________________________________________________________________________________
ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
and
NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Rights Agent
Restated
Rights Agreement
Dated as of June 16, 1989
Amended and Restated as of April 16, 1998
________________________________________________________________________________
RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Agreement effective as of June 16, 1989 and amended and restated as of
April 16, 1998 between ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, a Minnesota
corporation (the "Company"), and NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(the "Rights Agent").
On June 15, 1989, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and
declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a "Right") for each
Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on June 30,
1989 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one
Common Share, $0.10 par value, of the Company, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions therein set forth, and further authorized and directed the issuance
of one Right with respect to each Common Share which becomes outstanding between
June 30, 1989 and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and
the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
The Company and the Rights Agent entered into that certain Rights
Agreement dated as of June 16, 1989. The Board of Directors subsequently
adopted amendments to the Agreement, and thereafter pursuant to Section 27 of
the Agreement the Company and the Rights Agent executed the First Amendment and
Second Amendment to the Rights Agreement.
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby restate their agreement as
follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates
(as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial
Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the Common Shares
then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such
term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or any Person who acquires Common
Shares from the Company in a transaction approved by the Board of Directors.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as
the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing
the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares
beneficially owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Shares of the
Company then outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such
share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional
Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person". Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of
the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an
Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as
promptly as practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person
would no longer
2
be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of
this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" for any purpose of this Agreement.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in
effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be
deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or
to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer
made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange;
or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the
Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement,
arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a
revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable
rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) 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) (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona
fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except to the extent contemplated by the provision of Section l (d) (ii)
(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company; PROVIDED HOWEVER, that in no
case shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (A) the beneficial
owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Company or (B) the beneficial owner of securities held of record by the trustee
of any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for
the benefit of any employee of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company,
other than the officer or director, by reason of any influence that such officer
or director may have over the voting of the securities held in the plan.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or
a day on which banking institutions in the State of Minnesota and the State of
New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
3
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Minneapolis time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Minneapolis time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
shares of the Common Shares, $0.10 par value, of the Company. "Common Shares"
when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the
capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other
Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or
Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the Close of
Business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of
the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person) after the date of the commencement of, or of the first public
announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company or entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan or any Person acquiring Common Shares from the Company in
a transaction approved by the Board of Directors) to commence, a tender or
exchange offer (within the meaning of Rule 14e-2(a) under the Exchange Act), the
consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership by a Person of 15% or
more of the then outstanding Common Shares (including any such date which is
after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights).
(h) "Equivalent Common Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11 (b) hereof.
(i) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(j) [Deleted]
(k) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership
or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of
such entity.
(l) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the second
paragraph at the beginning of this Agreement.
(m) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(n) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, but not be
limited to, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the
Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(o) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities
or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
(p) [Deleted]
4
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints
the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights
(who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date
also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable.
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. (a) Until the Distribution
Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section
3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of
the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right
Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (ii) the right to
receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the
transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date,
the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested,
send) by first class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in
substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (a "Right Certificate"), evidencing
one Right for each Common Share so held subject to adjustment as provided
herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share
has been made pursuant to Section 11(i) 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 Right
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Common Shares, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Summary of Rights"),
by first class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as
of the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown
on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will
be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof
together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto. Until the
Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or Final Expiration
Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares
outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights
attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding
(including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last
sentence of this Section 3(c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest
of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall
have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATION and NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION dated as of
June 16, 1989 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal executive offices of ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION. Under
certain circumstances, as set forth in
5
the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate.
ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt
of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, Rights
beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons (as 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,
until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone,
and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In
the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the
Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not
be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which are
no longer outstanding.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The Right Certificates (and the
forms of election to purchase Common Shares and of assignment to be printed on
the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit A hereto and may
have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or quotation
service on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to
conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof,
the Right Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record
Date (or in the case of Rights issued with respect to Common Shares issued by
the Company after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance of such Common
Shares) and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such
number of Common Shares as shall be set forth therein at the price per Common
Share set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the number and type of
securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price
thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof,
and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company,
either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be
manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have
signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the
Rights Agent, and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to
be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
6
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its principal offices, books for registration and transfer
of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of
each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES. (a)
Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of
Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on
the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing
Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 hereof
or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right
Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of
Common Shares (or, following an event specified in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section
13, other securities, cash or other property as the case may be) as the Right
Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to
purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or
exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in
writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate
or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the
principal offices of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company
shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of
any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have
completed and signed the Certificate contained in the form of assignment on the
reverse side of such Right 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 countersign and deliver to the person entitled
thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax
or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated.
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS: PURCHASE PRICE: EXPIRATION DATE OF
RIGHTS. (a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the
Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof
duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal offices of the Rights Agent,
together with payment of the Purchase Price for each Common Share as to which
the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the close of
business on April 16, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which
the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date")
or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24
hereof.
7
(b) The Purchase Price for each Common Share pursuant to the exercise
of a Right shall initially be $160, shall be subject to adjustment from time to
time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful
money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Purchase Price for the number of Common Shares (or other
securities, cash or other property, as the case may be) to be purchased and an
amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of
such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof in cash, or by
certified check or cashier's check payable to the order of the Company, the
Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Common Shares certificates for the number of Common Shares to be purchased
and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with
all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the
amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance
with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates, cause the same
to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. The payment of the
Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced (including to zero) pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iv) hereof) may be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank
draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is
obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute
other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all
arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property
are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his
duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, neither the
Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever
with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless and until the registered holder
shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
election to purchase shares set forth on the reverse side thereof and shall have
provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner and
former Beneficial Owner (and Associates and Affiliates of the foregoing) as the
Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. All
Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of the Company,
8
destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a
certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF COMMON SHARES. (a) The
Company covenants and agrees that it will use its best efforts to cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares or
any reacquired Common Shares, the number of Common Shares that, except as may
otherwise be permitted by Section 11(a)(iv), will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise of
Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Common Shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and
issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(c) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due
and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may
be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or
of any Common Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of
any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of certificates or depository receipts for the Common
Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right
Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver
any certificates or depository receipts for Common Shares upon the exercise of
any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable
by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it
has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will use its best
efforts (i) as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the
Distribution Date as of which the consideration to be delivered by the Company
upon exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this Agreement,
including in accordance with Section 11(a)(iv), or as soon as is required by law
following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, to file, a registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), with respect
to the Rights and 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 or (B) the Final Expiration
Date. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under the
blue sky or securities laws of the various states. The Company may temporarily
suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days after the Distribution Date,
the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file any required
registration statement. 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. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any
jurisdiction unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have
been obtained.
9
Section 10. COMMON SHARE RECORD DATE. Each person in whose name any
certificate for Common Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Common Shares
represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which
the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of
the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Common Share transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Common Share
transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a holder of Common Shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends of other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER
OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares or other property
covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common
Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding
Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares or (D) issue any shares of
its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital
stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of
shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately
prior to such date and at a time when the Common Share transfer books of the
Company were open, he or she would have owned upon such exercise and been
entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
If an event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section
11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section
11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment
required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 23 and Section 24 of this Agreement, in the
event any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, proper provision shall be
made so that each holder of a Right, except as provided below, shall thereafter
have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement, at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied
by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is then exercisable, in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of the number of Common
Shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the Right, such number of Common Shares as
shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase
Price by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is then exercisable (or
would be exercisable if the Distribution Date had occurred) and dividing that
product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common
Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the
10
date of the occurrence of such event; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the
transaction that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is
also subject to the provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions
of Section 13 hereof shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to
this Section 11(a)(ii). In the event that any Person shall become an
Acquiring Person and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall
not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended
to be afforded by the Rights.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of such event, any
Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person
(or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall become void and
any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights
under any provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued
pursuant to Section 3 that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring
Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any
Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time
upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be
void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or
to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right
Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person
whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be canceled.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient issued but not
outstanding, or authorized but unissued, Common Shares to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing Section 11(a)(ii), the
Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 11(A)(iv) hereof, take all
such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for
issuance upon exercise of the Rights.
(iv) In lieu of issuing shares of Common Shares in accordance with
Section 11(a)(ii) upon the exercise of the Rights, the Company may, if the Board
of Directors determines that such action is necessary or appropriate and not
contrary to the interests of holders of Rights, elect to issue or pay uniformly
with respect to all outstanding Rights, upon the exercise of the Rights, cash
(including an offset against the Purchase Price), property, other securities or
any combination thereof having an aggregate value per Right, as of the date
immediately preceding the public announcement of such election, equal to the
current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) as of
such date of the shares of Common Shares that otherwise would have been issuable
pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), which value shall be determined by an investment
banking firm selected by a majority of the Board of Directors. Any such election
by the Board of Directors must be made and publicly announced within 30 days
after the date on which the event (i.e., any Person shall become an Acquiring
Person) described in Section 11(a)(ii) above occurs. Following the occurrence of
one of such events, a majority of the Board of Directors may suspend the
exercisability of the Rights for a period of up to 30 days following the
occurrence of such event to the extent that the Board of Directors has not
determined whether to exercise the Company's right of election under this
Section 11(a)(iv). 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.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them (for
a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe
for or purchase Common Shares or shares having the same rights, privileges and
preferences as the Common Shares ("Equivalent Common Shares") or securities
convertible into Common Shares or Equivalent Common Shares at a price per Common
Share or Equivalent Common Share (or having a conversion price per
11
share, if a security convertible into Common Shares or Equivalent Common
Shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Common
Shares or Equivalent Common Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such
record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall
be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior
to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number
of Common Shares and Equivalent Common Shares (if any) outstanding on such
record date plus the number of Common Shares or Equivalent Common Shares
which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares
and/or Equivalent Common Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate
initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered)
would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which
shall be the number of Common Shares and Equivalent Common Shares outstanding
on such record date plus the number of additional Common Shares and/or
Equivalent Common Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible);
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon
the exercise of one right be less than the aggregate par value of capital
stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such
subscription price may be paid in part or all in a form of consideration
other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Common Shares
and Equivalent Common Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company
shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed
and, in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued,
the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would
then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Common Shares or any class or series of
Equivalent Common Shares (including any such distribution made in connection
with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or
surviving corporation) of cash, evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than
a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Common Shares) or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)),
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then current per share market
price of a Common Share or Equivalent Common Share (as defined in Section 11(d))
on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or
evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or
warrants applicable to one Common Share or Equivalent Common Share and the
denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Common
Shares or Equivalent Common Share; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of capital Stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of
one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record
date is fixed and, in the event that such distribution is not so made, the
Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then
be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per
share market price" of the Common Shares, whether of the Company or any Person
other than the Company, on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such Common Shares for the 30 consecutive
Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such
date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the current per share market
price of the Common Shares is determined during a period following the
12
announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Common Shares payable in such Common Shares or securities
convertible into such Common Shares or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Shares, and prior to the expiration of 30
Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution or the
record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in
each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately
adjusted to reflect the current market price per Common Share or Equivalent
Common Share. 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 on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares
are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then
in use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is
making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of the Common Shares on
such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors shall be used.
The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading
is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed
or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If
the Common Shares are not publicly held or so listed or traded, "current per
share market price" shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be
described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for
all purposes.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase
Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section
11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into
account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11
shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a
Common Share or other share as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first
sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall
be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the
transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of
the right to exercise any Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a),
the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive
any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Common Shares, thereafter
the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall
be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly
equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Common Shares
contained in Sections 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of
Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Common Shares shall apply on like
terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares that may
be purchased from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all
subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
13
(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 Common Shares
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a Common Share) obtained by (i)
multiplying (A) the number of Common Shares covered by a Right immediately prior
to this adjustment by (B) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any
adjustment in the number of Common Shares purchasable upon the exercise of a
Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Common Shares for which a Right
was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of
Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price
by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase
Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust
the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment and, if
known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may
be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but,
if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than
the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued,
upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing,
subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall
be entitled as a result of such adjustment or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued,
executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be
registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the
record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or
the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right
Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the
Purchase Price and the number of shares which were expressed in the initial
Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the Common Shares
issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the
Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares
at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
14
event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of
the Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Common Shares and other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the
basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, prior
to the Distribution Date, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions
in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by
this Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall
determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the
Common Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Common Shares at less than the
current per share market price, issuance wholly for cash of Common Shares or
securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Common
Shares, dividends on Common Shares payable in Common Shares or issuance of
rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter
made by the Company to holders of its Common Shares shall not be taxable to such
shareholders.
(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and
prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (x) the
number of Common Shares purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of
each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of Common Shares so
purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of
which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event
and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately after such event, and (y) each Common Share outstanding immediately
after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights
which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued
with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be
made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a
subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected. If an event occurs which
would require an adjustment under Section 11(a)(ii) and this Section 11(n), the
adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be in addition and prior to
any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or
permit to be taken) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF
SHARES. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof,
the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common
Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each
holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.
15
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER. (a) In the event that, following the Shares Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person (other than any employee benefit plan of the Company
or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan), (ii) any Person (other than any employee benefit plan of the Company or
any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan)
shall consolidate with the Company or merge with and into the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in
connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the
Company) or cash or any other property or (iii) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50%
or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of
its wholly owned Subsidiaries, THEN, and in each such case, proper provision
shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided
herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of Common Shares of
such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the
surviving corporation) as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Common Shares for
which a Right is then exercisable (without taking into account any adjustment
previously made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) and (2) dividing that product by
50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such
other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation
of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) the issuer of such Common
Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement; (c) the term "Company" shall thereafter be
deemed to refer to such issuer, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such issuer following the
first occurrence of a Section 13 event, and (D) such issuer shall take such
steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of
its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such
consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its
Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of any of the events
specified in this Section 13(a), any Rights that are or were acquired or
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such
Acquiring Person) shall become null and void and any holder of such Rights shall
thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this
Agreement.
(b) If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for Common
Shares of such issuer as provided in Section 13(a), then each holder of Rights
shall have the right to exchange its Rights for cash from such issuer in an
amount equal to the number of Common Shares that it would otherwise be entitled
to purchase times 50% of the current per share market price, as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof, of such Common Shares of such issuer. If, for
any reason, the foregoing formulation cannot be applied to determine the cash
amount into which the Rights are exchangeable, then the Board of Directors,
based upon the advice of one or more recognized investment banking firms, and
based upon the total value of the Company, shall determine such amount
reasonably and with good faith to the holder of Rights. Any such determination
shall be final and binding on the Rights Agent.
16
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 transaction unless
the issuer shall have a sufficient number of authorized Common Shares that 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 issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement confirming that such issuer shall, upon consummation of
such Section 13 event, assume this Rights Agreement in accordance with Section
13(a) hereof; that all rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect
of the issuance of Common Shares of such issuer upon exercise of outstanding
Rights have been waived; that there are no rights, warrants, instruments or
securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of
the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, and that such transaction
shall not result in a default by such issuer under this Rights Agreement, and
further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of such Section 13
event such issuer will, at its expense:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause
such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after
such filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Final Expiration Date or redemption pursuant to
Section 23, and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of)
the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a
national securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for
quotation on NASDAQ, and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for such issuer which comply in all respects with the requirements
for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.
In the event that at any time after the occurrence of the event set
forth in Section 11(a)(ii) some or all of the Rights shall not have been
exercised at the time of a transaction described in this Section 13, the Rights
which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable in the
manner described in Section 13(a) (without taking into account any prior
adjustment required by Section 11(a)(ii)).
(d) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or
to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
17
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 on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use
or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of
the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the
Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional Common Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the Company shall
pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of one Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b),
the current market value of a Common Share shall be the closing price of a
Common Share as determined pursuant to the second and third sentence of Section
11(d) hereof for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his or her 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 or
her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the
manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without
limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate
remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or
threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this
Agreement.
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) Prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) After the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal offices of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates
fully executed; and
18
(c) Subject to Sections 6(a), 11 and 13 hereof, the Company and the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate)
is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates
or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the
Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER. No
holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Common Shares or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 24 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT. (a) The Company agrees to pay
to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration
and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in connection with this Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for, or in respect of, any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate
or certificate for the Common Shares or for other securities of the Company,
instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit,
letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where
necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons, or
otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
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 business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the
successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or
filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto,
provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor
Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such
successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement,
any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered,
any such successor Rights Agent may adopt
19
the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent
may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such
cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior
name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights
Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its
changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full
force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company) and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken
or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by any one of the President, any Vice
President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights
Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions
of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect
of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in
the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof)
provided for in Section 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the ascertaining
20
of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right
Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required);
nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or
warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares to be
issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether
any Common Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
one of the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the
Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection
with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by
it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any
delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in 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.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
(j) 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 or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon 30 days notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent
of the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Right Certificates by first class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days notice in writing, mailed to the
Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders
of the Right 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 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
21
holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his or her
Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder
of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for
the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation or trust
company organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
of the State of Minnesota (or of any other state of the United States so long
as such corporation or trust company is authorized to do business as a
banking institution in the State of Minnesota), in good standing, having an
office in the State of Minnesota, which is authorized under such laws to
exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination
by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as
Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million or is a
member of a bank holding company system, which bank holding company system
has an aggregate combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million,
provided that the Rights Agent's separate capital and surplus shall at all
times be at least $10 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as
if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed;
but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor
rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and
deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the
purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights
Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares, and mail a notice thereof
in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to
give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect
therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or
removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent,
as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change
in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. REDEMPTION. (a) the Board of Directors of the Company may,
at its option, at any time prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the
tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or the Final Expiration Date, redeem
all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of
$.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption
price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). The redemption
of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on
such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole
discretion may establish. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement
to the contrary, the rights shall not be exercisable pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof prior to the expiration of the Company's right of redemption
hereunder.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders
of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly
give public notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure
to give or any defect in any such notice shall not affect the validity of such
redemption. Within ten days after such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of
redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last
22
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior
to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the
Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such
notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the
Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or
Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in
any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in
Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common
Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
(c) [Deleted]
(d) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise the Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders
of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly
give public notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure
to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such
redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering
the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b), the Company shall mail a
notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their
last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or,
prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for
the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided
shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such
notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the
Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or
Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in
any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in
Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common
Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. EXCHANGE. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may,
at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall
not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) and Section 13 hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one
Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange
ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors 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 Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such
Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such
Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number
of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The
Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a
notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their
last addresses as
23
they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not
the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the
method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected
and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be
exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the
number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its
option, may substitute preferred shares or Equivalent Common Shares, or a
combination thereof, for Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at such a rate
of preferred share or Equivalent Common Share for each Common Share that the
preferred share or Equivalent Common Share delivered in lieu of each Common
Share shall have the same voting rights as one Common Share.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares or
preferred shares or Equivalent Common Shares issued but not outstanding, or
authorized but unissued, to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in
accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall either (i) take all such
action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares or preferred
shares or Equivalent Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights, or
(ii) alternatively, at the option of a majority of the Board of Directors, with
respect to each Right (A) pay cash in an amount equal to the Purchase Price, in
lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange therefor, or (B) issue debt or equity
securities or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the Current Value
of the Common Shares (as defined hereinafter) exchangeable for each such Right,
where the value of such securities shall be determined by a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors by
majority vote of the Board of Directors, or (C) deliver any combination of cash,
property, Common Shares and/or other securities having a value equal to the
Current Value in exchange for each Right. The Current Value shall be the product
of the current per share market price of Common Shares (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) on the date of the occurrence of the event described above in
Section 24(a)) multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which the Right
otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient shares available. To
the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant
to clauses (A), (B) or (C) of the first sentence of this Section 24(d), the
Board of Directors may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for
a period of up to 60 days following the date on which the event described in
Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any authorization of
additional Common Shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution
to be made pursuant to the above provision 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.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In
lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered
holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common
Shares would be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this Section
24(e), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing
price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day (as defined in Section 11(d)(i))
immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
24
(f) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of
Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially
equivalent value, as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of
Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms.
(g) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(f) 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 rights in exchange therefor as has been determined by the Board of
Directors in accordance with Section 24(f) above. The Company shall 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 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
transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company. 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 Rights will be effected.
Section 25. (a) NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS. In case the Company shall
propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of
its Common Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Common
Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend) or (ii) to offer to the
holders of its Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional Common Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other
securities, rights or options or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its
Common Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding Common Shares) or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or
with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its
Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions,
of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person or (v) to effect the
liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company or (vi) to declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right
Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock
dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Shares, if any such date is to be fixed,
and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause
(i) or (ii) above at least 20 days prior to the record date for determining
holders of the Common Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any
such other action, at least 20 days prior to the date of the taking of such
proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the
Common Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In the case the event (i.e., any Person shall become an Acquiring
Person) set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) of this Agreement shall occur, then, in
such a case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of
the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences
of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
25
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement
to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
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:
ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Chairman
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder
of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given
or made if sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
X.X. Xxx 000
Xxxxx Xx. Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Stock Transfer Department
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by
the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. The Company may from time to
time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to the Rights
which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any such supplement or
amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights
Agent; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that from and after such time as any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner which would
adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights that are not or will not
become void pursuant to the terms of Section 11(a)(ii), Section 13 or any other
section hereof. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time
prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this
Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in Sections l(a) and 3(a) hereof
from 15% to not less than the greater of (i) any percentage greater than the
largest percentage of the outstanding Common Shares then known by the Company to
be beneficially owned by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any
such plan) and (ii) 10%. 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 unless the Rights Agent shall have determined in
good faith that such supplement or amendment would adversely affect its
interests under this Agreement. Prior
26
to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be
deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
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 OF DIRECTORS. For
all purposes of this Agreement, any calculations of the number of Common Shares
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is
the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company
(and, where specifically provided for herein, the Continuing Directors) shall
have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to
exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or the Company
(or, where specifically provided for herein, the Continuing Directors) or, as
may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the right and power to (a) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement and (b) make all determinations deemed necessary or
advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to
redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). 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 (or, where specifically provided for herein, by the Continuing
Directors) in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other
parties and (y) not subject the Board or the Continuing Directors 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 or corporation other than the Company,
the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and,
prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the
Common Shares).
Section 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 of
Directors of the Company 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 23 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 of Directors.
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Minnesota and for all purposes shall be governed
27
by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to
contracts to be made and 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 the day and year first above written.
Attest: ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
By_________________________ By_________________________
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Assistant Secretary Secretary and General Counsel
Attest: NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
By_________________________ By_________________________
Title________________________
28
FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATE EXHIBIT A
Certificate No. R- ____________________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER APRIL 16, 2008 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OCCURS. THE RIGHTS
ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN SECTION 11(a)(ii)
AND SECTION 13 OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING
PERSONS OR ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [IF
THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED TO A PERSON WHO WAS
AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR AN ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS
SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE
RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN
SECTION 11(a)(ii) AND SECTION 13 OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]*
Right Certificate
ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
This certifies that ___________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of April 16, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, a Minnesota corporation (the
"Company"), and NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A., (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase
from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M. (Minneapolis time) on
April 16, 2008 at the principal offices of the Rights Agent, or at the office of
its successor as Rights Agent, one fully paid nonassessable Common Share, $0.10
par value (the "Common Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $160 per
one Common Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this
Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of Common
Shares which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the
Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of April
16, 1998, based on the Common Shares as constituted at such date.
As provided in the Restated Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and
the number of Common Shares which may be purchased upon the exercise of the
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Restated Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and
conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof
and to which Restated Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full
description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and
immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the
Right Certificates. Copies of the Restated Rights Agreement are on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company and the offices of the Rights Agent.
* The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable.
29
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal offices of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of
Common Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate may, but are not required to, be redeemed by
the Company at a redemption price of $.001 per Right.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be
made, as provided in the Restated Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Common Shares
or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on
the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Restated Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in the Restated Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or
subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Restated Rights
Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signatures of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of _______________ , 19___.
ATTEST: ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATION
By _________________________ By_________________________
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Assistant Secretary Secretary and General Counsel
Countersigned:
NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.
By_________________________
Authorized Signature
30
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to
transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED_____________________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_______________________________________________________________________________
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ____________________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated: ____________________, 19___
-----------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered
national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Restated Rights Agreement).
-----------------------
Signature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise
the Right Certificate.)
To: ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
_________________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to
purchase the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such Common Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number_______________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number_______________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
Dated: ___________________, 19___
-----------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered
national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Restated Rights Agreement).
-----------------------
Signature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
NOTICE
The signatures in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Forms of
Assignment and Election is not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial
owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Restated Rights
Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment, will affix a legend to that effect
on any Right Certificates issued in exchange for this Right Certificate.
33
EXHIBIT B
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE COMMON SHARES
On June 15, 1989, the Board of Directors of ANALYSTS INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATION (the "Company") declared a dividend of one common share purchase
right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of the Common Shares, $0.10 par
value (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable on June 30,
1989 to the shareholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company one Common Share of the Company,
at a price of $160 per Common Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Restated
Rights Agreement, dated as of June 16, 1989 and amended and restated as of April
16, 1998 (the "Restated Rights Agreement"), between the Company and NORWEST BANK
MINNESOTA, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares or (ii) 10 days
following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender
offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of such outstanding Common Shares
(the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights
will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates
outstanding as of June 30, 1989, by such Common Share certificate with a copy of
this Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Restated Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution
Date, the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until
the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after June 30, 1989 upon transfer or new
issuance of the Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares, outstanding as of June 30, 1989, even without such notation or a
copy of this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on April 16, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the Final
Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed by the
Company, in each case as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Common Shares or other
securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the Common
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Common Shares of certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at a price, or securities
convertible into Common Shares with a conversion price, less than the then
current market price of the Common Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to
holders of the Common Shares of
34
evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash
dividends paid out of earnings or retained earnings or dividends payable in
Common Shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of Common Shares
issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event
of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock dividend on the Common Shares
payable in Common Shares or subdivisions, combinations or consolidations of the
Common Shares, occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
Common Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will be
identical to other Common Shares of the Company.
In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other
business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or
earning power is sold, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a
Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at
the then current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common
stock of the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a
market value of two times the exercise price of the Right. Subject to redemption
or exchange, in the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person, proper
provision will be made so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights that
are beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void),
will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise that number of Common
Shares having a market value of two times the then current exercise price of the
Right.
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated
or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company 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
of a share of a class or series of the Company's preferred stock having
equivalent rights, preferences and privileges, or cash), per Right (subject to
adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Common Shares will be issued and, in lieu
thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the
Common Shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
At any time until 10 days after public announcement that a person or
group of affiliated or associated persons has acquired beneficial ownership of
15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the
Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per
Right (the "Redemption Price"). The redemption of the Rights may be made
effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of
Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of
the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an
amendment to lower the threshold for exercisability of the Rights from 15% to
not less than the greater of (i) any percentage greater than the largest
percentage of the outstanding Common Shares then known to the Company to be
beneficially owned by any person or group of
35
affiliated or associated persons and (ii) 10%; except that from and after the
date there is an Acquiring Person, no such amendment may adversely affect the
interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company
on terms not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, except pursuant to an
offer conditioned on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. The Rights
should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by
the Board of Directors since the Rights may be redeemed by the Company at the
Redemption Price prior to or on 10 days after the time that a person or group
has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Common Shares.
The Restated Rights Agreement, specifying the terms of the Rights and
including the form of Right Certificate, and the form of press release
announcing the declaration of the Rights dividend are attached hereto as
exhibits. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Restated Rights Agreement,
which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
36
ARTICLE V
The total authorized number of shares of the Corporation shall be
60,000,000 common shares of the par value of ten cents (10 cents) per share.
The shareholders shall have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe
for any shares, or securities convertible into shares of the corporation.
There shall be no cumulative voting of shares of the corporation.
The Board of Directors is hereby authorized and empowered to accept or
reject subscriptions for shares made after incorporation and to issue
authorized but unissued shares from time to time for such consideration as
the Board of Directors may determine, but not less than the par value of the
shares so issued.
The Board of Directors is hereby authorized and empowered to fix the
terms, provisions and conditions of option, warrants or rights to purchase or
subscribe for shares of corporation, including the price or prices at which
shares may be purchased or subscribed for and to authorize the issuance
thereof.
