
has the option of exchanging all or part of the Rights (excluding void Rights)
for an equal number of shares of Common Stock in the manner described in the
Rights Agreement.
In
the
event that, at any time following public disclosure that an Acquiring Person
has
become such, the Company is involved in a merger or other business combination
transaction where the Company is not the surviving corporation or where the
Common Stock is changed or exchanged or in a transaction or transactions as
a
result of which 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are
sold, proper provision would be made so that each holder of a Right (other
than
such Acquiring Person and certain related persons or transferees) (a “Business
Combination”) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise
thereof at the then current Purchase Price of the Right, that number of shares
of common stock of the acquiring company or the Company, as the case may be,
which at the time of such transaction would have a market value of two times
the
Purchase Price of the Right.
C-2
No
person
will become an Acquiring Person as a result of acquisition of Common Stock
upon
consummation of a Qualified Offer or following consummation of a Qualified
Offer. A “Qualified Offer” means an offer satisfying all of the following
criteria: (i) the person making the offer has publicly announced a bona fide
intention to conduct a tender offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock;
(ii) the consideration offered must be all cash, and it must be equal for all
holders of Common Stock; (iii) the offer must be conditioned upon the person
making the offer beneficially owning a majority of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock upon consummation of the offer, and the person making the offer
must irrevocably commit that if the offer is consummated, holders who do not
tender their shares in the offer shall receive the offer consideration in a
merger as promptly as practicable following consummation of the offer; (iv)
the
person making the offer must indicate the source of financing for the offer
and
that such financing is unconditionally available to consummate the offer; (v)
the person making the offer must make appropriate filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission; (vi) the person making the offer must not otherwise
be
an Acquiring Person; and (vii) holders of at least 75% of the outstanding Common
Stock must state in writing that the offer should be deemed a Qualified
Offer.
At
any
time prior to the later of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution
Date,
the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not
in
part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the “Redemption Price”), payable in cash,
shares (including fractional shares) of Common Stock or any other form of
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
At
any
time prior to the later of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution
Date,
the Board of Directors of the Company may amend or supplement the Rights
Agreement without the approval of the Rights Agent or any holder of the Rights.
From and after the later of the Stock Acquisition Date and the Distribution
Date, the Board of Directors of the Company may generally only amend or
supplement the Rights Agreement without such approval only to cure ambiguity,
correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision or change or
supplement the Rights Agreement in any manner which shall not adversely affect
the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring Person
or an
affiliate or associate thereof). Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors providing for any amendment or supplement, such amendment or
supplement will be deemed effective.
Each
share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential quarterly
dividend payment, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors of the
Company, equal to the greater of $1.00 per share and 100 times the dividend
declared per share of Common Stock, subject to anti-dilution adjustment. In
the
event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Stock will be entitled to
a
preferential liquidation payment equal to $100 per share, plus accrued and
unpaid dividends, subject to anti-dilution adjustment. Each share of Preferred
Stock will have 100 votes per share, subject to anti-dilution adjustment, voting
together with the Common Stock. In the event of any merger, consolidation or
other transaction in which the Common Stock is exchanged, each share of
Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per
Common Stock, subject to anti-dilution adjustment. Each share of Preferred
Stock
will be redeemable at the option of the Company at a price equal to 100 times
the current per share market price of the Common Stock, subject to anti-dilution
adjustment.
C-3
Exempt
Persons include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company,
(iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company and (iv) any Person holding Common Stock for any such employee
benefit plan or for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company
pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan.
The
Rights may have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights may cause substantial
dilution to a person or group (except as described above with respect to an
Exempt Person) that attempts to acquire the Company on terms not approved by
the
Board. The Rights should not interfere with any merger or other business
combination approved by the Board of Directors prior to the time a person or
group other than an Exempt Person has acquired beneficial ownership of 15%
or
more (20% or more in the case of certain acquisitions by institutional
investors) of the Common Stock and the Rights are distributed, because until
such time the Rights may generally be redeemed by the Company at $.01 per Right
or the Company may amend the Rights Agreement to defer the Distribution Date
to
allow for the transaction.
Until
a
Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a
shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote
or
to receive dividends.
A
copy of
the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K. A copy of the Rights
Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This summary description
of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
C-4