RIGHTS AGREEMENT THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC. and COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. as Rights Agent Dated as of March 27, 2008
Exhibit 4.1
THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC.
and
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
as Rights Agent
as Rights Agent
Dated as
of March 27, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||
Section 1. Certain Definitions |
1 | |||
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent |
8 | |||
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates |
8 | |||
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates |
10 | |||
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration |
11 | |||
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates |
11 | |||
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights |
12 | |||
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates |
15 | |||
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock |
15 | |||
Section 10. Securities Record Date |
17 | |||
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares
or Number of Rights |
17 | |||
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares |
25 | |||
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power |
25 | |||
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares |
29 | |||
Section 15. Rights of Action |
30 | |||
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders |
31 | |||
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder |
31 | |||
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent |
32 | |||
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent |
32 | |||
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent |
33 | |||
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent |
35 | |||
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates |
36 | |||
Section 23. Redemption and Termination; Three-Year Independent Director Evaluation |
36 | |||
Section 24. Exchange |
37 | |||
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events |
39 | |||
Section 26. Notices |
39 | |||
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments |
40 | |||
Section 28. Successors |
41 | |||
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, Etc |
41 | |||
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement |
41 | |||
Section 31. Severability |
41 | |||
Section 32. Governing Law |
42 | |||
Section 33. Counterparts |
42 | |||
Section 34. Descriptive Headings |
42 | |||
Section 35. Force Majeure |
42 |
EXHIBIT A — Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights
EXHIBIT B — Form of Rights Certificate
EXHIBIT C — Form of Summary of Rights
EXHIBIT B — Form of Rights Certificate
EXHIBIT C — Form of Summary of Rights
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RIGHTS
AGREEMENT, dated as of March 27, 2008 (the “Agreement”), between The Management
Network Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust
Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
WHEREAS,
effective March 27, 2008 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”), the Board of
Directors of the Company authorized the issuance of, and declared a dividend payable in, one right
for each share of Common Stock of the Company outstanding at the close of business on April 7, 2008
(the “Record Date”), each such right initially representing the right to purchase one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designations attached hereto as Exhibit
A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (individually, a
“Right” and collectively, the “Rights”); and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company further authorized the issuance of one (as such
number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(q) hereof) Right for
each share of Common Stock issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered
from the Company’s treasury) and the Distribution Date, and, in certain circumstances provided in
Section 22 of this Agreement, after the Distribution Date;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth,
the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms
have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of
the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (other than as a result of a Permitted Offer),
whether or not such Person together with all Affiliates or Associates of such Person
continues to be the Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the then outstanding Common Stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
(i) the term “Acquiring Person” shall not include (A) the Company, (B) any
Subsidiary of the Company, (C) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, or (D) any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan (including,
without limitation, any trust or other entity organized, appointed, established or
holding common stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) (each of
(i) through (iv), an “Exempted Person”);
(ii) no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” as a result of an acquisition
of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of such shares then
outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such
Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person to 5.0% or more of
the outstanding Common Stock, so long as such
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Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person does not
thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Stock
constituting 0.5% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, other than
pursuant to (A) a stock dividend by the Company, (B) a Permitted Offer or (C) any
employee or director benefit plan or agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company;
(iii) no Person who or which together with all Affiliates and Associates of
such Person is, as of the date of this Agreement, the Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding shall be an “Acquiring Person”,
so long as such Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person
does not thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Stock
constituting 0.5% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, other than
pursuant to (A) a stock dividend by the Company, (B) a Permitted Offer or (C) any
employee or director benefit plan or agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company;
(iv) no Person who or which together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person shall
be the Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding as a result
of a transfer of shares of Common Stock from a Current Beneficial Owner, which transferee together
with all Affiliates and Associates was the Beneficial Owner of less than 0.5% of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock immediately prior to such transfer and is the Beneficial Owner of less than
15% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately after such transfer, shall be an
“Acquiring Person”, so long as such Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
Person does not thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Stock
constituting 0.5% or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, other than pursuant to
(A) a stock dividend by the Company, (B) a Permitted Offer or (C) any employee or director benefit
plan or agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company;
(v) a Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” if the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in good faith that such Person, together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, who would otherwise be an “Acquiring
Person” has become such inadvertently, and the Board of Directors in its sole
discretion approves the beneficial ownership interest held by such Person or such
Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, divests as
promptly as practicable (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors) a
sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, would no longer be an Acquiring Person;
provided,
however, that any Person subject to clause (ii), (iii) or
(iv) at any time shall cease to be
subject to such clause at such time, if any, as such Person together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person ceases to be the Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors may, in its sole
discretion, with the approval of a majority of directors who are not Affiliates, Associates,
nominees or representatives of such Person, determine that any Person shall not be deemed an
“Acquiring Person” for purposes of this Agreement, subject to such terms and conditions, if any, as
may be established by the Board of Directors.
(b) “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and in effect on
the date hereof.
(c) “Adjustment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
of this Agreement.
(d) “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 of this Agreement, and to the extent not included within the
foregoing clause of this Section 1(d), shall also include, with respect to any Person, any
2
other Person (whether or not an Exempted Person) whose shares of Common Stock would be
deemed constructively owned by such first Person, owned by a single “entity” as defined in
Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned
by such first Person pursuant to the provisions of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or any successor provision or replacement
provision, and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, provided, however, that
a Person shall not be deemed to be the Affiliate or Associate of another Person solely
because either or both Persons are or were directors or officers of the Company.
(e) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to
“beneficially own,” any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates,
directly or indirectly, has the right or obligation to acquire (whether such right
or obligation is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or the
fulfillment of a condition or any or all of the foregoing) pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options,
or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed
the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to beneficially own,” (A) securities tendered pursuant
to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such
Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for
purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates,
directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has “beneficial
ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act as amended and in effect on the date hereof),
including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in
writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
“Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security under this
subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote
such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely
from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a public proxy or consent
solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of
the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act as amended and as in effect on the
date hereof, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D
under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report, other than by
reference to a proxy or consent solicitation being conducted by such Person); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person
(or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such
Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except
pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in the
3
proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (f)) or disposing of any voting
securities of the Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (f) shall cause a person
engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to
“beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such person’s participation in good
faith in a bona fide firm commitment underwriting under the Act until the expiration of
forty days after the date of such acquisition, and provided further that a Person who, prior
to the Distribution Date, is a member of the Board of Directors or an officer of the Company
or who is an Affiliate or Associate of a member of the Board of Directors or officer of the
Company shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to “beneficially own”, shares of
Common Stock held by another member of the Board of Directors or officer of the Company or
Affiliate or Associate of a member of the Board of Directors or officer of the Company
solely by reason of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise,
entered into in opposition to any transaction or in support of a Permitted Offer.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent not within the foregoing
provisions of this Section 1(e), a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and
shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, securities which
such Person would be deemed to constructively own or which otherwise would be aggregated
with shares owned by such Person pursuant to Section 382 of the Code and provisions
incorporated therein by reference, or any successor provision or replacement provision and
the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
(f) “Board of Directors” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company as
constituted from time to time.
(g) “Book Entry” shall mean an uncertificated book entry for the Common Stock.
(h) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on
which banking institutions in the state in which the principal office of the Rights Agent is
located are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(i) “Close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., New York City
time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business
Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(j) “Code” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(d) of this Agreement..
(k) “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock, par value $.001 per share, of
the Company (or in the event of a subdivision, combination or reclassification with respect
to such shares of Common Stock, the shares of Common Stock resulting from such subdivision,
combination or reclassification), except, subject to the proviso in Section 13(b) of this
Agreement, that “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company
(A) which shall be organized in corporate form, shall mean the capital stock or other equity
security or equity interest with the greatest voting
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power to control the management of such Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary
of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned
Person, or (B) which shall not be organized in corporate form, shall mean units of
beneficial interest which shall represent the right to participate in profits, losses,
deductions and credits of such Person and which shall be entitled to exercise the greatest
voting power to direct the management of such Person, or if such other Person is a
Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such
first-mentioned Person.
(l) “Common Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) of this Agreement.
(m) “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph of
this Agreement.
(n) “Current Beneficial Owner” shall mean any Person who or which together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person is, as of the date of this Agreement, the Beneficial Owner
of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, other than any Person who is an
officer of the Company as of the date of this Agreement.
(o) “Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).
(p) “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) of
this Agreement.
(q) “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) of
this Agreement.
(r) “Equivalent preferred stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(b) of this Agreement.
(s) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
and in effect on the date hereof.
(t) “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.
(u) “Exempted Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(a) of this
Agreement.
(v) “Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) of this
Agreement.
(w) “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) of
this Agreement.
(x) “Permitted Offer” shall mean an acquisition of shares of Common Stock
pursuant to a tender offer or an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock
at a price and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the Board of
Directors who are not officers of the Company and who are not representatives, nominees,
Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person, after receiving advice from one or more
investment banking firms, to be (a) fair to stockholders (taking into account all factors
which such members of the Board deem relevant including, without limitation, prices which
could reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an
5
orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (b)otherwise in the best interests
of the Company and its stockholders.
(y) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, trust or other entity, group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5
promulgated under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof), group of persons making
a “coordinated acquisition” of stock or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of
Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations or otherwise, and shall include any
successor (by merger or otherwise) thereof or thereto.
(z) “Preferred Stock” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company (or in the event of a
subdivision, combination or reclassification with respect to such shares of Preferred Stock,
the shares of Preferred Stock resulting from such subdivision, combination or
reclassification), and, to the extent that there is not a sufficient number of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the
Rights, any other series of preferred stock of the Company designated for such purpose
containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock.
(aa) “Principal Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) of this
Agreement.
(bb) “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in 7(b) hereof, except
as otherwise provided in Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 13(a) hereof.
(cc) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the first “WHEREAS”
clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(dd) “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) of this
Agreement.
(ee) “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23 of this
Agreement.
(ff) “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the first “WHEREAS” clause at
the beginning of this Agreement.
(gg) “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory
paragraph of this Agreement.
(hh) “Rights Certificates” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) of
this Agreement.
(ii) “Rights Dividend Declaration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the
first “WHEREAS” clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
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(jj) “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) of this Agreement.
(kk) “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) of this Agreement.
(ll) “Section 13 Event” shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y) or
(z) of Section 13(a) of this Agreement.
(mm) “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) of this
Agreement.
(nn) “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the earlier of the date of (i) the
first public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person
that an Acquiring Person has become such or (ii) the first public disclosure of facts by the
Company or an Acquiring Person indicating that an Acquiring Person has become an Acquiring
Person, which date may occur prior to the Record Date; provided however,
that if such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring Person by the Board of
Directors in accordance with Section 1(a) hereof, then no Stock Acquisition Date shall be
deemed to have occurred..
(oo) “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation or
other Person of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least a majority
of the directors or others having similar authority over such corporation or other Person is
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such first-named Person, or otherwise
controlled by such first-named Person.
(pp) “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) of this Agreement.
(qq) “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) of
this Agreement.
(rr) “Treasury Regulations” shall mean final, temporary and proposed income tax
regulations promulgated under the Code, including any amendments thereto.
(ss) “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) of this
Agreement.
(tt) “Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section
13 Event.
(uu) “Voting Power” shall mean, with respect to any entity as at any date, the
aggregate number of votes with respect to the election of directors, managers or other
members of such entity’s governing body outstanding as at such date in respect of such
entity.
7
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent
to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3
hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance
with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable,
upon ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty
to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights
Agent.
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day after the
Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date
occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close
of business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board of Directors shall
determine) after the date of the earlier of commencement by any Person (other than an
Exempted Person) of, or the first public announcement of the intention of any Person (other
than an Exempted Person) to commence, a tender or exchange offer (other than a Permitted
Offer) the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person
(including any such date which is on or after the date of this Agreement and prior to the
issuance of the Rights) (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the
“Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of
Section 3(b) of this Agreement) by the certificates or Book Entries for the Common Stock
registered in the names of the record holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for
Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate
certificates or Book Entries, and the record holders of the Common Stock represented by such
certificates or Book Entries shall be the record holders of Rights represented thereby, and
(y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying
shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company); provided,
however, that if a tender or exchange offer is terminated prior to the occurrence of
a Distribution Date, then no Distribution Date shall occur as a result of such tender or
exchange offer. The Board of Directors may defer the date set forth in clause (ii) of the
preceding sentence (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) to a specified
later date or to an unspecified later date, each to be determined by action of the Board of
Directors. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company shall 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 and provided with all necessary information,
send) by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common
Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder
shown on the registry books for the Common Stock of the Company, one or more rights
certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Rights
Certificates”), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to
adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per
share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(q) hereof, at the time of
distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and
appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are
8
distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates and may
be transferred by the transfer of the Rights Certificate as permitted hereby, separately and
apart from any transfer of one or more shares of Common Stock.
(b) Commencing as promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the Company will
make available a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as
Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), to any holder of Rights who may so
request from time to time prior to the Expiration Date. With respect to certificates or Book
Entries for the Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates or Book Entries for the Common Stock and
the record holders of the Common Stock shall also be the record holders of the associated
Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, transfer on the
Company’s direct registration system of any Common Stock represented by a Book Entry or the
surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock shall constitute the surrender
for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock evidenced thereby, whether or
not accompanied by a copy of the Summary of Rights.
(c) Subject to Section 7(e), Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company’s treasury) after the
Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, and,
in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 of this Agreement, after the Distribution
Date. Rights issued prior to the Distribution Date will be evidenced by certificates or
Book Entries for the Common Stock. Certificates for Common Stock and confirmations
evidencing Book Entries which become outstanding after the Record Date but prior to the
earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall
bear the following legend (with appropriate modifications in the case of confirmations):
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between The Management Network
Group, Inc. (the “Company”) and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (the
“Rights Agent”), dated as of March 27, 2008, as it may be amended from time
to time (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices
of the Company. 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 Company will mail to the
holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on
the date of mailing, without charge, promptly after receipt of a written
request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights
Agreement, Rights issued to, or Beneficially Owned or held by, any Person
who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether
currently Beneficially Owned
9
or held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may
become null and void and may not thereafter be exercised or transferred.
Until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock shall be evidenced
by such certificates or Book Entries alone and registered holders of Common Stock shall also
be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of shares of Common
Stock shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common
Stock. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any shares of Common
Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with
such shares of Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall
not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock which are
no longer outstanding. Notwithstanding this paragraph (d), 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 Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to
be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in
Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and
as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto, or with
any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which or
with whom the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage or
otherwise. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights
Certificates, whenever distributed, shall entitle the record holders thereof to purchase
such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth
therein at the Purchase Price set forth therein, but the amount and the type of securities
purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject
to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that
represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or
(iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration)
from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of
Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange,
replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence,
shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
10
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in
the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights
represented hereby may become, or may have already become, null and void in
the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement .
The provisions of Section 7(e) of this Agreement shall be operative whether or not the
foregoing legend is contained in any such Rights Certificate.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman
of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President, either
manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a
facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be
countersigned by an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent, either manually or by
facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In
case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall
cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and
issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same
force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to
be such officer of the Company. Any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the
Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate,
shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the
date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at
its principal office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights
Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights
Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the
respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by
each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates. The
Company and Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name any Rights Certificate
(or prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock Certificate) is recorded on
the books for the registration and transfer of Rights (or, the Common Stock) as the absolute
owner thereof, for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent
shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
11
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 7(f), Section 11,
Section 14, Section 23 and Section 24 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any
Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that
have become null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) or that have been exchanged pursuant to
Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights
Certificate or Certificates, entitling the record holder to purchase a like number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, Common
Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate
or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a
transfer) to purchase. Any record holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or
exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered
to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any
action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates until the record holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request. Thereupon, the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 7(f), Section 11, Section 14,
Section 23 and Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company
or the Rights Agent may require payment by the record holder of a Rights Certificate of a
sum sufficient to cover any applicable tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any duty or obligation under this
Section unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or governmental charges
have been paid.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 7(f), Section 11,
Section 14, Section 23 and Section 24 hereof, upon receipt by the Company and the Rights
Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security to the Rights Agent and the Company satisfactory to the Rights Agent and the
Company and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights
Certificate, if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of
like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the record holder in
lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
12
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e), Section 7(f) and Section 14 hereof, the record holder of
any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise
provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth
in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii), Section 23(a) and Section 24(b) hereof) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with
the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly
executed, to the Rights Agent at the office 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-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, Common Stock or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may
be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of
(i) the close of business on March 27, 2018 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the
time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption
Date”), (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24
hereof, or (iv) the consummation of a transaction contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof (the
earliest of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) being herein referred to as the “Expiration
Date”).
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock
pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $8.00, and shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be
payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below (the “Purchase Price”).
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form
of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed and properly completed,
accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other
assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any
tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in accordance
with Section 9 hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon
promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or
make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for
the total number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased, and
the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such
requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent,
requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be
deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the
depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance
with Section 14 hereof, (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary
receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the record holder of such
Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder,
and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt thereof, promptly deliver such cash, if any, to or
upon the order of the record holder of such
13
Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or
bank draft payable to the order of the Company, in each case in lawful money of the United
States of America. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities
(including Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant
to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other
securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent,
if and when necessary to comply with this Agreement. The Company reserves the right to
require, prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the record holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all
the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the
Rights remaining exercisable and unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and
delivered to, or upon the order of, the record holder of such Rights Certificate, registered
in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the
first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of
an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after
the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the
Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer
(whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests
in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
which has the purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and
void without any further action, and any record holder of such Rights shall have no rights
whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of
this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but neither the Rights Agent
nor the Company shall have any liability to any record holder of Rights Certificates or any
other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to
an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. The Company or
the Rights Agent may require (or cause any transfer agent of the Company to require) any
Person who submits a Rights Certificate (or a certificate representing shares of Common
Stock that evidences, or but for the provisions of this Section 7(e) would evidence, Rights)
for transfer on the registry books or to exercise the Rights represented thereby to
establish to the satisfaction of the Company in its sole discretion that such Rights have
not become null and void pursuant to the provisions of this Section 7(e).
14
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights
Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a record
holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless
such holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in
the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of
the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner), or Affiliates or Associates thereof as
the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange
shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for
cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it,
and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of
the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation
and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent
shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates in accordance with applicable law and
regulations, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock
and/or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury),
the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement, including
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights in accordance with this Agreement.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange or national
automated quotation system, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after
such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it is reasonably
likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be
listed on such exchange or authorized to be quoted on such quotation system upon official
notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) If then required by applicable law, the Company shall use its best efforts to (i)
file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a
registration statement under the Act with respect to the securities purchasable upon
15
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement
to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no
longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the Expiration Date. If then required by
applicable law, the Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to
ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in
connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for
a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of
the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to
prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective or to comply
with such blue sky laws. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall make a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended,
as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. In
addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following
the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights
until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding
any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any
jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been
obtained, the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration
statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be
necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities, as the
case may be) delivered upon exercise or exchange of the Rights shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates for such shares, Common Stock, or other securities, as the case
may be (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and
issued, and fully paid and nonassessable including, without limitation, effecting such
changes to the accounts of the Company as may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing
purposes.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any
and all taxes and governmental charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or
delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the
case may be) upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required
to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of
Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or
depositary receipts for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than
that of, the record holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for
exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock
or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the record holder upon
the exercise of any Rights until such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or
charge being payable by the holder of such Rights
16
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s
or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
Section 10. Securities Record Date. Each person in whose name any certificate for a
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be
deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes or charges) was made;
provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon
which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer
books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of
such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding
Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may
be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby,
the record holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of
the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without
limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any
preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the
Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of
Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number
of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement
(A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B)
subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into
a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection
with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof,
the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the
effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind
of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date,
shall be proportionately adjusted so that the record holder of any Right exercised after
such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect,
the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may
be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time
when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have
owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an
adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment
provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to,
any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
17
(ii) Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event any Person, alone or together with its
Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date,
become an Acquiring Person (such an event being referred to herein as a “Section 11(a)(ii)
Event”), then, promptly following the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, proper
provision shall be made by the Company so that each holder of a Right (except as provided
below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise
thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,
in lieu of fractional interests in shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of
Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable (or, if the Distribution Date shall not have
occurred prior to the date of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the number of shares of Common
Stock for which a Right would have been exercisable if the Distribution Date had occurred on
the Business Day immediately preceding the date of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event) immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that product
(which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the
“Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of
the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common
Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares being referred to as the
“Adjustment Shares”).
(iii) Subject to such limitations existing as of the date hereof as are necessary to
prevent a default under any agreement to which the Company is a party, in the event that the
number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company’s certificate of
incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company, acting
by resolution of its Board of Directors shall (A) determine the excess of (x) the value of
the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right determined as set forth below
(the “Current Value”), over (y) the Purchase Price (such excess, the “Spread”), and
(B) with respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to
substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of the
applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock
or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or units of
shares of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the Board of Directors has
deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such
shares of preferred stock or other equity securities being referred to as “Common Stock
Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any
combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the
amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been
determined by the Board of Directors based upon the advice of a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors; provided,
however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value
pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the date on which the
Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (such date being referred to
herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated
to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right
18
and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price (other than an amount equal to the
par value of the shares of Common Stock to be issued), shares of Common Stock (to the extent
available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value
equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors determines in good faith that it is likely
that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon
exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended
to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 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 action is to be taken
pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1)
shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the
expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek such stockholder approval for such
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to
be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of
any such suspension, the Company shall make 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 Current Value of each Adjustment Share shall be the Current Market
Price per share of the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, and the per share
or per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market
Price per share of the Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or
warrants to all record holders of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or
purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date)
Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares
of Preferred Stock (“equivalent preferred stock”)) or securities convertible into
Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per
share of equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security
convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less than the Current Market
Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such
record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined
by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and
equivalent preferred stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of
Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred stock which the aggregate offering price of the
total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be
the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent
preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible
securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may
be paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other than cash,
the value of such consideration
19
shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the
Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent
preferred stock 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 or
warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all record
holders of 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, cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the
earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in
Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator
of which shall be the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined
in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the
holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to
be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred
Stock and the denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be
made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “Current Market Price” per share of
Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per
share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to
but not including such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be
deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the
ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following but not including such date;
provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per share
of the Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer
of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in
shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock
(other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such
Common Stock, and the ex-dividend or ex-distribution date for such dividend or distribution,
or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall not have
occurred prior to the
20
commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period,
as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly
adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of Common Stock. The
closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such
sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way,
in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if
the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock
are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last sale
price, regular way, or, if such last sale price is not reported, the average of the high bid
and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ Global Market or
such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as
furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the
Board of Directors. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common
Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors shall be used. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common
Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business
Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market
Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the Current Market Price per share
of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common
Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the
Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner
provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a
manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of
Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 1,000 (as such number
may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of this
Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock. If neither
the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, Current
Market Price per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described
in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For
all purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market Price of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock shall be equal to the Current Market Price of one share of Preferred Stock
divided by 1,000.
21
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase
Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at
least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any
adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be
carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under
this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a
share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the
case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years
from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration
Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
shares of capital stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other
shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be
subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections
11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9,
10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any
such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to
the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase
Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time
to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided
herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i),
upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections
11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment
shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number
of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-
millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share
covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so
obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price
to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right.
Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be
exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths 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-millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price
22
in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price
in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a
public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record
date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made.
This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day
thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10)
days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been
issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14
hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such
adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders
in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to
the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and
countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company,
the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record
of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase
Price per one one-thousandths of a share and the number of one one-thousandths of a share
which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price
below the then par value, if any, of the number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock, or the par value, if any, of any shares of any other capital stock issuable
upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue
such number of fully paid and non-assessable one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or such other shares) at such adjusted Purchase Price. If upon any exercise of the
Rights, a holder is to receive a combination of Common Stock and Common Stock Equivalents, a
portion of the consideration paid upon such exercise, equal to at least the then par value
of a share of Common Stock, shall be allocated as the payment for each share of Common Stock
so received.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the
Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may
elect to defer until the occurrence of such event, the issuance to the record holder of any
Right exercised after such record date the number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon
such exercise over and above the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on
the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment;
23
provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due
xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such
additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be
entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments
expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in its good faith judgment
the Board of Directors shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation
or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of
Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price thereof, (iii) issuance wholly for
cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or
exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends, or (v) issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders
of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such holders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the
Distribution Date and so long as the Rights have not been redeemed pursuant to Section 23
hereof or exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof, (i) consolidate with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(p)
hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or
permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons
(other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of
which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such
consolidation, merger or sale there are any certificate of incorporation or bylaw provisions
or any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in
effect or other actions taken which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the
benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof
shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its
Affiliates and Associates, and (z) the form or nature of organization of the Principal Party
would preclude or limit the exercise of Rights or otherwise diminish or substantially limit
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such other person shall have executed and delivered to
the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance with this Section 11(n).
(p) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not,
except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any
Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
24
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(q) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the
Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the
Distribution Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide or split the outstanding shares of Common
Stock into a greater number of shares, or (iii) combine or consolidate the outstanding
shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or effect a reverse split of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, then, and in each such event, the number of Rights
associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered
thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such
event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with
each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to
the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares
of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an
adjustment is made as provided Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly
prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting
for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the
Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a
Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each registered holder of shares of
Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to
have knowledge of any 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 that, following the Stock Acquisition Date (which for purposes of this
Section 13(a) only shall also include the date of the first public announcement or public
disclosure (including, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act) that any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any
employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or
entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of
any such plan), together with any of such Person’s Affiliates and Associates, has become the
Beneficial Owner of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding pursuant to
a Permitted Offer), directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge
with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or
surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(p) hereof) shall
25
consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with
such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be
changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any
other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its
Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons
(other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of
which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), then, upon the first occurrence of such event
(except as may be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so
that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase
Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and
issued, fully paid, 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 be equal to the
result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has
occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such
one one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product (which, following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each
Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by (2) 50% of the Current Market Price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation, provided that the Purchase Price and the number
of shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party issuable upon exercise of each Right shall
be further adjusted as provided in Section 11(f) of this Agreement to reflect any events
occurring in respect of such Principal Party after the date of such Section 13 Event; (ii)
such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal
Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply
only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such
Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any
such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter
be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section
13 Event.
26
(b) “Principal Party” shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first
sentence of Section 13(a): (A) the Person that is the issuer of any securities into
which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or
consolidation, or if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer of the shares of
Common Stock which has the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, or
(B) if no securities are so issued, (1) 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 has the greatest aggregate
market value of shares outstanding or (2) 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 (3) the Person resulting from the
consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first
sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest
portion of the assets 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 as is the issuer of the shares of Common Stock
having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or
indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so
registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; (2) in case such
Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stock of
two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer
to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate
market value of shares outstanding; and (3) in case such Person is owned, directly or
indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or
indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in (1) and (2) above shall apply to each
of the chains of ownership having an interest in such joint venture as if such party were a
“Subsidiary” of both or all of such joint venturers and the Principal Parties in each such
chain shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their
direct or indirect interests in such Person bear to the total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless the Principal Party covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or out of its authorized
and issued shares held in its treasury, the number of shares of its Common Stock that will
be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights under this Section 13
and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement
27
confirming that the requirements set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13
shall be promptly performed in accordance with their terms and further providing that, as
soon as practicable after executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, the
Principal Party will at its own expense:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act, with respect to
the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement
to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until
the Expiration Date and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party
shall be listed or admitted to trading on a 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 such securities exchange and, if the
shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to
trading on a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be eligible for trading in the
over-the-counter market and reported by such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver to record holders of the Rights historical financial statements
for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with
the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in
respect of the shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase
upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event shall
occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have
not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described
in Section 13(a). If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for Common Stock of
the Company or such Principal Party, then a holder of Rights will have the right to exchange
such Rights for cash from the Company or such Principal Party in an amount equal to the
number of shares of such Common Stock such holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase
times 50% of the then Current Market Price, as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
hereof, of such stock of such Principal Party or the Company. If, for any reason, including,
without limitation, if such Principal Party is an individual, private partnership or private
company, the foregoing formulation cannot be applied to determine the cash amount into which
the Rights are exchangeable, then the Board of Directors, based upon advice from one or more
nationally recognized investment banking firms, shall determine such amount reasonably and
with utmost good faith to the holders of Rights. Any such determination shall be binding and
final.
28
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Section 13 shall not be
applicable to a transaction described in subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i)
such transaction is consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock
pursuant to a Permitted Offer (or a wholly owned Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons),
(ii) the price per share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is not less than the
price per share of Common Stock paid to all record holders of shares of Common Stock whose
shares were purchased pursuant to such Permitted Offer, and (iii) the form of consideration
being offered to the remaining record holders of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such
transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such Permitted Offer.
Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights
hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the
Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(q) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates
which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to
the record holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value
of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The
closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in
case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last sale price or, if such last sale price
is not reported, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter
market, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Market 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. 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 shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock
(other than, except as provided in Section 7(c), fractions which are integral multiples of
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock).
Fractions of shares of Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock may, at the election of the Company, be
29
evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the
Company and a depositary selected by it; provided, however, that such
agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have the rights,
privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the shares of
Preferred Stock represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock, the Company may pay to the record holders of Rights Certificates at the
time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock.
For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-thousandth of the closing price of a share of
Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be required
to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock the Company
may pay to the record holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised
as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value
of one share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value
of one share of Common Stock shall be determined in a manner set forth in Section 11(d)(i)
hereof for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The record holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his
right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares (other than, except as
provided in Section 7(c), fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of a Right or to receive any certificates which
evidence such Rights or shares, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement,
except the rights of action given to the Rights Agent, are vested in the respective record holders
of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the record holders of the Common
Stock); and any record holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the
Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the record holder of any other Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and
for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against
the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced
by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement.
Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for
any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations
under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any
Person subject to, this Agreement. After a Triggering Event, holders of Rights shall be entitled
to recover the reasonable costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by them to
enforce the provisions of this Agreement.
30
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the
same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a
Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be evidenced by Book Entries
representing, or the certificates for, Common Stock registered in the name of the holders of
Common Stock, which Book Entries representing, or certificates for Common Stock, shall also
constitute certificates for Rights, and not by separate Rights Certificates, and each Right
shall be transferable only simultaneously and together with the transfer of shares of Common
Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the
transfer books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer
and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent
may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, the associated Book Entry representing, or certificate for, Common Stock)
is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the
associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights
Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
required to be affected by any notice to the contrary;
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor
the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a
result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of
any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether
interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory
or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order
promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligations; provided, however, the Company must use its
reasonable efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible; and
(e) Rights that become Beneficially Owned by the Persons specified in Section 7(e)
hereof are automatically null and void pursuant to that Section.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder, as such,
of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose
the holder of the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed
to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of
the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
31
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in
Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right
or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all
services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its
reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in
the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its
duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it
harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by
the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement,
including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises
(including reasonable counsel fees and expenses). The costs and expenses incurred in
enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect
of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this
Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for
other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney,
endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where
necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged
or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or
consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or
any Person succeeding to the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any
of the parties hereto, provided, that such Person would be eligible for appointment
as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time
such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of
the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered; any such successor
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign
such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all
32
such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time
any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights
Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior
name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the
full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and
obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the
Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the
Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and
protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent
shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation,
the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of “Current Market Price”) be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such
fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof shall be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed
by the Chairman of the Board, any Vice Chairman of the Board, the President, the Chief
Operating Officer, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered
in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only
for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of
fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates or be required to
verify the same (except as to its countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all
such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity
of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by
the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate
(except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach
33
by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the
provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or
amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would
require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by
Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or
reservation of any shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or other securities to be issued
pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common
Stock, Preferred Stock or other securities, will when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause
to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts,
instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the
carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with
respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the
Board, any Vice Chairman, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant
Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such
officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be
liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with
instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions.
(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
the Rights Agent were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude
the Rights Agent or any such stockholder, director, officer or employee from acting in any
other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested
in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers or
employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such
attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, omission,
default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and
continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its
own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties
hereunder (other than internal costs incurred by the Rights Agent in providing services to
the Company in the ordinary course of its business as Rights Agent)
34
or in the exercise of its rights if it believes that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for
exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election
to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative
response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action
with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the
Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in
writing, mailed to the Company and shall provide notice thereof to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail and to the holders of the Rights
Certificates in accordance with Section 26 hereof, or if prior to the Distribution Date, to the
holders of Rights through any filing made by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act. In the event
the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the
Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under
this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible
for sending any required notice. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights
Agent, as the case may be, and shall provide notice thereof to each transfer agent of the Common
Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights
Certificates in accordance with Section 26 hereof, or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the
holders of Rights through any filing made by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act. If the
Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company
shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment
within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been
notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights
Agent or by the record holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his
Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any record holder of any Rights Certificate
or the resigning or removed Rights Agent 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) an entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United
States or of the State of Kansas or the State of New York (or of any other state of the United
States so long as such entity is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the State of
Kansas or the State of New York), in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust or stockholder services 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 $50,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of such an entity. After
appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and
responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed;
but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any
property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and
each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock,
35
and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, or, if prior to the Distribution Date, give notice to the
holders of Rights through any filing made by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act. Failure to
give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect
the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of
the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option,
issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board 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 Rights Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or
sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or
expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued
or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement,
granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities issued by the Company on or prior to the Distribution Date, and (b) may, in any other
case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors, issue Rights Certificates
representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale;
provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificates shall be issued and this
sentence shall be null and void ab initio if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be
advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax
consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii)
no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall
otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof
Section 23. Redemption and Termination; Annual Independent Director Evaluation.
(a) The Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of
(i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date
(or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close
of business on the tenth Business Day following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final
Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a
redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect
any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”).
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not
be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as
the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option,
pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price
of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed
appropriate by the Board of Directors. 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.
36
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of
the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a) (or at such later time as the Board of Directors may
establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), notice of which shall have been
provided to the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of
Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the
action by the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights becoming effective,
the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the
then outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof (provided that the failure to
give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such
redemption). Any notice which is given in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the record holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will
state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
(c) The Stockholder Rights Plan Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors shall
review this Agreement in order to consider whether the maintenance of this Agreement
continues to be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Such committee
shall conduct such review periodically when, as and in such manner as the committee deems
appropriate, after giving due regard to all relevant circumstances; provided, however, that
the committee shall take such action at least annually. Following each such review, such
committee will report its conclusions to the full Board of Directors of the Company,
including any recommendation in light thereof as to whether this Agreement should be
modified or the Rights should be redeemed. Such committee shall be comprised only of
directors of the Company who shall have been determined by the Company’s Board of Directors
to be independent and disinterested (who are neither an Acquiring Person or a Person on
whose behalf a tender offer or exchange offer for Common Stock is being made nor an
Affiliate, Associate, nominee or representative of an Acquiring Person or a Person on whose
behalf a tender offer or exchange for Common Stock is being made). Such committee shall be
appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company and is authorized to retain such legal
counsel, financial advisors and other advisors as the committee deems appropriate in order
to assist the committee in carrying out its responsibilities under this Agreement.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which
shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common
Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter
referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”), provided that the shares of Common Stock so exchanged
shall be of the same class or series which the holders of such Rights would have been
entitled to receive upon the exercise thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other
than an Exempted Person), together
37
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of
voting securities of the Company then outstanding representing 50% or more of the Voting
Power of the Company.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of any
Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders
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, provided that the
shares of Common Stock so exchanged shall be of the same class or series which the holder of
such Rights would have been entitled to receive upon the exercise thereof. The Company
shall promptly make a public announcement of any such exchange (with prompt written notice
thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to make,
or any defect in, such public announcement shall not affect the legality or validity of such
exchange. Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of the
Rights becoming effective, the Company shall provide notice of such exchange to the holders
of the then outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof (provided that the
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such
exchange). Any notice which is mailed in the manner provided in Section 26 hereof 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 based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof)
held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be authorized and unissued shares of the
applicable class or series of Common Stock and/or authorized and issued shares of the
applicable class or series of Common Stock held in its treasury sufficient to permit any
exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall
take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of the applicable
class or series of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event the
Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be
necessary to authorize such additional shares of the applicable class or series of Common
Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of such class or series of Common Stock
that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, cash, other securities (including
shares of Preferred Stock or fractions thereof) or other assets having an aggregate value
equal to the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of
such cash, other securities or other assets.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or
to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of
such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of
the Rights 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
Price per share of the applicable class or series of Common Stock
38
as of the Trading Day immediately prior to the record date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to
pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make
any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly
cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the
holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional
shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or
options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a
reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock),
or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), or to
effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect
any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more
than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a
whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), or (v) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case,
the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate and to the Rights Agent, in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the
record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or
the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the
holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice
shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least
twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred
Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty
(20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the
earlier.
(b) In the event that a Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then in any such case (i)
the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each
holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the
occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to
holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding
paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if
appropriate, other securities of the Company.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) or by facsimile transmission as follows:
39
The Management Network Group, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel
Facsimile No: (000) 000-0000
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel
Facsimile No: (000) 000-0000
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent
shall be sufficiently given or made upon receipt by the Rights Agent, if sent by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company) or by facsimile transmission as follows:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Services
Facsimile No: (000) 000-0000
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Services
Facsimile No: (000) 000-0000
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights
Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder
of certificates representing shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown
on the registry books of the Company as held and maintained by the Rights Agent (or, if prior to
the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock of the
Company).
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Subject to the provisions of this Section 27,
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 without the approval of any holders of the Rights. At any time when the Rights are no
longer redeemable, but subject to the provisions of this Section 27, 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 Certificates in order to (i) cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or
supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions herein, (iii) shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) change or
supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable; provided that no such supplement or amendment adversely affects the interests of the
holders of Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person) and no such amendment may cause the Rights again to become redeemable or cause
the Agreement again to become amendable other than in accordance with this sentence. 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; provided, however, that the Rights Agent may,
but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplement or amendment which adversely affects
the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Agreement and the
Rights Agent shall not be bound by supplements or amendments not executed by it. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this
40
Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the
Redemption Price. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be
deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for
the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their
respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, Etc. For all
purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at
any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in
accordance with, as applicable, the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act as amended and in effect on the date hereof or the provisions of
Section 382 of the Code, or any successor provision or replacement provision, and the Treasury
Regulations thereunder. The Board of Directors, except as otherwise specifically provided for
herein, shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise
all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors or to the Company, or as may
be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation,
the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a
determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all
omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors in good
faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of
the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, record holders of the Common Stock)
and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders
of the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed
to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the record holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, record holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the record holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, record holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this
Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement
shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be
invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good
faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the
purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall
be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such
longer period of time as permitted pursuant to Section 27 of this Agreement) following the
41
date of such determination by the Board of Directors. Without limiting the foregoing, if any
provision requiring that a determination be made by less than the entire Board of Directors (or at
a time or with the concurrence of a group of directors consisting of less than the entire Board of
Directors) is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable, such determination shall then be made by the Board of Directors in accordance with
applicable law and the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and
for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State
applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and
all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of
this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or
construction of any of the provisions hereof.
Section 35. Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein,
the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts
beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage
of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss
of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval
systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest.
42
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and
their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year
first above written.
THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC. | ||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||||
Title: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Rights Agent |
||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | ||||
Title: Managing Director |
43
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC.
OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC.
Pursuant to Sections 151 and 103 of the Delaware General Corporation Law:
The Management Network Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), in accordance
with the provisions of Sections 151 and 103 the Delaware General Corporation Law, DOES HEREBY
CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, of the Corporation, the Board of Directors
on March 26, 2008, adopted
the following resolution creating a series of One Hundred Thousand (100,000) shares of Preferred
Stock, par value $.001 per share, designated as the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
Designation of Preferred Stock
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation
in accordance with the provisions of its Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate
of Incorporation”), a series of Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Corporation be,
and it hereby is, created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the voting powers,
preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of such
series, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof are as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (hereinafter referred to as “Series A Preferred
Stock”) and the number of shares constituting such series shall be One Hundred Thousand (100,000).
Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors,
provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number
less than the number of shares outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the
exercise of outstanding rights to purchase or convert into shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and
superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to
dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in
preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $.001 per share
(the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation and of any other class of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
A-1
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the shares of Series
A Preferred Stock, together with Common Stock (“Junior Stock”),
shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board
of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose,
dividends payable in cash in an amount per share (rounded to the
nearest cent), equal to the product of the Series A Multiple (as
defined below) times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, plus the product of the Series A Multiple times the
aggregate per share amount (payable in cash, based upon the fair
market value at the time the non-cash dividend or other distribution
is declared as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors)
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 (but not withdrawn) on the Common Stock.
(B) As used herein, the “Series A Multiple” shall initially be
1,000. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after March
27, 2008 (i) declare 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 Series A Multiple shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.
(C) The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall not declare
a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock) unless it shall
concurrently therewith declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Preferred Stock. Payment of a dividend or distribution
determined on the Series A Preferred Stock shall be in preference to
payment of any dividend or distribution on the Common Stock or any
Junior Stock.
(D) The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared
thereon, which record date shall be no more than thirty (30) days
prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
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(A) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the
holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the product of the
Series A Multiple then in effect times the number of votes that each
share of Common Stock entitles its holder to vote at such meeting of
the stockholders of the Corporation.
(B) The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the
holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the
Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one
class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the
Corporation.
(C) The holders of Series A 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.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever dividends or distributions payable on the Series A
Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter
and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions on
shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid
in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock) on, make
any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or
otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
Junior 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 Preferred Stock (“Parity Stock”), except
dividends paid ratably on the Series A 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;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire
for consideration shares of any Parity Stock,
provided that the Corporation may at any time
redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any
A-3
such Parity Stock in exchange for shares of any
Junior Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, or any shares of Parity Stock, except in
accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or
by publication (as determined by the Board of
Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such
terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration
of the respective annual dividend rates and other
relative rights and preferences of the respective
series and classes, shall determine in good faith
will result in fair and equitable treatment among
the respective series or classes.
(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.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or
otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled
promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to
the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation,
in any other Certificate of Designations establishing a series of Preferred Stock or any similar
stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of the
shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive,
in preference to the holders of Junior Stock, the greater of (a)
$1,000 per share, plus accrued dividends to the date of
distribution, whether or not earned or declared, or (b) an amount
per share equal to the product of the Series A Multiple then in
effect times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to
holders of Common Stock. No distribution upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up shall be made to holders of shares of
Junior Stock with respect to the distribution of assets upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up until all holders of shares
of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received the amounts to which
such holders are entitled under this Section.
A-4
(B) In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of Parity
Stock shall not receive any distributions except for distributions
made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all other such
Parity Stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders
of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution
or winding up.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, Etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any
consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are
exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in
any such case the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the product of the Series A Multiple then in
effect 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.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be
redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other
series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, or any similar stock that specifically provides that
it shall rank prior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, as to the payment of dividends and
the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise. Nothing
herein shall preclude the Board of Directors from creating any series of Preferred Stock or any
similar stock ranking on a parity with or prior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends or the distribution of assets.
Section 10. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of
a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to
exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of
all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 11. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, including this
Certificate of Designations establishing the shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, shall not be
amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special
rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote
of the holders of two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock voting
separately as a class.
A-5
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate is executed on behalf of the
Corporation as of this 27th
day of March, 2008.
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
A-6
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R- | Rights |
NOT
EXERCISABLE AFTER MARCH 27, 2018 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR EXCHANGED BY THE COMPANY. THE
RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET
FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS SHALL BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE
RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR
BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME, OR MAY ALREADY HAVE BECOME, NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN
SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]*
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC.
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered
owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to
the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated
as of March 27, 2008, as it may
from time to time be supplemented or amended (the “Rights Agreement”), between The Management
Network Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A.,
the Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M.
(New York City time) on March 27, 2018 (the “Final Expiration Date”) at the office of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully
paid, nonassessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”)
of the Company, at a purchase price of $8.00 per one one-thousandth of a share (the “Purchase
Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to
Purchase and related Certificate duly executed and properly completed. The number of Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandth of a share which may be
* | The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence. |
B-1
purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth
above, are the number and Purchase Price as of March 27, 2008, based on the Preferred Stock as
constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a
Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be
exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued. As provided in the Rights
Agreement, the Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities
of the Company or any other Person (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) or other
property, which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate, and the timing of permitted exercise, are subject to modification and adjustment upon
the happening of certain events including a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement).
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in
the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or of any such Associate or
Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of
a person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right
with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full
description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of
the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of
rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the
Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the
office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other
securities of the Company or another Person or other property as the Rights evidenced by the Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If
this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon
surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate
may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right at any time
prior to the earlier of the close of business on (i) the tenth Business Day (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement) following the Stock Acquisition Date (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. In addition, subject
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to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, each Right evidenced by this Certificate may be
exchanged by the Company at its option for one share of Common Stock of the Company (subject to
adjustment for any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction) following the Stock
Acquisition Date and prior to the time any Person (other than an Exempted Person), together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of voting securities of
the Company then outstanding representing 50% or more of the Voting Power of the Company (as such
terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or
Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of
a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Preferred Stock or of any other securities of
the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained
in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of
the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to
any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders
(except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or
otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised
as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have
been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of 20___. | THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC. |
|||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
ATTEST:
Title: |
Countersigned:
Computershare
Trust Company, N.A.,
as Rights Agent
as Rights Agent
B-3
By:
|
||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
B-4
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
(Please print name and address of transferee) |
Dated: , ____
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or
on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not
acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently
became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: , ____
Signature Guaranteed:
B-5
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond to the name as
written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-6
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: THE MANAGEMENT NETWORK GROUP, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this
Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other Person which may be issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of
and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or taxpayer identification number
or taxpayer identification number
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a
new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and
delivered to:
Please insert social security
or taxpayer identification number
or taxpayer identification number
(Please print name and address)
Dated: , ____
Signature Guaranteed:
B-7
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not being exercised by
or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did
not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: , ____
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must correspond to the name as
written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-8
EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK
Effective
March 27, 2008, the Board of Directors of The Management Network Group, Inc. (the
“Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of
the Company’s common stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), payable to stockholders
of record at the close of business on April 7, 2008 (the “Record Date”). The description and terms
of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of
March 27, 2008, between the Company
and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agreement”).
The Board of Directors of the Company adopted the Rights Agreement in an effort to protect
stockholder value, by attempting to (1) protect against the triggering of limitations on the
Company’s ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards to offset future taxable income of
the Company and (2) insure, to the extent possible, that all stockholders receive fair and equal
treatment in the event of a proposed takeover of the Company. The Company has experienced
substantial operating losses, and under the Internal Revenue Code and rules promulgated by the
Internal Revenue Service, the Company may “carry forward” these losses in certain circumstances to
offset current taxable income and reduce federal income tax liability, subject to certain
requirements and restrictions. If the Company experiences an “ownership change” as defined in
Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Company’s ability to use the net operating losses
could be substantially diminished. In addition to attempting to preserve net operating loss
carryforwards, the Board of Directors adopted the Rights Agreement to preserve for the Company’s
stockholders the long-term value of the Company in the event of a proposed takeover and to provide
a framework in which any appropriate takeover bids for the Company can be considered in a
deliberate, proper and fully informed manner.
As further described below with respect to the definition of “Acquiring Person”, the Rights
Agreement is intended to deter any Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain related
parties from acquiring beneficial ownership of 5.0% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common
Stock without the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Rights Agreement is also
intended to deter any Person which together with certain related parties currently beneficially
owns 5.0% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock from becoming the beneficial owner of
additional shares of Common Stock constituting 0.5% or more of the then outstanding shares of
Common Stock (other than pursuant to a stock dividend by the Company, a Permitted Offer or any
employee or director benefit plan or agreement of the Company or any
subsidiary of the Company). The Rights Agreement permits certain
transferees of current beneficial owners of 5.0% or more of
the outstanding Common Stock (other than officers of the Company) to exceed the 5.0% limit under
certain circumstances as described below.
Initially, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing shares of Common
Stock then outstanding or, with respect to any of the shares of Common Stock held in uncertificated
book-entry form (each, a “Book-Entry”), by such Book-Entry, and no separate certificates evidencing
the Rights (“Rights Certificates”) will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common
Stock and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten business days following public
announcement that a Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) has become an “Acquiring Person”
(defined below) or public disclosure by the Company or an
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Acquiring Person of facts indicating that such Person has become an Acquiring Person, or (ii)
ten business days (or such later date as the Board of Directors shall determine) following the
commencement of, or the first public announcement of an intention to commence, a tender or exchange
offer that would result in a Person becoming an “Acquiring Person.”
Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates
or Book-Entries, (ii) new Common Stock certificates and confirmations for Book-Entries issued after
the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii)
transfer on the Company’s direct registration system of any Common Stock represented by a
Book-Entry or transfer of any certificate for Common Stock, in each case, with or without a copy of
this Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common
Stock represented by such Book-Entry or certificate.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and,
thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except in certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until after the Distribution Date and until the Rights are no
longer redeemable. Except as set forth below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting initially of one one-thousandth of
a share (a “Unit”) of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share (the
“Preferred Stock”), of the Company, at a purchase price of
$8.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment
(the “Purchase Price”). Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Company reserves the right to
require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (defined below) that, upon any exercise of
Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be
issued. The Rights will expire at the close of business on
March 27, 2018, unless extended or
earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right will have the
right to receive, upon exercise of the Right, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash,
property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price
of the Right. The Rights will not be exercisable following the occurrence of such an event until
such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below. Following the
occurrence of such an event all Rights that are beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any
Affiliate or Associate (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) of an Acquiring Person
and certain transferees) will be null and void and may not thereafter be exercised or transferred.
For
example, at the initial Purchase Price of $8.00 per Right, each Right not owned by an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of the Acquiring Person or any subsequent holder,
following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle
its holder to purchase $16.00 worth of Common Stock (or other
consideration, as noted above) for $8.00.
Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share
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value of
$2.00 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled
to purchase eight shares of Common Stock for $8.00.
In the event that, at any time following the date on which there has been public announcement
that a Person has become an Acquiring Person or public disclosure of facts indicating that such
Person has become an Acquiring Person (the “Stock Acquisition Date”) (which, for purposes of this
paragraph also includes the date on which there has been a public announcement that any Person has
acquired 5.0% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Permitted Offer), (i)
the Company merges or consolidates with another corporation or association, and the Company is not
the surviving corporation or all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are changed into
or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or
(ii) more than 50% of the Company’s assets or earning power is sold or transferred, then each
holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above), shall
thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of the Right, common stock of the acquiring
company having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of the Right. The events set forth in
this paragraph and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the “Triggering Events.”
At any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such
Person of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Company may exchange, in whole or in
part, one share of Common Stock (or substitute securities or assets) for each Right of each holder
(other than the Acquiring Person and the Acquiring Person’s Affiliates and Associates and certain
transferees), subject to adjustment for any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after March 27, 2008.
Under the Rights Agreement, an “Acquiring Person” is any Person who or which, together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is or becomes the beneficial owner of 5.0% or more of
the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (other than as a result of a Permitted Offer). The term
“Acquiring Person” excludes (i) the Company, (ii) any subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or (iv) any Person organized,
appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. In addition,
a Person shall not be an “Acquiring Person” if:
(i) the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, increases to 5.0% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding solely as the result of an
acquisition of Common Stock by the Company, so long as the Person, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, does not thereafter become the beneficial
owner of additional shares of Common Stock constituting 0.5% or more of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than pursuant to a stock dividend by the
Company, a Permitted Offer or any employee or director benefit plan or agreement of
the Company or any subsidiary of the Company);
(ii) such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
was the beneficial owner on March 27, 2008 of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, so long as the Person, together with all
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Affiliates and Associates of such Person, does not thereafter become the
beneficial owner of additional shares of Common Stock constituting 0.5% or more of
the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than pursuant to a stock dividend
by the Company, a Permitted Offer or any employee or director benefit plan or
agreement of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company); or
(iii) such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, became the
beneficial owner of 5.0% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding as a result of a
transfer of shares of Common Stock from a stockholder who was a 5.0%
beneficial owner on March 27,
2008 (other than an officer of the Company on such date), which transferee together with all
Affiliates and Associates was the beneficial owner of less than 0.5% of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock immediately prior to such transfer and is the beneficial owner of less than 15% of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately after such transfer, so long as such Person together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person does not thereafter become the beneficial owner
of additional shares of Common Stock constituting 0.5% or more of the then outstanding shares of
Common Stock, other than pursuant to a stock dividend by the Company, a Permitted Offer or any
employee or director benefit plan or agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company; or
(iv) the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a
Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person” has become such inadvertently,
and the Board of Directors in its sole discretion approves the beneficial ownership
interest held by such Person, or such Person divests as promptly as practicable a
sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be
an Acquiring Person.
In addition, the Board of Directors of the Company may, in its sole discretion, by vote of a
majority of directors who are not Affiliates, Associates, nominees or representatives of such
Person, determine that any Person shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person.”
Under the Rights Agreement, a “Permitted Offer” is an offer for all outstanding shares of
Common Stock which a majority of the independent directors (i.e., directors who are not also
officers of the Company and who are not representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an
Acquiring Person) determine, after receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms, to
be fair to the stockholders and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units 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) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted
certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a price, or convertible
into Preferred Stock with a conversion price, 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 or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative
adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase Price.
The number of outstanding Rights attached to each share of Common Stock is also subject to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or subdivisions or combinations of the shares of Common
Stock, if such split, dividend, subdivision or combination occurs prior to the Distribution Date.
Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable.
Preferred Stock will only be entitled to receive dividends when concurrently declared with the
Common Stock and then at a rate equal to 1,000 times the amount per share to be received by holders
of Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock will be
entitled to receive the greater of (i) $1,000 per share, plus declared but unpaid dividends to the
date of distribution; or (ii) an amount per share equal to the product of
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1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Stock. Each
share of Preferred Stock will have 1,000 votes, voting together with the shares of Common Stock.
Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of Common
Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock, securities, cash and/or other property, each
share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 1,000 times the amount received per share of
Common Stock. These rights are protected by customary antidilution provisions. Because of the
nature of the Preferred Stock’s dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of a Unit of
Preferred Stock should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.
At any time until the close of business on the tenth business day following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price (the
“Redemption Price”) of $.001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed
appropriate by the Board of Directors), subject to adjustment for any stock split, stock dividend
or similar transaction. Immediately upon such action of the Board of Directors 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.
The Rights Agreement provides that the Board of Directors’ Stockholder Rights Plan Committee
composed of independent and disinterested directors will review the Rights Agreement at least
annually in order to consider whether the maintenance of the Rights Agreement continues to be in
the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. This committee will communicate its
conclusions to the full Board of Directors after each review, including any recommendation as to
whether the Rights Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be redeemed.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder
of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While
the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders
may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income upon the Distribution Date.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by resolution of the Company’s
Board of Directors for so long as the Rights are redeemable, except that the Redemption Price
cannot be changed. After the Rights cease to be redeemable, the provisions of the Rights
Agreement, may be amended from time to time by resolution of the Company’s Board of Directors in
order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders
of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person or its Affiliates or Associates), or to
shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement, provided that no amendment may
cause the Rights again to become redeemable or to be amendable more broadly than contemplated by
this sentence.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as
Exhibit 4.1 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 27, 2008. A copy of the Rights Agreement
is available free of charge from the Rights Agent. 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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