Exhibit 1,2
QUIXOTE CORPORATION
and
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
RIGHTS AGENT
Rights Agreement
Dated as of July 24, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions ..........................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent ..................................7
Section 3. Issue Of Rights Certificates .................................8
Section 4. Form Of Rights Certificates .................................11
Section 5. Countersignature And Registration ...........................12
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination And Exchange Of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Rights Certificates ..................................13
Section 7. Exercise Of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
Of Rights ...................................................15
Section 8. Cancellation And Destruction Of Rights Certificates .........19
Section 9. Reservation And Availability Of Capital Stock ...............19
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date .................................22
Section 11. Adjustment Of Purchase Price, Number And Kind Of
Shares Or Number Of Rights ..................................23
Section 12. Certificate Of Adjusted Purchase Price Or Number Of Shares ..41
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger Or Sale Or Transfer Of Assets Or
Earning Power ...............................................41
Section 14. Fractional Rights And Fractional Shares .....................46
Section 15. Rights Of Action ............................................48
Section 16. Agreement Of Rights Holders .................................49
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed A Stockholder ..........50
Section 18. Concerning The Rights Agent .................................51
Section 19. Merger Or Consolidation Or Change Of Name Of Rights Agent ...52
Section 20. Duties Of Rights Agent ......................................53
Section 21. Change Of Rights Agent ......................................56
Section 22. Issuance Of New Rights Certificates .........................58
Section 23. Redemption And Termination ..................................59
Section 24. Notice Of Certain Events ....................................60
Section 25. Notices .....................................................62
Section 26. Supplements And Amendments ..................................63
Section 27. Successors ..................................................64
Section 28. Determinations And Actions By The Board Of Directors, Etc. ..64
Section 29. Benefits Of This Agreement ..................................65
Section 30. Severability ................................................65
Section 31. Governing Law ...............................................66
Section 32. Counterparts ................................................66
Section 33. Descriptive Headings ........................................66
EXHIBIT A Certificate of Designation, Preferences, Rights
EXHIBIT B Form of Rights Certificate
EXHIBIT C Summary of Rights
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of July 24, 1998 (the "Agreement"),
between Quixote Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
BankBoston, N.A., a national banking association (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on June 30, 1998 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a
dividend distribution of one Right for each share of common stock, par
value $,01-2/3 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding
at the close of business on July 14, 1998 (the "Record Date"), and has
authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be
adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each share
of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Record Date (whether
originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury) and the
Distribution Date, each Right initially representing the right to purchase
one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in
the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached
hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions
hereinafter set forth (the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions For purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), "Acquiring Person"
shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of more than 15%
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but 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, (D) any Person or
entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant
to the terms of any such plan, or (E) any Person who has reported or is
required to report such ownership (but less than 25%) on Schedule 13G under
the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) or on Schedule 13D
under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) which
Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to
control or influence the management or policies of the Company or engage in
any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such Schedule or engage in any of
the actions specified in Item 4 of such Schedule (other than the
disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days of being
requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to the
Company that such Person acquired shares of Common Stock representing in
excess of 14.9% of the outstanding Common Stock inadvertently or without
knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who, together with all Affiliates
and Associates, thereafter does not acquire additional shares of Common
Stock while the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, provided, however, that if the Person described in
this clause (E) requested to so certify fails to do so within 10 Business
Days, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after
such 10 Business Day Period.
(ii) The following shall not be considered an "Acquiring
Person": Any Person who shall have become an Acquiring Person solely as the
result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing
the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of
shares beneficially owned by a Person to 15% or more of the Common Stock of
the Company then outstanding as determined above; provided, however, that
if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock
of the Company then outstanding (as determined above) solely by reason of
purchase of Common Stock by the Company and shall, after such purchase by
the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common
Stock by any means whatsoever, then such Person shall be deemed to be an
Acquiring Person.
(b) "Adverse Person" shall mean any Person declared to be an
Adverse Person by the Board of Directors upon determination that the
criteria se forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) apply to such Person; that the
Board of Directors shall not declare any Person who is the Beneficial Owner
of 10% or more of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company to be an
Adverse Person if such Person has reported or is required to report such
ownership on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any
comparable or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any
intention to or reserve the right to control or influence the management or
policies of the Company or engage in any of the actions specified in so
long as such Person neither reports nor is required to report such
ownership other than as described in this proviso to Section 1(b).
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in
effect on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such
right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time)
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights,
rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person
shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own,"
(A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from
and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired
by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to
the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the
"Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with
an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or
has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant
to any agreement, arrangement 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 given in response to a public proxy or consent
solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable
provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and
(B) is not also then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such
Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for
the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable
proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph
(c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company; provided,
however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a person engaged in
business as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of,
or to "beneficially own," any securities acquired through such person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the
expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to
close.
(f) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Boston time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Boston time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(g) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value $.01-
2/3 per share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock
of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or
other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of
such Person.
(h) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm corporation,
partnership or other entity.
(i) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Company, and,
to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise
of the Rights, any other series of Preferred Stock, no par value per share,
of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially
similar to the terms of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(j) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(k) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clauses
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(l) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the
Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such.
(m) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at
least a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by
such Person.
(n) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent 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. With the consent of the Rights Agent, 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 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
day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth 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
after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than
the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of
the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the
meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would be the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding or (iii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after
the Board of Directors determines, pursuant to the criteria set forth in
Section 11(a)(ii)(B) hereof, that a Person is an Adverse Person (the
earlier of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the
"Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the
Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock
(which certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be
certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the
Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the
underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company).
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will
send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder
of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date,
at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or
more right certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the
"Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock
so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an
adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made
pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Right
Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and
cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights
Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form
attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class,
postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the
close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown
on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common
Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock and the
registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders
of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7 hereof), the transfer
of any certificates representing shares of Common Stock in respect of which
Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's
treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such
shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights,
and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between Quixote Corporation
(the "Company") and BankBoston, N.A. (the "Rights Agent") dated as of July
24, 1998 (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 held by, any Person
who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person or any
Affiliate or Associates thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any
subsequent holder, may become null and void. The Rights shall not be
exercisable, and shall be void so long as held, by a holder in any
jurisdiction where the requisite qualification to the issuance to such
holder, or the exercise by such holder, of the Rights in such jurisdiction
shall not have been obtained or be obtainable.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until
the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the
Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates
shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of
Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights,
and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each
be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have
such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be
required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation
made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange
on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the
Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record
Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set
forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one-thousandth of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type
of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase
Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an
Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person or an Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee after such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes
such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of
any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person becoming such
and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not
for consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders
of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person or Adverse 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 modified as applicable to apply to such
person:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially
owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person(as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights
Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in
the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its 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 manually
countersigned (or by facsimile if permitted by law) by the Rights Agent and
shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any
officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates
shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by
the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights
Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and
issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as
though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be
such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the
execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the
Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the
execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep
or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated as the appropriate
place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books
for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of
the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each
of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and
Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of
one 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 registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or
exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in
writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights
Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such
surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on
the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the
Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the
case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights
Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or
destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will
execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights
Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of
the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of
Rights
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions
on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section
23(a) hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date
upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to
purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to
the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price
with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a share (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 July 24, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"),
or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23
hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) 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
$40.00 and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with
paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each
Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one 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 applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights
Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total
number of one 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)
requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu
of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after
receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be
delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The
payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check
or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the
Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of
the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such
other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution
by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the
right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon
any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole
shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon
the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered
in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the
provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any
Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or
an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person, (ii) a
transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person
or Adverse Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes
a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a
transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person or Adverse
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 the avoidance of this Section
7(e), shall become null and void without any further action, and no holder
of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The
Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of
this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have
no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as a
result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or any of its Affiliates, Associates or
transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake
any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any
purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the
form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights
Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for
cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent,
shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in
lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this
Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation
and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other
Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon
the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights
Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the
Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out
of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other
securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its
treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities)
that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof,
will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding
Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities)
issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on
any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to
cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all
shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon
official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon
as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the
Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under the Securities
Act of 1933 (the "Act"), with respect to the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and
(iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable
for such securities, and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. The
Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to
ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various
states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may
temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days
after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this
Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file
such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any
such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that
the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as
a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration
statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may
temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a
registration statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any
provision of this Agreement to the contrary (I) the Rights shall not be
exercisable and shall be void so long as held, by a holder in any
jurisdiction where the requisite qualification to the issuance to such
holder, or the exercise by such holder, of the Rights shall not have been
obtained or be obtainable, and (ii) the Rights shall not be exercisable in
any jurisdiction if the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under
applicable law or a registration statement, if required, 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) delivered upon exercise of
Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized
and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay
when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and
charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the
Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one one-
thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company
shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a
Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one 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 registered 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 Common
Stack and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than
that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such
tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been
established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date.
Each person in whose name any certificate for a number of one
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 transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that
if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may
be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed
to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise)
on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day
on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as
the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the
exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights
Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the
Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable,
including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or
other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be
entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as
provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights.
The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each
Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(I) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date
of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in
shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock,
(C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of
shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification
of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection
with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or
surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)
and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of
Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such
date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right
exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the
Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of
Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right
had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he would have
owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such
dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs
which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(I) and
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section
11(a)(I) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) In the event:
(A) 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), alone or
together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become the Beneficial Owner of more than
15% of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, unless the event
causing such threshold to be crossed is a transaction set forth in Section
13(a) hereof, or is an acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a
tender offer or an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common
Stock at a price and on terms determined by at least a majority of the
members of the Board 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) at a price which is fair to stockholders (taking into
account all factors which such members of the Board deem relevant
including, without limitation, prices which could reasonably be achieved if
the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed to realize
maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best interests of the Company and
its stockholders;
(B) the Board of Directors of the Company shall declare any
Person to be an Adverse Person, upon a determination that such Person,
alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, has, at any time
after this Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an exhibit to a filing under the Exchange Act, become the
Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Common Stock which the Board of
Directors of the Company determines to be substantial (which number of
shares shall in no event represent less than 10% of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock) and a determination by the Board of Directors of the
Company, after reasonable inquiry and investigation, including consultation
with such persons as such Directors shall deem appropriate and
consideration of such factors as are permitted by applicable law, that (a)
such Beneficial Ownership by such Person is intended to cause the Company
to repurchase the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person
or to cause pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a
transaction or series of transactions intended to provide such Person with
short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of Directors
determines that the best long-term interests of the Company would not be
served by taking such action or entering into such transaction or series of
transactions at that time, or (b) such Beneficial Ownership is causing or
reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not
limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or impairment of the
Company's ability to maintain its competitive position) on the business or
prospects of the Company, on the Company's employees, customers or
suppliers or on the communities in which the Company operates or is
located, then, promptly following five (5) Business Days after the date of
the occurrence of any such event described in Section 11(a)(ii)(A) or (B)
hereof, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right
(except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have
the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number
of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of shares
of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-
thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and
(y) dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall
thereafter be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for
all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on
the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment
Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock
which are authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise
of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the
Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section
11(a), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the
Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current
Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B)
with respect to each Right, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, make adequate
provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the
applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price,
(3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including,
without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which
the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the same value as
shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock, "common stock
equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or
(6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to
the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price),
where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of
the Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment
banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided,
however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver
value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the
later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the
date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a)
expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver,
upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of
the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and
then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value
equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall
determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares
of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of
the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to
the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder
approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such period, as
it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the
Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first
and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall
provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability
of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to
seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence
and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension,
the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Adjustment Share
shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date
and the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the
same value as the Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance
of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of
Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period
expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date)
Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and
preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock ("equivalent preferred
stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent
preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of
equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock)
less than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase
Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record
date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of
Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares
of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number
of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be
offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible
securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price,
and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares
of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be
paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form
other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Shares of
Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not
be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed,
and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the
Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then
be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in
Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than
Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those
referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect
after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the current market price (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described
in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash,
assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such
subscription rights or warrants applicable to 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 (as such term is hereinafter
defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations
made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "current market price" per
share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10)
consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided,
however, that in the event that the current market price per share of the
Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by
the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such
Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities
convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights), or
(B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock,
and prior to the expiration of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten
(10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, after the ex-dividend date for
such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the "current
market price" shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend
trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price,
regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed
on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common
Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock
are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange,
the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and
low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System
("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the
shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market
maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company. 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 of the Company 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 of the Company, 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 of the Company, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the
"current market price" of one 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.
(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-ten-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-ten-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-hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase
Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment,
and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This
record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any
day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be
at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If
Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of
Rights pursuant to this Section 11(I), the Company shall, as promptly as
practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the
date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company,
new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner
provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the
adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the
holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in
the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one 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 here-under.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the
number of one one-thousandths of a share of preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which
may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company
may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for
a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of
such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such
record date the number of one 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; provided, however, that the Company shall
deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument
evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase
Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section
11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of
Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any
(i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance
wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current
market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock
or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the
Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such
stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary
to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets 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(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such
consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person
who constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of
Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or
Section 26 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at
the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action
will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to
be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding,
in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend
Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend
on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii)
combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock
then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the
Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of
Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any
such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of
Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such
event by a fraction the numerator 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. The failure of the Board of Directors to declare a Person to be an
Adverse Person following such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of
shares of Common Stock representing 10% or m ore of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock shall not imply that such Person is not an Adverse Person
or limit the Board of Directors' right at any time in the future to declare
such Person to be an Adverse Person.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section
13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting
forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for
such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each
transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such
certificate, and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a
Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder
of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with
Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on
any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not
be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it
shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets
or Earning Power
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge
with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company
shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation
or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate
with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in
connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for
stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other
property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets 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(o) hereof), then, and in each such
case (except as may be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper
provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as
provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly
authorized and issued, fully paid, 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 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.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x)
or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company
are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so
issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation;
and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z)
of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred
pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act,
and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the
Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, "Principal Party"
shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common
Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered, "Principal
Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common
Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued
or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and
such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent
a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs
(a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as
practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets
mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act,
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause
such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply
in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the
Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a
Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall
thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock
pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of
Common Stock which complies with the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
(or a wholly owned subsidiary of any such Person or Persons), (ii) the
price per share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is not less
than the price per share of Common Stock paid to all holders of shares of
Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to such tender offer or
exchange offer and (iii) the form of consideration being offered to the
remaining holders of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such transaction is
the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such tender offer or
exchange offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by
this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional
Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For
purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right
shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise
issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day,
the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the
principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-
counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or,
if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is
making a market in the Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be
used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Preferred Stock (other than 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). 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 registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such
Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one 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 upon
exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common
Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates
at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value
of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of
Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any
fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this
Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action.
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than
rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Section 18, are
vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates
(and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common
Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for
his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action
or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect
of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate
in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement.
Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of
Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would
not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the
obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders.
Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees
with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a
Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered
at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer
and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company
and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common
Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the
Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or
writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent,
subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to
be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any
holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative
agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order
promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or
otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however,
the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or
ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled
to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
number of one 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 receive notice of meetings
or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 24
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.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon
any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other
securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be
genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation
succeeding to the shareholder services or corporate trust business of the
Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the
Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any
paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto;
provided, however, that such corporation would be eligible for appointment
as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In
case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency
created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt
the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent
may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the
predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the
Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates
shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such
Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided
in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by
this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the
Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance
thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be
full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to
any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any
fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any
Acquiring Person and the determination of "current market price") be proved
or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the
President, 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 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 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 receipt by it of the certificate required by
Section 12, describing any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred
Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or
as to whether any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so
issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged
and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances
as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or
performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant
Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for
any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or
other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any
transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or
lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it
were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude
the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for
any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights
or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of
any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from
any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable
care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the
exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing
that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk
or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form
of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has
either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1
and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with
respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting
with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be
discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days'
notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to
the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may
remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30)
days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights
Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of
the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall
resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the
Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall
fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after
giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of
such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights
Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such
notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then
any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a
court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws
of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (or of any
other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business as a banking institution in either the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts or in the state of New York or Illinois), in good standing,
having a principal office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or in the
State of New York or Illinois, which is authorized under such laws to
exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or
examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least
$100,000,000. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested
with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been
originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and
deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the
purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights
Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock,
and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this
Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality
or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the
appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding
any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary,
the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing
Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board 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 hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other
case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the
Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of
Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that
(i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate
adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at
any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth 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 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 $.01 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 the foregoing, the
Board of Directors may not redeem any Rights following a determination
pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)(B) that any Person is an Adverse Person.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the
Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption
hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption
Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the "current market price",
as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of
redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the
Board of Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have
been filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only
right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the
Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the
Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall
give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the
then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each
holder's last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights
Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method
by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to
the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the
holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to
the holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to
purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any
class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock),
or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to
permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more
than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company
and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the
Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent
feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of
such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on
which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer,
liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if
any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case
of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days
prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred
Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other
action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such
proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the
shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon
as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to
the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of
the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred
Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if
appropriate, other securities.
Section 25. Notices.
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or
on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing
with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Quixote Corporation
Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by
this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or
made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
BankBoston, N.A.
c/o Boston EquiServe Limited Partnership
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address
of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 26. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company
so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common
Stock. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights
Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement
without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to
cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained
herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions
herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to
change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the
Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person); provided, this Agreement may not be
supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this
sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at
such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time
period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing
or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights
(other than an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or its Associates or
Affiliates). 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 26, the Rights Agent shall
execute such supplement or amendment. 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 27. Successors.
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the
benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the
benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 28. 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 the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board of
Directors of the Company (or as set forth herein, certain specific members
thereof shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this
Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the
Board (or as set forth herein, certain specific members thereof) 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 (with, where specifically provided for herein, the concurrence of the
Continuing Directors) in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and
binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all
other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the
holders of the Rights.
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any
Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders
of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered
holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim
under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date,
registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 30. Severability.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement
is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be
invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court
or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that
severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect
the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth
in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the
close of business on the tenth day following the date of such determination
by the Board of Directors.
Section 31. 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 32. 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 33. Descriptive Headings.
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement
are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the
meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement
to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto
affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: QUIXOTE CORPORATION
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------- ---------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Secretary Title: President
Attest: BANKBOSTON, N.A.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
----------------- ---------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Name: Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Account Manager Title: Administration Manager
