THE XXXXXXX WORKS
and
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES L.L.C.,
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of January 19, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
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Section 1. Certain Definitions.............................................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.....................................................................4
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificate.....................................................................4
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.....................................................................6
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration...............................................................7
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates...................................................7
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights...................................8
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates............................................10
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock..................................................10
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date....................................................................11
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights....................12
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.....................................19
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power................20
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares........................................................22
Section 15. Rights of Action...............................................................................23
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders....................................................................24
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.............................................24
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent....................................................................25
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent......................................25
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.........................................................................26
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.........................................................................27
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates............................................................28
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.....................................................................29
Section 24. Exchange.......................................................................................29
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.......................................................................31
Section 26. Notices........................................................................................31
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.....................................................................32
Section 28. Successors.....................................................................................33
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc...................................................33
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.....................................................................33
Section 31. Severability...................................................................................33
Section 32. Governing Law..................................................................................34
Section 33. Counterparts...................................................................................34
Section 34. Descriptive Headings...........................................................................34
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A -- Form of Certificate of Amendment
Exhibit B -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C -- Form of Summary of Rights
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of January 19, 2006 (this
"Agreement"), between The Xxxxxxx Works, a Connecticut corporation (the
"Company"), and Computershare Investor Services L.L.C., as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on February 26, 1986, the Board of Directors of the
Company (the "Board") executed the Rights Agreement, dated as of February 26,
1986, between the Company and the rights agent named therein (the "1986
Agreement") and authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one right
(a "1986 Right") for each share of common stock, par value $2.50 per share, of
the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding at the close of business on March
10, 1986 (the "1986 Record Date"). Each 1986 Right represented the right to
purchase one Depositary Receipt which is exchangeable for one two-hundredth of
a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company (the
"Preferred Stock");
WHEREAS, on January 31, 1996, the Board determined it
desirable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders for
the Company to extend the 1986 Agreement and to implement such extension by
executing the Rights Agreement, dated as of January 31, 1996, between the
Company and the rights agent named therein (the "1996 Agreement"), and
authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one right (a "1996 Right")
for each share of Common Stock outstanding at the close of business on March
10, 1996 (the "1996 Record Date"). Each 1996 Right represents the right to
purchase one two-hundredth of a share of the Preferred Stock;
WHEREAS, the Board has determined it desirable and in the
best interests of the Company and its shareholders for the Company to extend
the benefits afforded by the 1996 Agreement and to implement such extension by
executing this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, on January 19, 2006 (the "Rights Dividend
Declaration Date"), the Board authorized and declared a dividend distribution
of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each share of Common Stock
outstanding upon the earlier of (i) the close of business on March 10, 2006 or
(ii) the date on which the 1996 Rights are redeemed (the "Record Date"), and
has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be
adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each share of
Common Stock issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or
delivered from the Company's treasury) and the Distribution Date, each Right
initially representing the right to purchase one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set
forth (the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1 Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any
Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company, or
of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed
or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan,
(iv) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding as a result of a reduction
in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding due to the repurchase of
shares of Common Stock by the Company unless and until such Person, after
becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of fifteen
percent (15%) or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, acquires
beneficial ownership of additional shares of Common Stock representing one
percent (1%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, or (v)
any such Person who has reported or is required to report such ownership (but
less than 20%) on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or
reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the
Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule
(other than the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days
of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies
to the Company that such Person acquired shares of Common Stock in excess of
14.9% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who or
which, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not
acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided, however, that
if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within 10 Business Days,
then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such 10
Business Day period.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in
effect on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to
acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights,
exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise;
provided however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial
Owner" of, or to "beneficially own,"(A) securities tendered pursuant to a
tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for
purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights
at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C)
securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence
of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or
pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or
pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made
with respect to any Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote
or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to
Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act),
including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, 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 under
this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or
understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or
understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response
to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable
by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof)
with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates)
has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant
to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of
this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a Person
engaged in the business as an underwriter of securities to be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any securities acquired
through such Person's participation in good faith in a firm commitment
underwriting until the expiration of forty days after the date of such
acquisition.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date
is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value
$2.50 per share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of
such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such
Person.
(g) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.
(h) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, without par value, of the Company and, to the
extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the
Rights, any other series of preferred stock of the Company designated for such
purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(i) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described
in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(j) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(k) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under
the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such other than pursuant to a Qualified Offer.
(l) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person,
any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at
least a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned,
directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such
Person.
(m) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii)
Event or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent of the Company and the holders of
the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with
the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such
appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents
as it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificate.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the
tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business
Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close
of business on the Record Date), and (ii) the close of business on the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine) after the date
that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is
first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation
thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person, in either instance
other than pursuant to a Qualified Offer (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being
herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be
evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by
the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders
of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also
to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the
Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the
underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As
soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will 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, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more right
certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights
Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held,
subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in
the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to
Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Right Certificates,
the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in
accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing
only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any
fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) The Company will make available a copy of a Summary of
Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary
of Rights"), to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time.
With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of the Record
Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of the Common
Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as hereinafter
defined), the transfer of any certificates representing shares of Common Stock
in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of
Common Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's
treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of Common
Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the
following legend (or the legend required under the 1986 Agreement or the 1996
Agreement):
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder
hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
The Xxxxxxx Works and the Rights Agent thereunder (the "Rights
Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of
The Xxxxxxx Works. 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. The
Xxxxxxx Works will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of
the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without
charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under
certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights
issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring
Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on
behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null
and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend and
certificates containing the legend specified in the 1986 Agreement or the 1996
Agreement, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the
Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered
holders of Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated
Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such
marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required
to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the
Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the
provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates,
whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one
two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at
the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one two-hundredths of a
share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type of securities
purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof
shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a),
Section 11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned
by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring
Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or
Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or
(iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or
Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the
Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A)
a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to
holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with
whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the
Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has
as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any
Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon
transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate
referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the
following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms
are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights
Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and
void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such
Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of
the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its
President or any Executive Vice President or 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 Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.
The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either
manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose
unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have
signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery
by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned
by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same
force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had
not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may
be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of
the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the
Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution
of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will
keep or cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates
issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the
respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced
on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the
Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e)
and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration
Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates
representing Rights that may have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24
hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights
Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a
like number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following
a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as
the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then
entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase.
Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any
Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing
delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the
principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.
Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the
Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14 and
Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of
evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or
destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a
new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature
and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so
lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of
any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)
hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon
surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and
the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent
at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to
the total number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the
close of business on March 10, 2016 (the "Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the
time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof, or
(iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged pursuant to Section 24
hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the
"Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one two-hundredth of a share
of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be
$220.00, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph
(c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate
duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so
exercised, of the Purchase Price per one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k)
hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the
shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one
two-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 elected to deposit the total number
of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder
with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary
receipts representing such number of one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the
shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by
the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the
depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the
Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in
accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or
depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or, upon the order of
the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof,
deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of
such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may
be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) may be made (x) in cash or
by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company, or
(y) by delivery of a certificate or certificates (with appropriate stock
powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a number of shares of
Common Stock equal to the then Purchase Price divided by the closing price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the
Trading Day immediately preceding the date of such exercise. In the event that
the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of
the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such
other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by
the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to
require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise
of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of
Preferred Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised
shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of,
the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to
any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a
transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or
understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this
Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no
holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The
Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this
Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no
liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as a result of
its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or
its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence
of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such
registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of
the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for
cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent,
shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu
thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this
Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and
retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights
Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the
exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights
Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company,
destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a
certificate of destruction thereof to the Company. Section 9. Reservation and
Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to
be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of
its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or
out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of
shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this
Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit
the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following
the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities)
issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any
national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause,
from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved
for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of
issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as
soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the
Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the
Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"), with respect to the securities purchasable
upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such
filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with
a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for
such securities, and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company
will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure
compliance with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in
connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily
suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date
set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the
exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration
statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of
the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at
such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. In addition, if the
Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following
the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability
of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared
effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary,
the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite
qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise
thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration
statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all
such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one two-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall,
at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to
payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and
fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will
pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and
charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the
Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one two-hundredths
of a share 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 pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any
transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of a number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect
of a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any
certificates for a number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other
than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such
tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established
to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in
whose name any certificate for a number of one two-hundredths of a share 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 such fractional shares of 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 all applicable transfer taxes) 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 (fractional or otherwise) 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. Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which
the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to
vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any
preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any
proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares
covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the
date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable
in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock,
(C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares,
or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the
Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section
7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for
such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or
capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in
effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital
stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately
prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of
the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and
been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination
or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment
under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment
provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be
made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the
event any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates,
shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an
Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an
Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or
is an acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or
an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price
and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the
Board who are not officers of the Company and who are not
representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring
Person, after receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms,
to be (a) at a price which is fair to stockholders (taking into account
all factors which such members of the Board deem relevant including,
without limitation, prices which could reasonably be achieved if the
Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed to realize
maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best interests of the Company and
its stockholders (a "Qualified Offer"), then, promptly following the
occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that each
holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, in lieu of a number of one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock, 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 then number of one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to
the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that
product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be
referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes
of this Agreement) by fifty percent (50%) of the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock
on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the
"Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of
Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's certificate of
incorporation but 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 the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall: (A) determine
the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price
(such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each Right (subject
to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for the
Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1)
cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other
equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares
or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board has deemed to have
essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock
(such shares of preferred stock, "common stock equivalents")), (4) debt
securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of
the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value,
where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon
the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by
the Board; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate
provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty
(30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section
l1(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of
redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y)
being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then
the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for
exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase 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
Spread. If the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that
sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for
issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period
set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more
than ninety (90) days after the Section l1(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order
that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the authorization of
such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that
some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences
of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to
Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights
until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form
of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to
determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability
of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For
purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall
be the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of the Common Stock on the Section l1(a)(ii) Trigger
Date and the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to
have the same value as the Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of
Preferred Stock ("equivalent preferred stock")) or securities convertible into
Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of
Preferred Stock or per share of equivalent preferred stock (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or
equivalent preferred stock) less than the current market price (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record
date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of
shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be
offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible
securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price, and
the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of
Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be
paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other
than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good
faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the
holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by and/or held for the
account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any
such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so
issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained
earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred
Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock)
or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section
11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall
be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current
market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of
Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined
in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or
evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights
or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of
which shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other
than computations made pursuant to Section 1l(a)(iii) hereof, the "current
market price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the
average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the
thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined)
immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant
to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "current market price" per share of Common
Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing
prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading
Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event
that the current market price per share of the Common Stock is determined
during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock
of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of
such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock
(other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of the
requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth
above, after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the
record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and
in each such case, the "current market price" shall be properly adjusted to
take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock
are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not
listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last
quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such
other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock
are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in
the Common Stock selected by the Board. If on any such date no market maker is
making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such
date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term "Trading
Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on
which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for
the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed
or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If
the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, "current
market price" per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in
good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
the "current market price" per share of Preferred Stock shall be
determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in
clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof).
If the current market price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be
determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not
publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of
this Section 11(d), the "current market price" per share of Preferred
Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 200 (as such
number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits,
stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current
market price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock
nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, "current
market price" per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value
per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all
purposes of this Agreement, the "current market price" of one
two-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the
"current market price" of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 200.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment
would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the
Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this
Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth
of a share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a share of
Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of
this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made
no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the
transaction which mandates such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter
exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other
than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the
Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent
to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the
right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one
two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time
hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as
provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall
thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
that number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to
the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
two-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of
any adjustment in the number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding
after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the
number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right
was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of
record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that
number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-ten-thousandth) obtained by
dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the
Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of
the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its
election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the
adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be
made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted
or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall
be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If
Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of
Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as
practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date
of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new
Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall
be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and
may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall
be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on
the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore
and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one
two-hundredths of a share and the number of one two-hundredths of a share
which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number
of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of
the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and
legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one two-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that
an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for
a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
the number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise over and above the number of one two-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior
to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such
holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's
right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or
securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board
shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any
shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, (iii)
issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred
Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants
referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of
its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at
any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or
transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets,
cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the
assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole)
to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section
11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation,
merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or
securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially
diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such
consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes,
or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(a)
hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such
Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section
27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time
such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i)
declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares
of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock or
(iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then
outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution
Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights
thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event
shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated
with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction
the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and
Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate
setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting
for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each
transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such
certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail or cause Rights
Agent to mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate
(or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate
representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The
Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and
on any adjustment therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall
not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or
merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with,
or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or
surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with
such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any
other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets,
cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the
assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken
as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary
of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section
11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may be contemplated by
Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder
of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have
the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly
authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable shares
of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined),
not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other
adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying
the then current Purchase Price by the number of one two-hundredths of a share
of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has
occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the
number of such one two-hundredths of a share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and (2)
dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event, shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all
purposes of this Agreement) by fifty percent (50%) of the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock
of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event;
(ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company
pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be
deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that
the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal
Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the
consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the
provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may
be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in
clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that
is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the
Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no
securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such
merger or consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in
clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning
power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and
such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common
Stock of which is and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to
such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which
are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of
such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate
market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued or
reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such
Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and
(b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable
after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in
paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under
the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best
efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as
soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
Expiration Date; and
(ii) take all such other action as may be necessary
to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to the registration or
qualification of such securities under all requisite securities laws of
jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such securities on
such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary or appropriate;
and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights
historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its
Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers
or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13
Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter
become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock
pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of
Common Stock which is a Qualified Offer as such term is defined in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof (or a wholly owned subsidiary of any such Person or Persons),
(ii) the price per share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is not
less than the price per share of Common Stock paid to all holders of shares of
Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to such tender offer or
exchange offer and (iii) the form of consideration being offered to the
remaining holders of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such transaction is
the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such tender offer or
exchange offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this
Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.
In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of
the current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a),
the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the
Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the
Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no
such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked
prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are
listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not
so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in
use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by
a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the
Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the
Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith
by the Board shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples
of one two-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, and then only to the
extent permitted under Connecticut law) 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 two-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock, and then only to the extent permitted under
Connecticut law). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or, to the
extent fractional shares of Preferred Stock are permitted under Connecticut
law, in lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral
multiples of one two-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock), the Company may
pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights
are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction
of the current market value of one two-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one
two-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one two-hundredth of the
closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock
upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common
Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at
the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal
to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of Common
Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one
share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock
(as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in
respect of this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of
the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Stock), without
the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in
his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and
maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or
otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by
such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and
in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to
the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of
Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this
Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations
hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the
obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the
Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common
Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the
Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or
writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate
made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes
whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last
sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any
notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative
agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order
promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise
restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company
must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled
to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights
evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance
with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent,
for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any
Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of
the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney,
endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate,
statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be
signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper
Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the
Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on
the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such
corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent
under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor
Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the
Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such
successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights
Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at
that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned,
any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in
the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and
in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided
in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall
be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall
not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the
Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be
full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any
action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact
or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person
and the determination of "current market price") be proved or established by
the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer,
the President, any Executive Vice President or Vice President, the Treasurer,
any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good
faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its
own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in
the Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility
in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery
hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of
the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required
under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the
manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice
of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make
any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this
Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common
Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing
by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder
from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer
of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in
connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or
suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of
any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer
or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or
other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any
transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were
not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the
Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any
other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either
itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall
not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct
of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from
any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable
care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise
of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to
the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the
form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has
either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1
and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with
respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with
the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and
to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered
or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution
Date, to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The
Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty
(30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights
Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and
Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs
after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Rights Certificates by
first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall
otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to
the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a
period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who
shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the
Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to
any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.
Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a
court, shall be (a) a legal business entity organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States or of any state thereof, in good standing, which
is authorized by such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer
powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authority and which either is or is an affiliate of a business entity which
has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and
surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of a legal business entity
described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor
Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and
responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without
further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and
transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it
hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or
deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the
predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the
Preferred Stock, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date,
mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21,
however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of
the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to
the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board to reflect any
adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of
shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock
following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of
the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so
issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee
plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case,
if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates
representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance
or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate 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 Certificate
would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and
to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in
lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the
earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day following the
Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred
prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth Business Day
following the Record Date) or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but
not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.0l
per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof
(such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption
Price"); provided, however, that if, following the occurrence of a Stock
Acquisition Date and following the expiration of the right of redemption
hereunder but prior to any Triggering Event, (i) a Person who is an Acquiring
Person shall have transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of shares of
Common Stock in one transaction or series of transactions, not directly or
indirectly involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which did not
result in the occurrence of a Triggering Event such that such Person is
thereafter a Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock, and (ii) there are no other Persons, immediately following the
occurrence of the event described in clause (i), who are Acquiring Persons,
then the right of redemption shall be reinstated and thereafter be subject to
the provisions of this Section 23. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right
of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the
Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the "current market
price," as defined in Section 11(d) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of
redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the
Board. If so designated by the Board, payment of the redemption price under
the 1996 Agreement shall constitute payment of the redemption price hereunder.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the
Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so
held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the
Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent
and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all
such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the registry
books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry
books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed
in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by
which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have
become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of
Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Board shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any
time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such subsidiary, or any entity
holding shares of Common Stock for or pursuant to any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial
Owner of Shares of Common Stock aggregating 50% or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such
Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such
Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the
number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided,
however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company shall mail promptly a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any
notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange
will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for
Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number
of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro
rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of
Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the
Company, at its option, may substitute shares of Preferred Stock (or
equivalent preferred stock, as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of
Section 11 hereof) for shares of Common Stock exchangeable for rights, at the
initial rate of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
equivalent preferred stock) for each share of Common Stock, as appropriately
adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Stock
pursuant to Section 4(c)(1) of the Certificate of Amendment attached hereto as
Exhibit A, so that the fraction of a share of Preferred Stock delivered in
lieu of each share of Common Stock shall have the same voting rights as one
share of Common Stock.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares
of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to
permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section
24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the
Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with
regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph
(e), the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the
closing price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second
sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the
date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to
the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the
holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out
of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the
holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or
any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or
(iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit
one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the
assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken
as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any
of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to
each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance
with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify
the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of
rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take
place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of
Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so
given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least
twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the
shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any
such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking
of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of
the shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section
11(a)(ii)hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as
soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to
the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the
occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences
of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all
references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed
thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities.
Section 26. 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 is
filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
The Xxxxxxx Works
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 20(k), any notice or demand authorized by
this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or
made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Computershare Investor Services L.L.C.
0 X. XxXxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Relationship Management
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the
Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27,
the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement
or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders
of certificates representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the
Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27,
the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement
or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights
Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement
any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any
other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period
hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any
manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not
adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other
than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person);
provided, however, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to
lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period
relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not
then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for
the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the
benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement
or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights
Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall
be made which changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration Date, the
Purchase Price or the number of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right is exercisable; provided, however, that at any time
prior to (i) the existence of an Acquiring Person or (ii) the date that a
tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary
of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by
the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published
or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person
would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding, the Board may amend this Agreement to increase the Purchase
Price or extend the Final Expiration Date. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the
interests of the holders of Common Stock.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of
this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall
bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns
hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common
Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance
with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board shall have the exclusive power
and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be
necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of
this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable
for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem
or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of
clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done
or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding
on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other
parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the
Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement
shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent
and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant
or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction
or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain
in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or
invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or
restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith judgment that
severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the
purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in
Section 2423 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close
of business on the tenth day following the date of such determination by the
Board.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and
each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of the State of Connecticut and for all purposes shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable
to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all
purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of
the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the
provisions hereof.
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 January 19, 2006.
Attest: THE XXXXXXX WORKS
By: /s/Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
------------------------ --------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary Title: Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary
Attest: COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES L.L.C.
By: By: /s/Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
------------------------ --------------------------------------
Name: Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title: Title: Director Relationship Management
Exhibit A
FORM OF
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
RESOLVED: that, pursuant to authority vested in the Board of
Directors of the Corporation by the provisions of its Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), a series of
Preferred Stock of the Corporation be and it hereby is created, and the
designation and amount thereof and the voting powers, preferences and
relative, participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of
such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, to
the extent that the foregoing are not set forth elsewhere in the Certificate
of Incorporation are as stated in the terms of the amendment to the
Certificate of Incorporation authorized in the immediately following
resolution; provided that, to the extent permitted under the laws of the State
of Connecticut, such designation, amount, powers, preferences and rights shall
pertain only to the series created hereby and shall not pertain to any other
series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation; and also provided that, to the
extent permitted under the laws of the State of Connecticut, any other series
of the Preferred Stock of the Corporation shall have such designation, amount,
powers, preferences and rights as the Board of Directors shall designate at
the time such other series is created;
RESOLVED: that, the Certificate of Incorporation be amended
in order to create the series of stock authorized in the immediately preceding
resolution by the addition of the following language as new Section 3A of the
Certificate of Incorporation, to immediately follow Section 3 and immediately
precede Section 4:
"Section 3A. There shall be a series of Preferred Stock,
without par value, of said corporation having the voting powers, designation,
preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights and
the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of such rights, to the extent
that the foregoing are not set forth elsewhere in this Certificate of
Incorporation, as follows:
(a) Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall
be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 250,000.
(b) Dividends and Distributions.
(1) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the
holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and
superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and
if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for
the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of
February, May, August and November 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) $20 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 200 times the aggregate per share amount of all
cash dividends, and 200 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, $2.50 par value, of said 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the event said
corporation shall at any time (i) declare 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 of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the outstanding Common Stock, then in each such case
the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under
clause (a) and clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
multiplying each such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event
and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(2) The corporation shall declare a dividend or
distribution on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as
provided in paragraph (1) above immediately after it declares a dividend
or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or
distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the
period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $20 per share
on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless
be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(3) 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 is prior to the record date for the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such
shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a
date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a
quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be
cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid
dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total
amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares
shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such
shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record
date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend
or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than
30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
(c) Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(1) Subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 200 votes on all
matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of said corporation. In
the event said corporation shall at any time (i) declare 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 of its capital stock
in a reclassification of the outstanding 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 by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number
of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
(2) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law,
the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one
class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of said
corporation.
(3) (A) If at any time dividends on any Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount
equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such
contingency shall xxxx the beginning of a period (herein called a
"default period") which shall extend until such time when all accrued and
unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the
current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared
and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, the
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the
right to elect two (2) Directors.
(B) During any default period, such voting right
of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may
be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to
subparagraph (c)(3)(C) of this Section 3A or at any annual meeting of
shareholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of shareholders,
provided that such voting right shall not be exercised unless the
holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person
or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock
shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting at
which the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default
period, they shall have the right, to elect Directors to fill such
vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to
two (2) Directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual
meeting, to elect two (2) Directors. If the number which may be so
elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required
number, the holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of
Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the
required number. After the holders of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to
elect Directors in any default period and during the continuance of
such period, the number of Directors shall not be increased or
decreased except by vote of the holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the
rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(C) Unless the holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default
period, have previously exercised their right to elect Directors, the
Board of Directors may order, or any person owning in the aggregate
not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding (except as
otherwise required under the laws of the State of Connecticut) may
request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon
be called by the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice
President or the Secretary of said corporation. Notice of such
meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this
subparagraph (c)(3)(C) shall be given to each holder of record of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of
such notice to him at his last address as the same appears on the
books of said corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time
not earlier than 10 days and not later than 60 days after such order
or request; or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60
days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on
similar notice by any shareholder or shareholders owning in the
aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding
(except as otherwise required under the laws of the State of
Connecticut). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subparagraph
(c)(3)(C), no such special meeting shall be called during the period
within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next
annual meeting of the shareholders.
(D) In any default period the holders of Common
Stock, and other classes of stock of said corporation if applicable,
shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of Directors
until the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) Directors after the
exercise of which right (x) the Directors so elected by the holders
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall continue in
office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders
or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in
the Board of Directors may (except as provided in sub-paragraph
(c)(3)(C) of this Section 3A) be filled by vote of a majority of the
remaining Directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class
of stock which elected the Director whose office shall have become
vacant. References in this paragraph (3) to Directors elected by the
holders of a particular class of stock shall include Directors
elected by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y)
of the foregoing sentence.
(E) Immediately upon the expiration of a default
period, (x) the right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any
Directors elected by the holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors
shall be such number as may be provided for elsewhere in this
Certificate of Incorporation or the By-laws of the corporation
irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of
subparagraph (c)(3)(B) of this Section 3A (such number being subject,
however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in
this Certificate of Incorporation or the By-laws of the corporation).
Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of
clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a
majority of the remaining Directors.
(4) Except as set forth herein or as otherwise
required under the laws of the State of Connecticut, holders of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights
and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are
entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for
taking any corporate action.
(d) Certain Restrictions.
(1) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends
or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 3A are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions,
whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, said
corporation shall not:
(A) declare or pay dividends on, make any other
distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(B) declare or pay dividends on or make any
other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except
dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in
arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of
all such shares are then entitled;
(C) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided that said
corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire
shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock
of said corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock; or
(D) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a
purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by
the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms
as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective
annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of
the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will
result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.
(2) The corporation shall not permit any subsidiary
of said corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of stock of said corporation unless said corporation could,
under paragraph (d)(1) of this Section 3A, purchase or otherwise acquire
such shares at such time and in such manner.
(e) Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by said
corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired promptly after the
acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their retirement 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, subject to the conditions and restrictions on
issuance set forth herein.
(f) Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(1) Upon any voluntary liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of said corporation, no distribution shall be made (1) to the
holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have
received $200 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date
of such payment (the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following the
payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, 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) 200 (as appropriately adjusted as
set forth in paragraph 3 below to reflect such events as stock splits,
stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock)
(such number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment Number"). Following the
payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the
Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, 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 in the ratio of the Adjustment Number
to 1 with respect to such Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
(2) In the event, however, that there are not
sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A
Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other
series of Preferred Stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall
be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion
to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that
there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of
the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed
ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(3) In the event said corporation shall at any time
(i) declare 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 of its capital stock in a reclassification of the outstanding
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 is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(g) Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case said corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction
in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other
stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case 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 200 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 said corporation shall at any time
(i) declare 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 of its
capital stock in a re-classification of the outstanding 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 is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after
such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(h) No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
(i) Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall rank junior to all other series of said corporation's Preferred
Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless
the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
(j) Amendment. This Certificate of Incorporation shall not
be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers,
preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock.
(k) Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share (to the extent permitted
under the laws of the State of Connecticut), which fractions of a share 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."
RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the proper officers of the
Corporation be and they are hereby authorized and directed, jointly and
severally, to prepare, execute and file a Certificate setting forth a copy of
the foregoing resolutions and to execute any and all other documents and take
any and all other steps necessary or appropriate in order to comply with the
laws of the State of Connecticut and effectuate the purposes of said
resolutions.
Exhibit B
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MARCH 10, 2016 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY.
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01
PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM
IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS
MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECOME 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 SUCH AGREEMENT.]*
Rights Certificate
THE XXXXXXX WORKS
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 January 19, 2006 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between The Xxxxxxx Works, a Connecticut corporation (the "Company"), and the
Rights Agent named therein (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company
at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on March 10, 2016 at the
office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its
successors as Rights Agent, one two-hundredths of a fully paid, non-assessable
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock")
of the Company, at a purchase price of $220 per one two-hundredths of a share
(the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights
Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly
executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the
number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth
above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and
Purchase Price as of January 19, 2006, based on the Preferred Stock as
constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to require prior to
the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of
Preferred Stock will be issued.
---------------
* The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person,
Associate or Affiliate or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an
Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, such
Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right
with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section
11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and
the number and kind of shares of preferred Stock or other securities, which
may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of
certain events, including Triggering Events.
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, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of
the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth
in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written
request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, 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 one two-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have 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 Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its
option at a redemption price of $.01 per Right at any time prior to the
earlier of the close of business on (i) the tenth day following the Stock
Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights
Agreement) and (ii) the Final Expiration Date.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon
the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one two-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock to the extent permitted by Connecticut law, which may, at the election
of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a
cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to
vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any
time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the
Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as
such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote
for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at
any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action,
or, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders
(except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or
subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this
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
---------------
ATTEST: THE XXXXXXX WORKS
By
--------------------------------
Secretary Title:
--------------------
Countersigned:
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES, L.L.C.
By
----------------------------------
Authorized Signature
(Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate)
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the
within Rights Certificate on the books of the within named Company, with full
power of substitution.
Dated: __________________
-----------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ]is [ ] is 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 any such Acquiring Person (as
such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
-----------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate
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.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights
represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: THE XXXXXXX WORKS:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
_________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares
of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be
issued in the name of and delivered to: Please insert social security or other
identifying number
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance
of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
Dated: _____________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
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 any such Acquiring Person (as
such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate 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.
Exhibit C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED STOCK
On January 19, 2006, the Board of Directors of The Xxxxxxx
Works (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each
outstanding share of Common Stock to stockholders of record at the close of
business on the expiration date of the prior Rights Agreement (the "Record
Date"). Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company
one two- hundredths of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock without par value (the "Preferred Stock") at a Purchase Price of $220,
subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth
in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and
Computershare Investor Services L.L.C., as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common
Stock and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) days
following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliate or
associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right
to acquire, beneficial ownership of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) ten
(10) business days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following
the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a
person or group beneficially owning fifteen percent (15%) or more of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the
Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and will be
transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common
Stock certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificate. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Company reserves the
right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as defined
below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so
that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date
and will expire at the close of business on March 10, 2016, unless earlier
redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the
close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate
Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise
determined by the Board, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes the beneficial owner of
more than fifteen percent (15%) of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock
(except pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock which
the independent directors determine to be fair to and otherwise in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders), each holder of a Right will
thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Stock (or, in
certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company)
having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the
events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by
any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However, Rights are not
exercisable following the occurrence of either of the events set forth above
until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set
forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $220 per Right, each
Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties)
following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its
holder to purchase $440 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as
noted above) for $220. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
$55 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase
eight (8) shares of Common Stock for $220.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock
Acquisition Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business
combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation
(other than a merger described in the second preceding paragraph or a merger
which follows an offer described in the second preceding paragraph), or (ii)
fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company's assets, cash flow or earning
power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which
previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having
a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. The events set
forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to
as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons of beneficial ownership of fifteen percent
(15%) or more of the outstanding Common Shares and prior to the acquisition by
such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Common
Shares, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such
person or group which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange
ratio of one Common Share, or one two-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or of a
share of a class or series of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent
rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).
At any time until ten (10) business days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part,
at a price of $.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board). Immediately upon the action of
the Board ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption
price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such,
will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution
of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company,
stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income
in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other
consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the acquiring company as
set forth above.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended
by the Board prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the
provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board in order to
cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the
interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period
under the Rights Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the
time period governing redemption shall be made at such time as the Rights are
not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form
8-K dated January 19, 2006. 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 incorporated herein by reference.
