MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
AND
MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK OF AURORA, AS RIGHTS AGENT
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED OCTOBER 23, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Section 1. Certain Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right
Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 7. Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. . . . .10
Section 9. Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock . . . . . . . . .10
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares and Number
of Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.19
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares . . . . . . . . . .22
Section 15. Rights of Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder . . . . .24
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent .25
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Section 23. Redemption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Section 24. Exchange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Section 26. Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Section 28. Successors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Section 30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. . . .32
Section 31. Severability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Section 32. Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Section 33. Counterparts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of October 23, 1998
("Agreement"), between Merchants Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Merchants National Bank of Aurora, as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agent").
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared
a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each share
of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the
Close of Business (as defined below) on January 13, 1989 (the "Record Date"),
each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth (subject to
adjustment) of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of
the Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the
Rights Agreement (the "Original Agreement"), dated as of January 4, 1989,
between the Company and the Rights Agent, and further authorized and directed
the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment) with respect to each share
of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the
earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Expiration
Date (as such terms are defined in the Original Agreement).
WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent desire to amend and restate
the terms and provisions of the Original Agreement in their entirety.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby amend and restate the terms
and provisions of the Original Agreement so as to read in their entirety as
follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meaning indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term
is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding, but shall not include an Exempt Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (i) if the Board of Directors
of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be
an "Acquiring Person" became the Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of
Common Stock such that the Person would otherwise qualify as an "Acquiring
Person" inadvertently (including, without limitation, because (A) such Person
was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of Common Stock that
would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring Person" or (B) such
Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock
but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership
under this Agreement) and without any intention of changing or influencing
control of the Company, then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have
become an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement unless and
until such Person shall have failed to divest itself, as soon as practicable
(as determined, in good
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faith, by the Board of Directors of the Company), of Beneficial Ownership of
a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no
longer otherwise qualify as an "Acquiring Person"; and (ii) no Person shall
become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of shares of
Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares
outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock
beneficially owned by such Person to 15% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding by reason of such share acquisitions by the Company and shall
thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common
Stock (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the
Company on the outstanding Common Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision
of the outstanding Common Stock), then such Person shall be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person" unless upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such
additional shares of Common Stock such Person does not beneficially own 15%
or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. For all purposes of
this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any
Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last
sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in
effect on the date hereof.
(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 Exchange Act, as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, shall be
deemed to have "Beneficial Ownership" of and shall be deemed to "beneficially
own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates is deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, within the
meaning of Rule l3d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
Act as in effect on the date hereof;
(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, warrants or options, or otherwise; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to
beneficially own, (x) 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, (y)
securities which such Person has a right to acquire upon the exercise of
Rights at any time prior to the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring
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Person or (z) securities issuable upon the exercise of Rights from and after
the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person if such Rights were
acquired by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof ("Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) or Section 11(n) with
respect to an adjustment to Original Rights; 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 by reason of such agreement, arrangement or understanding
if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1)
arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in
response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the
Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person and with respect to which such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates has 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) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the
extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of
such securities of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no Person who is an
officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person shall be deemed, solely by
reason of such Person's status or authority as such, to be the "Beneficial
Owner" of, to have "Beneficial Ownership" of or to "beneficially own" any
securities that are "beneficially owned" (as defined in this Section l(c)),
including, without limitation, in a fiduciary capacity, by an Exempt Person
or by any other such officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Illinois or the
city in which the principal office of the Rights Agent is located are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Chicago time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Chicago time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall
mean the Common Stock, presently par value $1.00 per share, of the Company.
"Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company
shall mean the common stock (or, in the case of an unincorporated entity, the
equivalent equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other
Person or, if such other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person
or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
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(h) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3 hereof.
(j) "Equivalent Preferred Shares" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(b) hereof.
(k) "Exempt Person" shall mean the Company or any Subsidiary (as
such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, in each case including,
without limitation, in its fiduciary capacity, or any employee benefit plan
of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee
holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the
purpose of funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for
employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.
(l) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24
hereof.
(m) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(n) "Flip-In Event" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(o) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(p) "NASDAQ" shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(q) "New York Stock Exchange" shall mean the New York Stock
Exchange, Inc.
(r) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity, and shall
include any successor (by merger or otherwise) to such entity.
(s) "Preferred Stock" shall mean the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company having the rights
and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate of Designation attached
to this Agreement as Exhibit A.
(t) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
13(b) hereof.
(u) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
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(v) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
23 hereof.
(w) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3 hereof.
(x) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
(y) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(z) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(aa) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, 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,
or such earlier date as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become
aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person.
(bb) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary
voting power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or
other persons performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by such Person, and any corporation or other entity that is
otherwise controlled by such Person.
(cc) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(dd) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3 hereof.
(ee) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company has appointed
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 be the holders of Common Stock) in accordance with the
terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent has accepted 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 Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the tenth day
after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such
later date as may be
5
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 by any
Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement
of the intention of such Person (other than an Exempt Person) to commence, a
tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person
(other than an Exempt Person) becoming the Beneficial Owner of shares of
Common Stock aggregating 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding
(the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution
Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of
Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Stock registered in the
names of the holders thereof and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y)
the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of
Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the
Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if
requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each
record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution
Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto
(a "Right Certificate"), evidencing one Right (subject to adjustment as
provided herein) for each share of Common Stock so held. As of the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company sent a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred
Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of
Rights"), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of
Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address
of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to
certificates for Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates
registered in the names of the holders thereof together with the Summary of
Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date),
the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock outstanding on
the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented thereby.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock
issued or disposed of (including, without limitation, upon disposition of
Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock
out of authorized but unissued shares) after the Record Date but prior to the
earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, or in certain
circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date.
Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without limitation, upon
transfer of outstanding Common Stock, disposition of Common Stock out of
treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of authorized
but unissued shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances
provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date shall have
impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the
following legend:
6
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
Merchants Bancorp, Inc. and Merchants National Bank of Aurora,
dated as of January 4, 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 offices of Merchants Bancorp,
Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates
and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Rights
Agent will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement without charge promptly after receipt of a
written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth
in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person
who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement) and any subsequent holder of such Rights may become
null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate, except as otherwise provided
herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or
otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the
Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be
deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to
exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock which are no longer
outstanding.
Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend shall not
affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any
holder of the Rights.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The Right Certificates (and
the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on
the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit
B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with
any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation
of any stock exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the Rights may
from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage. Subject to
the provisions of this Agreement, the Right Certificates shall entitle the
holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price per one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock set forth therein (the "Purchase
Price"), but the number of such one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided
herein.
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Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by the President of the Company, 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 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 Agreement any such Person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at an office or agency designated for such purpose, 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 this Agreement, at any time after
the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate
or Right Certificates 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 one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock 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 office or agency of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose. 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) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after
the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, upon receipt by the
Company and the
8
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) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become
exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of
any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as
otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or
in part 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 office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the
total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights
are exercised, at any time which is both after the Distribution Date and
prior to the time (the "Expiration Date") that is the earliest of (i) the
Close of Business on October 23, 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.
(b) The Purchase Price shall be initially $450.00 for each one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of
a Right. The Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a share
of Preferred Stock or other securities or property to be acquired upon
exercise of a Right 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) of this Section
7.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right
Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to
purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase
Price for the shares of Preferred Stock 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, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the
Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from
any transfer agent of the Preferred Stock, or make available if the Rights
Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock, certificates for the
number of shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased, and the Company hereby
irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests,
or (B) requisition from a depositary agent appointed by the Company
depositary receipts representing interests in such number of one
one-hundredths of a share of
9
Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the
Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the
transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the Company hereby directs any
such depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate,
requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of
issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii)
promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the
same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by
such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, promptly deliver such
cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered
holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all of the Rights
evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to
the exercisable Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights
Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly
authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder of Rights upon the occurrence of
any purported transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or
this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and
signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment or form of
election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such transfer or exercise and (ii) provided such additional
evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner)
thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. All
Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split
up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of
its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in 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 Agreement. The Company shall
deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights
Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or
acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights
Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall,
at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Right
Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction
thereof to the Company.
Section 9. AVAILABILITY OF SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock held in its treasury, the
number of shares of Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
10
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the
exercise of Rights may be listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, the Company shall use its best
efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable,
all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed or admitted to trading on
such exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, upon official notice of issuance upon
such exercise.
(c) From and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the
Company shall use its best efforts, if then necessary to permit the issuance
of shares of Preferred Stock upon the exercise of Rights, to register and
qualify such shares of Preferred Stock under the Securities Act and any
applicable state securities or "Blue Sky" laws (to the extent exemptions
therefrom are not available), cause such registration statement and
qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after such filing and
keep such registration and qualifications effective until the earlier of the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and
the Expiration Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of
time not to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to
prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit
it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a
public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. 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 and until a registration statement under the Securities
Act shall have been declared effective, unless an exemption therefrom is
available.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock
delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the
certificates therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and
validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges
which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right
Certificates or of any shares of Preferred Stock 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
depositary receipts for the Preferred Stock in a name other than that of, the
registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for
exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for
Preferred Stock upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have
been paid (any such tax being payable by that holder of such Right
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the
Company's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
11
Section 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name
any certificate for Preferred Stock is issued upon the exercise of Rights
shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the
shares of Preferred Stock 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 Preferred Stock 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 Preferred Stock 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 Preferred Stock for which the Rights shall be exercisable,
including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends or
other distributions, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any
proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES
AND NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred
Stock or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of 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 and pay a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable
in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock,
(C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares
of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification
in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this
Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date
for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination
or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock
issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder
of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the
aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had
been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, the holder would
have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such
dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one
Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of
the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person (the first occurrence of such event being
referred to hereinafter as the "Flip-In Event"), then (A) the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the
Flip-In Event multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
Flip-In Event, whether or not such Right was then exercisable,
12
and (B) each holder of a Right, except as otherwise provided in this Section
11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the Purchase Price (as so
adjusted), in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of
shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall
equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) by
50% of the current per share market price of the Common Stock (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of such Flip-In Event;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of
shares of Common Stock so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall,
following the Flip-In Event, be subject to further adjustment as appropriate
in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, however, from and after the Flip-In Event, any
Rights that are beneficially owned by (x) any Acquiring Person (or any
Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (y) a transferee of any
Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a
transferee after the Flip-In Event or (z) a transferee of any Acquiring
Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Flip-In Event pursuant to either (I) a transfer from
the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person
with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer which the Board of
Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph,
and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall be void without any further
action and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights
whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of this Agreement.
The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions
of this Section 11(a)(ii) are complied with, but shall have no liability to
any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure
to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its
Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after the Flip-In
Event, no Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section
6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the
provisions of this paragraph, and any Right Certificate delivered to the
Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to
the provisions of this paragraph shall be canceled. From and after the
occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that
theretofore have not been exercised pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall
thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and not pursuant
to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) The Company may at its option substitute for a share of Common
Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof
such that the current per share market price of one share of Preferred Stock
multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share
market price of one share of Common Stock. In the event that there shall not
be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized
but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with
the foregoing
13
subparagraph (ii), the Board of Directors shall, to the extent permitted by
applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the
Company is a party (A) determine the excess (such excess, the "Spread") of
(1) the value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a
Right in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the "Current
Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii)), and (B) with respect to each Right (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the foregoing subparagraph (ii)),
make adequate provision to substitute for the shares of Common Stock issuable
in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) upon exercise of the Right
and payment of the Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance therewith), (1)
cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase Price, (3) shares of Preferred Stock
or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation,
shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock which, by virtue of having
dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to those of
the shares of Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by the Board of
Directors to have substantially the same value as the shares of Common Stock
(such shares of Preferred Stock and shares or fractions of shares of
preferred stock are hereinafter referred to as "Common Stock Equivalents")),
(4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination
of the foregoing, having a value which, when added to the value of the shares
of Common Stock issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an aggregate
value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in such
Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board
of Directors upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking
firm selected in good faith by the Board of Directors; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that if the Company shall not make adequate provision to deliver value
pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the Flip-In
Event (the "Section 11(a) (ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be
obligated to deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any
material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the
surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of such
Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available), and then,
if necessary, such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the
extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have
an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If, upon the occurrence of the
Flip-In Event, the Board of Directors shall determine in good faith that it
is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be
authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, then, if the
Board of Directors so elects, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may
be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after
the Section 11(a) (ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such
thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is herein called the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some
action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third sentence of this
Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii) hereof,
that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights and (y) may
suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the
Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares
and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to
such second sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any
such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that
the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the shares of Common
Stock shall be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i)) on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or
14
fractional value of any "Common Stock Equivalent" shall be deemed to equal
the current per share market price of the Common Stock. The Board of
Directors of the Company may, but shall not be required to, establish
procedures to allocate the right to receive shares of Common Stock upon the
exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant to this Section
11(a)(iii).
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them
(for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock ("Equivalent Preferred
Shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Shares at a price per share of Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Shares (or having a conversion price per share, if a security
convertible into shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Shares)
less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record
date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of
Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares outstanding on such record
date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred
Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares so to be offered (and/or
the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of
additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be
offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible
securities so to be offered are initially convertible); PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one
Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of
the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription
price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form
other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Shares of
Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares owned by or held for the
account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any
such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants
are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase
Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a
dividend payable in Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants
(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to
be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect
15
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, less the
fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of
the Company whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness
so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to
one share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such
current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
of the Preferred Stock; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be
issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be
the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d)(i) Except as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any
computation hereunder, the "current per share market price " of any security
(a "Security" for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be
deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such
Security for the 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 Security is determined during
a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a
dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security
or securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision,
combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration
of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or
distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market
price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per
share equivalent of such Security. 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 by the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New
York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading
on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the
principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or
admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by
a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day
on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is
listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if
the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, a Business Day.
16
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred
Stock is publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the
Preferred Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth
in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Stock is not publicly traded but the
Common Stock is publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the
Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share
market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
multiplied by the then applicable Adjustment Number (as defined in and
determined in accordance with the Certificate of Designation for the
Preferred Stock). If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is
publicly traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value
per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless
such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the
Purchase Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried 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 share of Preferred Stock or one-hundredth of a share of
Common Stock or other share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding
the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this
Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from
the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the
Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to
receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than the Preferred
Stock, thereafter the Purchase Price and the number of such other shares so
receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time
to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the
provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a),
11(b), 11(c), 11(e), 11(h), 11(i) and 11(m) hereof, as applicable, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the
Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of
a share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon
exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and 11(c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall
thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
that number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated
to the nearest one hundred-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) obtained
by (i) multiplying
17
(x) the number of one one-hundredths of a share purchasable upon the exercise
of a Right immediately prior to such adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to such adjustment and (ii) dividing the product so
obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Purchase Price pursuant to Sections 11(b) or 11(c) hereof to adjust the
number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of
a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number
of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior
to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of
the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the
nearest one-hundredth) 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. Such 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 may, 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 one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable
upon the exercise of a Right, the Right Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number
of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock 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 fraction
of Preferred Stock or other shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of
a Right, 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 shares of Preferred Stock or
other such shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
18
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such
adjustment; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder
a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to
receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring
such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments 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 Preferred
Stock, issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than
the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock or
securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
Preferred Stock, dividends on Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred
Stock or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in
Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred
Stock shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that at any time after the Record Date and prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare and pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision,
combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then, in each such case,
the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then
outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter, shall be proportionately
adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share
of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by
multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock
immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be
the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to
the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the
occurrence of such event. As a result of certain adjustments heretofore made
pursuant to and in accordance with Section 11(p) of the Original Agreement,
one-sixth of a Right is currently associated with each issued and outstanding
share of Common Stock, and each such one-sixth of a Right, from and after the
date hereof, shall be subject to adjustment, from time to time, pursuant to
and in accordance with this Agreement, including, without limitation, this
Section 11(n).
(o) The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Stock Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by
Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any
action if at the time such action is taken it is
19
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF
SHARES. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13
hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth
such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such
adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for
the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock 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 (if so required under Section 25 hereof).
The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate
and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to have
knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such
certificate.
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER.
(a) In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after the Flip-In
Event (i) the Company shall consolidate with or shall merge into any other
Person, (ii) any Person shall 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 Stock shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or of
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 wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company), then upon the first
occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that: (A) each
holder of a Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in
accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock of
the Company, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal
Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens,
encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall equal
the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted
in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) by 50% of the current per share
market price of the Common Stock of such Principal Party (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as
theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) and the
number of shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party so receivable upon
exercise of a Right shall be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in
accordance with Section 11(f) hereof to reflect any events occurring in
respect of the Common Stock of such Principal Party after the occurrence of
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) such Principal Party 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
20
"Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party; and
(D) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited
to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its shares of Common Stock in
accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation of any
such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof
shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation
to the shares of its Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of
the Rights; provided that, upon the subsequent occurrence of any
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary
transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall
thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the
Purchase Price as provided in this Section 13(a), such cash, shares, rights,
warrants and other property which such holder would have been entitled to
receive had such holder, at the time of such transaction, owned the Common
Stock of the Principal Party receivable upon the exercise of a Right pursuant
to this Section 13(a), and such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be
necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with
the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described in (i) or (ii)
of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the
issuer of the securities into which the shares of Common Stock are converted
in such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer,
the issuer the shares of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate
market value of shares outstanding, or (B) if no securities are so issued,
(x) the Person that is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives
said merger, or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares
of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding or (y) if the Person that is the other party to the merger does
not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the merger (including
the Company if it survives) or (z) the Person resulting from the
consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in (iii) of the
first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred
pursuant to such transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a
party to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the
assets or earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the
greatest portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined,
whichever of such Persons is the issuer of Common Stock having the greatest
aggregate market value of shares outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any
such case described in the foregoing clause (b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common
Stock of such Person is not at such time or has not been continuously over
the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange
Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another
Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, the term
"Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or (2) if such Person is
a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common
Stock of all of which is and has been so registered, the term "Principal
Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of Common Stock
21
having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, or (3) if
such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by
two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same
Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to each
of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the Person owned by the
joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and
the Principal Party in each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in
this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the
total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer referred to in Section 13(a) hereof unless prior thereto the
Company and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements
of Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance
with their terms and that such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of
assets shall not result in a default by the Principal Party under this
Agreement as the same shall have been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant
to Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof and providing that, as soon as practicable
after executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal
Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act, if necessary, 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 Expiration Date and
similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the
Principal Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or on another national securities exchange, to list or admit to
trading (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on the New York Stock Exchange or
such securities exchange, or, if the Common Stock of the Principal Party
shall not be listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or
a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities
receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be authorized for quotation on
NASDAQ or on such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with the
requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or
preemptive rights in respect of the Common Stock of the Principal Party
subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
(d) In case the Principal Party has provision in any of its
authorized securities or in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or
other instrument governing its affairs, which provision would have the effect
of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue
22
(other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13), in connection
with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to
in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents of
such Principal Party at less than the then current market price per share
thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or securities
exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock or Common Stock
Equivalents of such Principal Party at less than such then current market
price, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provision in
connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal Party
pursuant to the provisions of Section 13, then, in such event, the Company
hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any
such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party
shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental
agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party
shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the authorized
securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no
effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the
proposed transaction.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Flip-In Event, enter into any transaction of the type described in
clauses (i) through (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof if (i) at the time of or
immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or other
transaction there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities
outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or
otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, (ii)
prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer or other transaction, the stockholders of the Person
who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of
Section 13(b) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously
owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form
or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the
exercisability of the Rights.
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 (except
prior to the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(n) hereof). In
lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders
of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section
14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price
of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for
any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale
takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to
securities listed on the principal national
23
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
Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock) upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. Interests in fractions of
Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company
and a depositary selected by it; PROVIDED, that such agreement shall provide
that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights,
privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of
the Preferred Stock represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of
fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised or exchanged as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Preferred Stock (as
determined in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.
(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of
such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share
of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares
upon exercise or exchange 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 Stock); and any registered holder of any Right
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock),
24
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 Stock), on his
own behalf and for his own benefit, may enforce, and may institute and
maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or
otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, such Common
Stock) in the manner provided therein 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 Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person
in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the
Common Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of
the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or
writing on the Right Certificates or the Common Stock certificate made by
anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes
whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by
any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. 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 Preferred Stock or
any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise or exchange 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 stockholder
of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any
matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement),
or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the
Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised or
exchanged in accordance with the provisions hereof.
25
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 arising therefrom,
directly or indirectly.
(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 Preferred Stock or Common Stock or
for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer,
power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction,
consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document 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 stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights
Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or
any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; PROVIDED, that such
corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent
under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such
successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement,
any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of
the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall
not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such
Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and
in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered,
26
the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and
deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent
may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its
changed name and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the
full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right
Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any
action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any
action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect
thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively
proved and established by a certificate signed by the President and 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
provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 and 24, or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except
with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after
receipt of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12, describing such
change or adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make
any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
shares of Preferred Stock or other securities to be
27
issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Preferred Stock or other securities will, when issued, be
validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge
and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered
all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably
be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or 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
person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the President or
the Secretary 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. Any application by the Rights Agent for written
instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set
forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights
Agent under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action
shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall
not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in
accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the
date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five
Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives
such application unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to
an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective
date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received
written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to
be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or
other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any
transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were
not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the
Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any
other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by
or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any
such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was
exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form
of assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse
thereof, as the case may be, has not
28
been completed to certify the holder is not an Acquiring Person (or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof), the Rights Agent shall not take any further
action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first
consulting with the Company.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under
this Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to
each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or
certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, to the holders of the
Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice in writing, mailed
to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to
each transfer agent of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or
certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, 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 holder of
a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any
Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation or bank
organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or the laws
of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, in good
standing, having an office in the State of Illinois or the State of New York,
which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock
transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or
state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent
a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment,
the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights,
duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights
Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall
deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time
held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the
effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof
in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the
Common Stock or Preferred Stock, and, following the Distribution Date, mail a
notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Righ 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 forms 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. In
addition,
29
in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock following the
Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company may with
respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the
exercise of stock options, (ii) under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii)
upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes or debentures
issued by the Company or (iv) a contractual obligation of the Company, in
each case existing prior to the Distribution Date, issue Rights Certificates
representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such
issuance or sale.
Section 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at any time prior to
the Flip-In Event, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding
Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to
reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring
after the date hereof (the redemption price being hereinafter referred to as
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 Redemption Price shall
be payable, at the option of the Company, in cash, shares of Common Stock, or
such other form of consideration as the Board of Directors shall determine.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering
the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or
at such later time as the Board of Directors may establish for the
effectiveness of such redemption), and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only
right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption
Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such
notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days
after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the
Rights (or such later time as the Board of Directors may establish for the
effectiveness of such redemption), 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 Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein
provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at
any time after the Flip-In Event, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have
become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for
Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the Record Date (such amount per Right being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Board of
30
Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after an
Acquiring Person shall have become the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common
Stock aggregating 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
From and after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof,
any Rights that theretofore have not been exchanged pursuant to this Section
24(a) shall thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and
may not be exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a). The exchange 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.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board
of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to
paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only
right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number
of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such
holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give
public notice of any such exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to
give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such
exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to
all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they
appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not
the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the
method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights will be
effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights
which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata
based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder
of Rights.
(c) The Company may at its option substitute, and, in the event
that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not
outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit an exchange of Rights for
Common Stock as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company
shall substitute to the extent of such insufficiency, for each share of
Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a
number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof (or Equivalent
Preferred Shares, as such term is defined in Section 11(b)) such that the
current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
of one share of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred share) multiplied by
such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one
share of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the
date of such exchange.
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any
dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock
or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to
31
the holders of its Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to
purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any
class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding Preferred
Stock), (iv) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, or (v) to pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common
Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in
Common Stock), 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 liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or
Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so
given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least
10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred
Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action,
at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or
the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or
Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13
shall occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution
Date, the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof,
a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such
event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section
11(a)(ii) and Section 13 hereof.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement
to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
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:
Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, President
with a copy to:
Barack Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxxx
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
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,
32
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Company) as follows:
Merchants National Bank of Aurora
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Stock Transfer Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right 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. For so long as the Rights
are then redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and
the Rights Agent shall if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any
provision of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any
holders of the Rights. At any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable,
the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs,
supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
Rights, PROVIDED that no such supplement or amendment may (a) adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other than an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), (b)
cause this Agreement again to become amendable other than in accordance with
this sentence or (c) cause the Rights again to become redeemable. 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.
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement
shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights
Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders
of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common
Stock).
Section 30. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The
Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority
to administer this Agreement and to exercise the rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be
necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed
33
necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including,
without limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to
amend or not amend this Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y)
below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) that are done or made by
the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (x) be final,
conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights, as such, and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board of
Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
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.
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 Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and
performed entirely within such State.
Section 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.
34
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------------------
Title: Chairman, President & CEO
---------------------------------
MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK OF AURORA.,
as Rights Agent
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
---------------------------------
Title: Chairman, President & CEO
---------------------------------
35
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF
AMENDED CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC., a corporation organized and existing under
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in
accordance with the provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation
of the said Corporation, the said Board of Directors on October 19, 1998
adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of
the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred
Stock of the Corporation designated as "Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock" was created by the filing of a
Certificate of Designation of the Corporation therefor with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 13, 1989;
and
WHEREAS, the designation and number of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the voting and other
powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other
rights of the shares of such series and the qualifications,
limitations and restrictions thereof were amended in their
entirety pursuant to a Certificate of Designation of the
Corporation therefor filed with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware on September 7, 1993; and
WHEREAS, no shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock have been issued;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT AND IT HEREBY IS
1
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the
Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the
provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the
designation and number of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and the voting and other powers, preferences and
relative, participating, optional or other rights of the shares of
such series and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions
thereof are amended to read in their entirety as follows:
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. There shall be a series of Preferred
Stock that shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock," and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 50,000.
Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the
Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the
number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less
than the number of shares then issued and outstanding plus the number of
shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or
upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the Corporation.
2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTION.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders
of any shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation ranking
prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of any
class or series of stock of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, shall be entitled to
receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds
legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the
last business day of January, April, July and October, in each year (each
such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"),
commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first
issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal
to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined below)
times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and the
Adjustment Number times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of
all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable
in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common
Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock")
since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with
respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first
issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock. The "Adjustment Number" shall initially be 600. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after October 23, 1998 (i) declare
and pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding
Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the
Adjustment Number in effect immediately
2
prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number
by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph
(A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the
Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of
issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to
accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is
a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin
to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less
than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on
such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all
such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record
date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 60
days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the
Adjustment Number on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of
the Corporation.
(B) Except as required by law, by Section 3(C) and by
Section 10 hereof, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required
(except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock
as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
(C) If, at the time of any annual meeting of stockholders
for the election of directors, the equivalent of six quarterly dividends
(whether or not consecutive) payable on any share or shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock are in default, the number of directors
constituting the Board of Directors of the Company shall be increased by two.
In addition to voting together with the holders of Common Stock for the
election of other directors of the Company, the holders of record of the
Series A Junior
3
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class to the exclusion
of the holders of Common Stock, shall be entitled at said meeting of
stockholders (and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders), unless
all dividends in arrears on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
have been paid or declared and set apart for payment prior thereto, to vote
for the election of two directors of the Company, the holders of any Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock being entitled to cast a number of votes
per share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as is specified in
paragraph (A) of this Section 3. Until the default in payments of all
dividends which permitted the election of said directors shall cease to
exist, if any director who shall have been so elected pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 3(C) resigns, is removed or dies or such
directorship otherwise becomes vacant, the holders of the shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock may fill any such vacancy. If and when
such default shall cease to exist, the holders of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be divested of the foregoing special
voting rights, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent
like default in payments of dividends. Upon the termination of the foregoing
special voting rights, the terms of office of all persons who may have been
elected directors pursuant to said special voting rights shall forthwith
terminate, and the number of directorsconstituting the Board of Directors
shall be reduced by two. The voting rights granted by this Section 3(C)
shall be in addition to any other voting rights granted to the holders of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in this Section 3.
4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as
provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and
unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been
paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other
distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on
which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts
to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; or
(iii) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of
stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by
publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or to such holders and holders
of any such shares ranking on a parity therewith, upon such terms as the
Board of
4
Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and
other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes,
shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment
among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any
manner whatsoever shall be retired promptly after the acquisition thereof.
All such shares shall upon their retirement become authorized but unissued
shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. (A) Upon any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, voluntary or
otherwise, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless,
prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the "Series A
Liquidation Preference") equal to the greater of (i) $1.00 plus an amount
equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or
not declared, to the date of such payment, or (ii) the Adjustment Number
times the per share amount of all cash and other property to be distributed
in respect of the Common Stock upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding
up of the Corporation.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and series of
stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the assets
available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the holders
of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of such
parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation
into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other
corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this
Section 6.
7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the outstanding shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other
stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per
5
share equal to the Adjustment Number times the aggregate amount of stock,
securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may
be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged.
8. NO REDEMPTION. Shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not be subject to redemption by the Company.
9. RANKING. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall rank junior to all other series of the Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up, unless the terms of any such series shall provide
otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock as to such matters.
10. AMENDMENT. At any time that any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which
would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them
adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting
separately as a class.
11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in
proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights,
receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of
all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this
__ day of _________________, 199_.
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
By:
----------------------------
Name: ----------------------
Title: ---------------------
6
EXHIBIT B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R-______
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER OCTOBER 23, 2008 OR EARLIER IF
REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE
SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND TO
EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET
FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR
TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL
BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE
TRANSFERABLE.
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
This certifies that ____________________________ or registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above,
each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions
and conditions of the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of
October 23, 1998, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Rights
Agreement"), between Merchants Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Merchants National Bank of Aurora, as Rights Agent (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., Chicago time, on October 23, 2008 at the office or agency of
the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or of its successor as Rights
Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the
"Preferred Stock"), of the Company at a purchase price of $450.00 per one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (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
Rights Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock 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 October 23, 1998, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such
date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price, the number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or
property) which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights and the
number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to
modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
1
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions
and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part
hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full
description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and
immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the
Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned office or
agency of the Rights Agent. The Company will mail to the holder of this
Right Certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt
of a written request therefor.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right
Certificates, upon surrender at the office or agency of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, 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 shares of Preferred Stock as
the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right
Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a
redemption price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in
part for shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, or
shares of Preferred Stock.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock will be
issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby
(other than fractions of Preferred Stock which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of
the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash
payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled
to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any
time be issuable on the exercise or exchange hereof, nor shall anything
contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the
holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or
any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted
to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement) or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged as
provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
2
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of _________ __, 199_.
MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.
By:__________________________________
[Title]
ATTEST:
____________________________________
[Title]
Countersigned:
MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK OF AURORA, as Rights Agent
By__________________________________
[Title]
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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)
_______ Rights represented by this Right Certificate, together with all right,
title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
________________________________________________________________________
Attorney, to transfer said Rights on the books of the within-named Company, with
full power of substitution.
Dated: ____________________________
____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker,
dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature
guarantee medallion program.
............................................................................
(To be completed)
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by
the undersigned from, and are not being assigned to an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________
Signature
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate)
To MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________
Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of
Preferred Stock (or other securities or property) issuable upon the exercise
of such Rights and requests that certificates for such shares of Preferred
Stock (or such other securities) be issued in the name of:
_________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
_________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________________
Dated:________________________
___________________________________
Signature
(Signature must conform to holder specified on Right Certificate)
Signature Guaranteed:
Signature must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker,
dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature
guarantee medallion program.
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
_________________________________________________________________________
(To be completed)
The undersigned certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, and were not acquired by the
undersigned from, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof
(as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________
Signature
_________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase,
as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this
Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or
any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED STOCK
On January 3, 1989, the Board of Directors of Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
(the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each
outstanding share of common stock, par value $15.00 per share (the "Common
Stock"), of the Company to stockholders of record at the close of business on
January 13, 1989 (the "Record Date"). Except as described below, each Right,
when exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company
one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a price of
$125.00 per one one-hundredth share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and Merchants
National Bank of Aurora, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding (including shares issued
after the Record Date), and no separate certificates evidencing the Rights
("Right Certificates") will be distributed. 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") has acquired, or
obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) 10
business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of a
majority of the Board of Directors) following the commencement of (or a
public announcement of an intention to make) a tender or exchange offer if,
upon consummation thereof, such person or group would be the beneficial owner
of 15% or more of such outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier of
such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights will be
evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates outstanding
as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate. The Rights
Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferred with and only with Common Stock certificates. From as soon as
practicable after the Record Date and until the Distribution Date (or earlier
redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued
after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Stock will
contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until
the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, expiration or termination of
the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock
outstanding as of the Record Date will also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate. As
soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates
evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of
record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution
Date and, thereafter, such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence
the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will
expire at the earliest of (i) January 13, 1999, (ii) upon consummation of a
transaction which complies with the
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Merger Exception described below and (iii) upon redemption or exchange by the
Company as described below.
In the event that, at any time following the Distribution Date, (i)
any Person (other than the Company and its affiliates) becomes the beneficial
owner of 20% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (except
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common
Stock at a price and on terms which a majority of the Board of Directors
determines, after giving due consideration to all relevant factors
(including, without limitation, the social and economic effects of the
proposed acquisition on the employees, customers, depositors and other
constituents of the Company and its subsidiaries and on the communities in
which the Company and its subsidiaries operate or are located), to be fair
and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, other than
such Person, its affiliates and associates (the "Tender Offer Exception")),
(ii) an Acquiring Person engages in one or more "self-dealing" transactions
set forth in the Rights Agreement, or (iii) during such time as there is an
Acquiring Person, there is any reclassification of securities (including any
reverse stock split), or recapitalization of the Company, or any repurchase
of securities of the Company (for cash or securities) or any merger or
consolidation of the Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other
transaction or series of transactions involving the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring
Person) which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more
than 1% the proportionate shares of the outstanding shares of any class of
equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which is directly
or indirectly beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any associate or
affiliate of any Acquiring Person), the Rights Agreement provides that proper
provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have
the right to receive, upon exercise at the then current exercise price of the
Right, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances (including if there are not
sufficient available authorized shares of Common Stock), cash, property or
other securities of the Company) having a value (which may be subject to
certain assumptions) equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. In
the event that there are not sufficient available authorized shares of Common
Stock to permit full exercise of the Rights, if any consideration other than
Common Stock is issued or paid to holders in lieu of or in addition to Common
Stock upon exercise of the Rights, the Common Stock (if any) to be issued and
the other consideration will be allocated to exercising holders of Rights on
a basis determined to be fair by a majority of the Board of Directors.
In the event that, at any time following the Distribution Date, the
Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction
(other than in a transaction (i) following a tender or exchange offer which
satisfies the requirements of the Tender Offer Exception, (ii) in which the
price offered per share of Common Stock is not less than the price per share
paid in tender or exchange offer and (iii) in which the form of consideration
offered is the same as the form of consolidation paid in the tender or
exchange offer (the "Merger Exception")) or 50% or more of the Company's
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 exercise at
the then current exercise price of the Right, common stock of
2
the acquiring or surviving company having a value equal to two times the
exercise price of the Right. The Rights will expire in connection with a
merger following a tender or exchange offer which satisfies the requirements
of the exception contained in the previous paragraph if the stockholders
receive the same price and form of consideration in the merger as that paid
in such tender or exchange offer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the
events set forth in the preceding two paragraphs (the "Triggering Events"),
any Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will immediately
become null and void.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred
Stock 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 Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of
the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred
Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the
Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred
Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular quarterly
cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above). In addition, the number of Rights associated with each
share of Common Stock is subject to adjustment to prevent dilution in the
event that the Company, prior to the Distribution Date, (i) declares a
dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivides the outstanding Common Stock, (iii) combines
the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues
any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the outstanding
Common Stock.
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated
or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the
outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may either
exchange or offer to holders an option to exercise or exchange the Rights
(other than Rights owned by such person or group, which have become void), in
whole or in part, at any exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock 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
the Purchase Price. No fractional shares (other than fractions in multiples
of one one-hundredths of a share) will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an
adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the "Preferred
Stock" on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
At any time after the date of the Rights Agreement until ten days
following a Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in
whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption
Price"). The Company's right of redemption may be reinstated if, after the
Stock Acquisition Date but prior to any Triggering Event, an Acquiring Person
reduces its beneficial ownership to 10% or less of the outstanding shares
3
of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the
Company. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.
The provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Company,
except that any amendment adopted after the Distribution Date may not
adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights Certificates.
A copy of the Rights Agreement is being filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A
copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company.
This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
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