EXHIBIT 4.1
Amended Rights Agreement
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BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
and
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of December 3, 1997*
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* amended and restated as of February 4, 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1. Certain Definitions............................................... 1
SECTION 2. Appointment of Rights Agent....................................... 6
SECTION 3. Issue of Rights Certificates...................................... 6
SECTION 4. Form of Rights Certificates....................................... 8
SECTION 5. Countersignature and Registration................................. 9
SECTION 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Rights Certificates...................................... 10
SECTION 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.... 11
SECTION 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.............. 13
SECTION 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.................... 13
SECTION 10. Preferred Stock Record Date..................................... 14
SECTION 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or
Number of Rights......................................... 14
SECTION 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares...... 24
SECTION 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power............................................ 24
SECTION 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares......................... 27
SECTION 15. Rights of Action................................................ 28
SECTION 16. Agreement of Rights Holders..................................... 28
SECTION 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.............. 29
SECTION 18. Concerning the Rights Agreement................................. 29
SECTION 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent....... 30
SECTION 20. Duties of Rights Agent.......................................... 30
SECTION 21. Change of Rights Agent.......................................... 33
SECTION 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates............................. 34
SECTION 23. Redemption and Termination...................................... 34
SECTION 24. Notice of Certain Events........................................ 35
SECTION 25. Notices......................................................... 36
SECTION 26. Supplements and Amendments...................................... 36
SECTION 27. Successors...................................................... 37
SECTION 28. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc....... 37
SECTION 29. Benefits of this Agreement...................................... 38
SECTION 30. Severability.................................................... 38
SECTION 31. Governing Law................................................... 38
SECTION 32. Counterparts.................................................... 38
SECTION 33. Descriptive Headings............................................ 39
SECTION 34. Exchange........................................................ 39
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit B -- Form of Summary of Rights
Exhibit C -- Certificate of Designation for Preferred Stock
RIGHTS AGREEMENT dated as of December 3, 1997*, between
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A. (the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, effective December 3, 1997 (the "Rights Dividend
Declaration Date"), the Company entered into a Rights Agreement with the Rights
Agent ("1997 Rights Agreement") and the Board of Directors of the Company
authorized and declared a distribution of one right (each, a "Right") for each
share of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company ("Voting Common
Stock") and for each share of Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $.01 per share,
of the Company ("Nonvoting Common Stock" and, together with Voting Common Stock,
"Company Common Stock") outstanding at the Close of Business on December 15,
1997 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such
number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant hereto) for each share of Company
Common Stock issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or
delivered from the Company's treasury) and, except as otherwise provided in
Section 22, the Distribution Date, each Right initially representing the right
to purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth,
one Unit of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined);
WHEREAS, the Company desires to set forth certain terms and
conditions governing the Rights; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to appoint the Rights Agent to
act as rights agent hereunder, in accordance with the terms and conditions
hereof; and
WHEREAS, on February 4, 1999, the Board of Directors of the
Company has authorized an amendment and restatement of the 1997 Rights
Agreement, in accordance with Section 26 of this Agreement, to change certain
terms and conditions governing the Rights;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" means any Person that, alone or
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be
the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Voting Common
Stock then outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by
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* amended and restated as of February 4, 1999.
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the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with
respect to such plan acting in such capacity or (ii) any Person who has
become and is such a Beneficial Owner solely because (A) of a decrease
in the aggregate number of shares of Voting Common Stock since the last
date on which such Person acquired Beneficial Ownership of any shares
of Voting Common Stock or (B) it acquired such Beneficial Ownership in
the good faith belief that such acquisition would not (1) cause such
Beneficial Ownership to be equal to or exceed 15% of the shares of
Voting Common Stock then outstanding and such Person relied in good
faith in computing the percentage of its Beneficial Ownership on
publicly filed reports or documents of the Company that are inaccurate
or out-of-date or (2) otherwise cause a Distribution Date or the
adjustment provided for in Section 11(a)(ii) to occur. Notwithstanding
clause (ii)(B) of the prior sentence, if any Person that is not an
Acquiring Person due to such clause (ii)(B) does not reduce its
percentage of Beneficial Ownership of Voting Common Stock to less than
15% by the Close of Business on the fifth Business Day after notice
from the Company (the date of notice being the first day) that such
person's Beneficial Ownership of Voting Common Stock so equals or
exceeds 15%, such Person shall at the end of such five Business Day
period, become an Acquiring Person (and such clause (ii)(B) shall no
longer apply to such Person). For purposes of this definition, the
determination whether any Person acted in "good faith" shall be
conclusively determined by the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) "Adjustment Shares" has the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii).
(c) "Adjustment Spread" has the meaning set forth in Section
34(a)(ii).
(d) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act
Regulations as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(e) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own", and shall be deemed to have
"Beneficial Ownership" of, any securities:
(i) of which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates is considered to be a "beneficial
owner" under Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act Regulations as in
effect on the date of this Agreement; provided, however, that
a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own", or to have "Beneficial Ownership" of, any
securities under this subparagraph (i) as a result of an
agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
securities if such agreement, arrangement or understanding (A)
arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a
proxy or consent
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solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act
Regulations, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report);
(ii) that are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
of such other Person) 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
(i) of this paragraph (e)) or disposing of such securities; or
(iii) that 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 or upon the
satisfaction of conditions) 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 under this paragraph (e) a Person shall not be
deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", or to have
"Beneficial Ownership" of, (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender
or exchange offer made in accordance with Exchange Act Regulations by
such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such
tendered securities are accepted for payment or exchange, (B)
securities that may be issued upon exercise of Rights at any time prior
to the occurrence of a Triggering Event or (C) securities that may be
issued 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(c) or Section 22 or pursuant to Section 11(i)
in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any such Rights.
Anything in this paragraph (e) to the contrary notwithstanding, for
purposes of determining pursuant to this paragraph (e) whether any
Person (other than The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United
States (or any successor thereto) and its Affiliates (the "Equitable
Parties")) is deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or beneficially owns,
or has "Beneficial Ownership of, shares of Voting Common Stock issuable
upon the exchange of shares of Nonvoting Common Stock (pursuant to
Section 4.2(d) of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and
irrespective of whether such shares of Nonvoting Common Stock are
beneficially owned by the Equitable Parties), any Person (including the
Equitable Parties) that is deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own", or to have "Beneficial Ownership" of, Nonvoting
Common Stock pursuant to
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this paragraph (e) shall also be deemed to be the "Beneficial Owner"
of, and to "beneficially own", and to have "Beneficial Ownership" of,
the Voting Common Stock for which such Nonvoting Common Stock could be
exchanged if the Equitable Parties had no right, title or interest in
or to such Nonvoting Common Stock.
(f) "Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to be closed.
(g) "Close of Business" on any given date means 5:00 P.M., New
York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is
not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the
next succeeding Business Day.
(h) "Common Stock" of any Person other than the Company means
the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or, if
such Person shall have no capital stock, the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management of
such Person.
(i) "Company" has the meaning set forth in the preamble to
this Agreement.
(j) "Company Common Stock" has the meaning set forth in the
recitals to this Agreement.
(k) "Current Value" has the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii).
(l) "Depositary Agent" has the meaning set forth in Section
7(c).
(m) "Distribution Date" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(a).
(n) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" has the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b).
(o) "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended.
(p) "Exchange Act Regulations" means the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(q) "Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section
7(a).
(r) "Final Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a).
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(s) "Nonvoting Common Stock" has the meaning set forth in the
recitals to this Agreement.
(t) "Person" means any individual, partnership, limited
liability company, firm, corporation, association, trust,
unincorporated organization or other entity, as well as any syndicate
or group deemed to be a person under Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange
Act.
(u) "Preferred Stock" means the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company having the
voting powers, designation, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights and qualifications, limitations and
restrictions described in the Certificate of Designation set forth as
Exhibit C.
(v) "preferred stock equivalents" has the meaning specified in
Section 11(a)(iii).
(w) "Principal Party" has the meaning set forth in Section
13(b).
(x) "Purchase Price" has the meaning set forth in Section
7(b).
(y) "Record Date" has the meaning set forth in the recitals to
this Agreement
(z) "Redemption Effectiveness Time" has the meaning set forth
in Section 23(a).
(aa) "Redemption Price" has the meaning set forth in Section
23(a).
(bb) "Registered Common Stock" has the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b)(ii).
(cc) "Registration Date" has the meaning set forth in Section
9(c).
(dd) "Registration Statement" has the meaning set forth in
Section 9(c).
(ee) "Right" has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this
Agreement.
(ff) "Rights Agent" has the meaning set forth in the preamble
to this Agreement.
(gg) "Rights Certificate" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(a).
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(hh) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" has the meaning set
forth in the recitals to this Agreement.
(ii) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" means any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii)(A), (B) or (C).
(jj) "Section 11(a)(iii) Trigger Date" has the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
(kk) "Section 13 Event" means any event described in clause
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a).
(ll) "Section 34(a)(i) Exchange Ratio" has the meaning set
forth in Section 34(a)(i).
(mm) "Section 34(a)(ii) Exchange Ratio" has the meaning set
forth in Section 34(a)(ii).
(nn) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
(oo) "Spread" has the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
(pp) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement (including, without limitation, the filing of any
report pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or
an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(qq) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person,
any other Person of which an amount of voting securities or equity
interests sufficient to elect a majority of the directors or equivalent
governing body of such other Person is beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such
first-mentioned Person.
(rr) "Summary of Rights" has the meaning set forth in Section
3(b).
(ss) "Trading Day" has the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i).
(tt) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event
or any Section 13 Event.
(uu) "Unit" has the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).
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SECTION 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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.
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
and (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as
may be determined by action of the Company's Board of Directors prior to such
time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) 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 maintained by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in
such capacity) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule
14d-4(a) of the Exchange Act Regulations or any successor rule, if upon
consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of
the shares of Voting Common Stock then outstanding (the earlier of (i) and (ii)
above being the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced by the
certificates for shares of Company Common Stock registered in the names of the
holders of shares of Company Common Stock as of and subsequent to the Record
Date (which certificates for shares of Company 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 Company 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 shares
of Company 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
rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto ("Rights
Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Company Common Stock so
held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment
in the number of Rights per share of Company Common Stock has been made pursuant
to Section 11(p), at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the
Company may make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in
accordance with Section 14(a)) so that Rights Certificates evidencing only whole
numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional
Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced
solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) The Company sent a copy of a Summary of Preferred Stock
Purchase Rights (the "Summary of Rights"), in substantially the form initially
attached hereto as Exhibit B, to each record holder of Company Common Stock as
of the close of business on the Record Date, by first-class, postage prepaid
mail, at the address of the holder shown on the records of the Company. The
Summary of Rights has been revised as set forth in Exhibit B to reflect this
Agreement, as amended, as of February 4, 1999.
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(c) Rights shall, without any further action, be issued in
respect of all shares of Company Common Stock that are issued (including any
shares of Company Common Stock held in treasury) after the Record Date but prior
to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date. Certificates
evidencing such shares of Company Common Stock issued after the Record Date
shall bear the following legend:
"This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder
hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement dated as
of December 3, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Burlington
Industries, Inc. (the "Company") and Wachovia Bank, N.A. (the "Rights
Agent"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference
and a copy of which is on file at the principal office of the stock
transfer administration office of the Rights Agent. 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 any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held
by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become
null and void."
With respect to certificates evidencing shares of Company
Common Stock (whether or not such certificates include the foregoing legend or
have appended to them the Summary of Rights), until the earlier of the
Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the shares
of Company Common Stock evidenced by such certificates shall be evidenced by
such certificates alone and registered holders of the shares of Company 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 shares of Company Common Stock evidenced by such
certificates.
(d) Anything in this Section 3 to the contrary
notwithstanding, (i) prior to the Distribution Date, any Right issued in respect
of a share of Nonvoting Common Stock shall be deemed to be issued in respect of
any share of Voting Common Stock issued in exchange therefor pursuant to Section
4.2(d) of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and no new Right shall
be issued in respect of such share of Voting Common Stock upon such exchange and
(ii) on or after the Distribution Date, no Right will be issued in respect of
any share of Voting Common Stock issued in exchange for a share of Nonvoting
Common Stock pursuant to Section 4.2(d) of the Certificate of Incorporation of
the Company.
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SECTION 4. Form of Rights Certificates. (a) The Rights
Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase, assignment and certificate
to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form
set forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of identification or
designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the
Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of
this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or any
rule or regulation thereunder 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, 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 Units of
Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein,
but the amount and type of securities, cash or other assets that may be acquired
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 hereto that
evidences Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and that receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from
the Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding either the
transferred Rights, shares of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a
transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined to be part of
a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of Section 7(e) shall, upon written direction of the Board of
Directors of the Company, contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
"The Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate
and the Rights evidenced hereby may become null and void in the
circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement."
SECTION 5. Countersignature and Registration. (a) Rights
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive
Officer, President or one of its Vice Presidents, under its corporate seal
reproduced thereon, attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant
Secretaries. The signature of any one or more of these officers on the Rights
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Certificates may be manual or facsimile. Rights Certificates bearing the manual
or facsimile signatures of the individuals who were at any time the proper
officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such
individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the
countersignature of such Rights Certificates or did not hold such offices at the
date of such Rights Certificates. No Rights Certificate shall be entitled to any
benefit under this Agreement or be valid for any purpose unless there appears on
such Rights Certificate a countersignature duly executed by the Rights Agent by
manual signature of an authorized signatory, and such countersignature upon any
Rights Certificate shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that
such Rights Certificate has been duly countersigned as required hereunder.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will
keep or cause to be kept, at its office designated for surrender of Rights
Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and registration
of transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show
the name and address of each holder of the Rights Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each Rights Certificate and the date of each
Rights Certificate.
SECTION 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14, 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 Units
of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or
other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates
surrendered then entitled such holder 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 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 executed
the certificate set forth 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) of the Rights
evidenced by such Rights Certificate or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the
Company shall reasonably request; whereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to
the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 14, 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.
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(b) If a Rights Certificate shall be mutilated, destroyed,
lost or stolen, upon request by the registered holder of the Rights evidenced
thereby and upon payment to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incident thereto, there shall be issued, in exchange for and upon
cancellation of the mutilated Rights Certificate, or in substitution for the
lost, stolen or destroyed Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate, in
substantially the form of the prior Rights Certificate, of like tenor and
evidencing the equivalent number of Rights, but, in the case of loss, theft or
destruction, only upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the Company and the
Rights Agent of such loss, theft or destruction of such Rights Certificate and,
if requested by the Company or the Rights Agent, indemnity also satisfactory to
it.
SECTION 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights. (a) Prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on December 4,
2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), and (ii) the time at which the Rights are
redeemed as provided in Section 23 (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being the
"Expiration Date"), the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may, subject
to the provisions of Sections 7(e) and 9(c), exercise the Rights evidenced
thereby in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon
surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and
the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent
at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with
payment of the aggregate Purchase Price (as hereinafter defined) for the number
of Units of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities,
cash or other assets, as the case may be) for which such surrendered Rights are
then exercisable.
(b) The purchase price for each one one-thousandth of a share
(each such one one-thousandth of a share being a "Unit") of Preferred Stock upon
exercise of Rights shall be $50.00, subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) (such purchase price, as so adjusted, being
the "Purchase Price"), and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
(c) As promptly as practicable following the occurrence of the
Distribution Date, the Company shall deposit with a corporation in good standing
organized under the laws of the United States or any State of the United States
that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer
powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authority (such institution being the "Depositary Agent"), certificates
evidencing the shares of Preferred Stock that may be acquired upon exercise of
the Rights and shall cause such Depositary Agent to enter into an agreement
pursuant to which the Depositary Agent shall issue receipts evidencing interests
in the shares of Preferred Stock so deposited. Upon receipt of a Rights
Certificate evidencing 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 for the Units of Preferred Stock (or,
following a
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Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to
be purchased thereby as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable
transfer tax or evidence satisfactory to the Company of payment of such tax, the
Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k), thereupon promptly (i) requisition
from the Depositary Agent depositary receipts evidencing such number of Units of
Preferred Stock as are to be purchased 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, (iii) after receipt of such 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. In the event
that the Company is obligated to issue Company Common Stock, other securities of
the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section
11(a), the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such Company
Common Stock, other securities, cash and/or other property are available for
distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. Subject to Section
34, the payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iii)) may be made in cash or by certified or bank check payable to
the order of the Company, or by wire transfer of immediately available funds to
the account of the Company (provided that notice of such wire transfer shall be
given by the holder of the related Right to the Rights Agent).
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
Certificate evidencing 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.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the first occurrence of any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
Section 13 Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee after
the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) that becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and that receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from
the Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or such Associate or Affiliate) has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights, shares of Company Common Stock or the Company or (B) a transfer that the
Board of Directors of the Company has determined to be part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding that has, as a primary purpose or effect, the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall
13
be 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 ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are
complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights or any other
Person as a result of its failure to make any determination under this Section
7(e) or Section 4(b) with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates,
Associates or transferees.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate 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 by such registered holder unless such
registered holder shall have (i) completed and executed the certificate
following 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) of the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate 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 this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any Rights Certificates 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 shall at all times prior to the Expiration Date cause to be reserved
and kept available, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred
Stock, the number of shares of Preferred Stock that, as provided in this
Agreement, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding
Rights. Upon the occurrence of any events resulting in an increase in the
aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock (or other equity securities of the
Company) issuable upon exercise of all outstanding Rights above the number then
reserved, the Company shall make appropriate increases in the number of shares
so reserved.
(b) If the shares of Preferred Stock to be issued and
delivered upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall during the period from the Distribution
Date through the Expiration Date use its best efforts to
14
cause all securities 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 (i) as soon as
practicable following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and a
determination by the Company in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) of the
consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights or, if
so required by law, as soon as practicable following the Distribution Date (such
date being the "Registration Date"), to file a registration statement on an
appropriate form under the Securities Act with respect to the securities that
may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights (the "Registration Statement"), (ii)
to cause the Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing, (iii) to cause the Registration Statement to continue to be
effective (and to include a prospectus complying with the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no
longer exercisable for the securities covered by the Registration Statement and
(B) the Expiration Date and (iv) to take as soon as practicable following the
Registration Date such action as may be required to ensure that any acquisition
of securities upon exercise of the Rights complies with any applicable state
securities or "blue sky" laws.
(d) The Company shall take such action as may be necessary to
ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, any other securities that may be delivered upon exercise of
Rights) shall be, at the time of delivery of the certificates or depositary
receipts for such securities, duly and validly authorized and issued and fully
paid and non-assessable.
(e) The Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or transfer
tax imposed in connection with the issuance or delivery of the Rights
Certificates or upon the exercise of Rights; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be required to pay any such tax imposed in connection with the
issuance or delivery of Units of Preferred Stock, or any certificates or
depositary receipts for such Units of Preferred Stock (or, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, any other securities, cash or assets, as the
case may be) to any person other than the registered holder of the Rights
Certificates evidencing the Rights surrendered for exercise. The Company shall
not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for
Units of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
any other securities, cash or assets, as the case may be) to, or in a name other
than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate upon the exercise
of any Rights evidenced thereby until any 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 Units of Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence
of a Triggering Event,
15
other securities) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes
be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Units of Preferred Stock
(or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) evidenced
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 any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however,
that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other
securities) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such securities on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the
Preferred Stock (or, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other
securities) transfer books of the Company are open; and provided further,
however, that if delivery of Units of Preferred Stock is delayed as a result of
a failure to register such Units of Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 9(c),
such Persons shall be deemed to have become the record holders of such Units of
Preferred Stock only when such Units first become deliverable. 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 securities 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
securities 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), 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 upon exercise of the Rights, 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, such holder
would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by
virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification.
If
16
an event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this
Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in
this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior
to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) In the event:
(A) any Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date
of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, shall (1) merge
into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of
such merger or combination and Company Common Stock shall
remain outstanding and unchanged, (2) in one transaction or a
series of transactions, transfer any assets to the Company or
to any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part)
for shares of Company Common Stock, for other equity
securities of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or for
securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of
equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
(whether Company Common Stock or otherwise) or otherwise
obtain from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, with or
without consideration, any additional shares of such equity
securities or securities exercisable for or convertible into
such equity securities (other than pursuant to a pro rata
distribution to all holders of Company Common Stock), (3)
sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or
otherwise acquire or dispose of, in one transaction or a
series of transactions, to, from or with the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or any employee benefit plan maintained by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or
fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity,
assets (including securities) on terms and conditions less
favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary or plan than those
that could have been obtained in arm's-length negotiations
with an unaffiliated third party, other than pursuant to a
transaction set forth in Section 13(a), (4) sell, purchase,
lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise
acquire or dispose of, in one transaction or a series of
transactions, to, from or with the Company or any of the
Company's Subsidiaries or any employee benefit plan maintained
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trustee or
fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity
(other than transactions, if any, consistent with those
engaged in, as of the date hereof, by the Company and such
Acquiring Person or such Associate or Affiliate), assets
(including securities) having an aggregate fair market value
of more than $5,000,000, other than pursuant to a transaction
set forth in Section 13(a), (5) sell, purchase, lease,
exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire or
dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions,
to, from or with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
employee benefit plan
17
maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such
capacity, any material trademark or material service xxxx,
other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section
13(a), (6) receive, or any designee, agent or representative
of such Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such
Acquiring Person shall receive, any compensation from the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than compensation for
full-time employment as a regular employee at rates in
accordance with the Company's (or its Subsidiaries') past
practices, or (7) receive the benefit, directly or indirectly
(except proportionately as a holder of Company Common Stock or
as required by law or governmental regulation), of any loans,
advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or
any tax credits or other tax advantage provided by the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries or any employee benefit plan
maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such
capacity; or
(B) any Person shall become an Acquiring Person,
unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring
Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a); or
(C) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person,
there shall be any reclassification of securities (including
any reverse stock split), or recapitalization of the Company,
or any merger or consolidation of the Company with any of its
Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of
transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
other than a transaction or transactions to which the
provisions of Section 13(a) apply (whether or not with or into
or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person), which has the
effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than 1%
the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class
of equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that is directly or indirectly beneficially owned by any
Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any
Acquiring Person;
then, immediately upon the date of the occurrence of an event described
in Section 11(a)(ii)(A), (B) or (C) (a "Section 11(a)(ii) Event"),
proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except
as provided below and in Section 7(e)) 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 the number of
Units of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, such number
of Units of Preferred Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
18
then number of Units of Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event (such product thereafter being, for all purposes of
this Agreement other than Section 13, the "Purchase Price"), and (y)
dividing that product by 50% of the then current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per Unit of Preferred Stock on
the date of such first occurrence (such Units of Preferred Stock being
the "Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Preferred
Stock that 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 is 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, by action of the Company's Board of
Directors, 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 being the "Spread"),
and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to
substitute for such Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable
Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3)
Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of
preferred stock (such other shares being "preferred stock
equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets or
(6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal
to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by
the Board of Directors of the Company, after receiving advice from a
nationally recognized investment banking firm; provided, however, that
if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value
pursuant to clause (B) above within 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)(iii) 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, Units of Preferred Stock (to
the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which Units of
Preferred Stock and/or cash shall have an aggregate value equal to the
Spread. To the extent that the Company determines that some action need
be taken pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the
Company shall provide, subject to Section 7(e), that such action shall
apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights. For purposes of this Section
11(a)(iii), the value of a Unit of Preferred Stock shall be the current
market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per Unit of
Preferred Stock on the Section 11(a)(iii) Trigger Date and the value of
any preferred stock equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value
as the Preferred Stock on such date.
19
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred
Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period
expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) shares of
Preferred Stock (or shares having substantially the same rights,
privileges and preferences as 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)) 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 sum of the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on
such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock that 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 or any Subsidiary 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 shares 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 shares of 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)), the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to
20
such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) 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 and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders
of the Rights) of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to
be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants distributable
in respect of a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which
shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d)) 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 that would have been in effect if
such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current market price" per share of Company Common Stock or Common
Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such shares for the 10 consecutive Trading
Days immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that if prior
to the expiration of such requisite 10 Trading Day period the issuer
announces either (A) a dividend or distribution on such shares payable
in such shares or securities convertible into such shares (other than
the Rights) or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of
such shares, then, following the ex-dividend date for such dividend or
the record date for such subdivision, as the case may be, the "current
market price" shall be properly adjusted to take into account such
event. The closing price for each day shall be, if the shares are
listed and admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities
exchange on which such shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if
such shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted sales 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 NASDAQ Consolidated
Quotations Service or such other system then in use, or, if on any such
date such shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in such shares selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making
a market in such shares, 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. If such shares are 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. The
term "Trading Day" shall mean, if such shares are listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, a day on
21
which the principal national securities exchange on which such shares
are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of
business or, if such shares are not so listed or admitted, a Business
Day.
(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 Company Common Stock in
clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the fourth 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 amount may be appropriately adjusted for such events
as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to
Company Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement)
multiplied by the current market price per share of Company Common
Stock. If neither Company Common Stock nor 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 binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the
Rights. For all purposes of this Agreement, the "current market price"
of a Unit 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 1% in the
Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that, by reason
of this Section 11(e), are not required to be made shall be carried
forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All
calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or
to the nearest one-hundredth of a share of Company Common Stock or
Common Stock or other share or hundred-thousandth 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 years from the date of
the transaction that mandates such adjustment and (ii) the Expiration
Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or 13(a), 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
22
as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock
contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j),
(k), (l) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14
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 Units
of Preferred Stock (or other securities or amount of cash or
combination thereof) that may be acquired 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 Units of Preferred Stock (calculated to
the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a Unit) obtained by (i)
multiplying (x) the number of Units of Preferred Stock 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 Units of Preferred Stock that
may be acquired 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 Units 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
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 10 days later than the date of such 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
23
Section 14, 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 to be so 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 Units 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 Unit
and the number of Units of Preferred Stock that were expressed in the
Initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder without prejudice to any
such adjustment or change.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value of the number of
Units of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the
Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its
counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue such fully paid and non-assessable number of Units 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 of that number of Units of Preferred
Stock and shares of other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Units
of Preferred Stock and shares of 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 the Board of
Directors of the Company shall, in its good faith judgment, determine
to be
24
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 that by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of
Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by
the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock, shall not be taxable to
such holders or shall reduce the taxes payable by such holders.
(n) The Company 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 that complies with Section 11(o)), (ii)
merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)), or (iii)
sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction, or a series of 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)), 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 that 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 Person that constitutes, or would constitute, the
"Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(a) shall have distributed
or otherwise transferred to its stockholders or other persons holding
an equity interest in such Person Rights previously owned by such
Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates; provided, however, this
Section 11(n) shall not affect the ability of any Subsidiary of the
Company to consolidate with, merge with or into, or sell or transfer
assets or earning power to, any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(o) After the Distribution Date, the Company shall not, except
as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26, 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 Company Common
Stock payable in shares of Company Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Company Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, or (iv) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of Company Common Stock (including any such
25
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which
the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), the number of
Rights associated with each share of Company 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 Company Common Stock
following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying
the number of Rights associated with each share of Company Common Stock
immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Company Common Stock
outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
SECTION 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section
13, 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 Company 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 evidencing
shares of Company Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25. 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, either (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or
merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)), 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 that complies
with Section 11(o)) 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 Company Common Stock shall be converted
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) to any Person or
Persons (other than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)), in one or more
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 (any such
event described in clause (x), (y) or (z) being a "Section 13 Event"), then, and
in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a
Right, except as
26
provided in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the
exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price, such number of validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock of
the Principal Party, which shares shall not be subject to any liens,
encumbrances, rights of first refusal, transfer restrictions or other adverse
claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the number of Units 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 Units for which
a Right would be exercisable hereunder but for the occurrence of such Section
11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price that would be in effect hereunder but for
such first occurrence) and (2) dividing that product (which, following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be the "Purchase Price" for all purposes
of this Agreement) by 50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)) 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, for all purposes of this Agreement, thereafter be
deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 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 ensure that the provisions of this
Agreement shall thereafter be applicable to its shares of Common Stock
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions
of Section 11(a)(ii) shall be of no further 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), (A) the Person that is the
issuer of any securities into which shares of Company Common Stock are
converted in such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than
one such issuer, the issuer of Common Stock that has the highest
aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d))
and (B) if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other
party to such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one
such Person, the Person the Common Stock of which has the highest
aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d));
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 largest portion of the assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions, or, if each
27
Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives the
same portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to
such transaction or transactions or if the Person receiving the largest
portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever
Person the Common Stock of which has the highest aggregate current
market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)); 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 12-month
period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act ("Registered
Common Stock"), or such Person is not a corporation, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person that has Registered
Common Stock outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other
Person; (2) if the Common Stock of such Person is not Registered Common
Stock or such Person is not a corporation, and such Person is a direct
or indirect Subsidiary of another Person but is not a direct or
indirect Subsidiary of another Person that has Registered Common Stock
outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to the ultimate parent
entity of such first-mentioned Person; (3) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a
corporation, and such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by
more than one Person, and one or more of such other Persons has
Registered Common Stock outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to
whichever of such other Persons is the issuer of the Registered Common
Stock having the highest aggregate current market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d)); and (4) if the Common Stock of such Person
is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a corporation, and
such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by more than one
Person, and none of such other Persons have Registered Common Stock
outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever ultimate parent
entity is the corporation having the greatest stockholders' equity or,
if no such ultimate parent entity is a corporation, shall refer to
whichever ultimate parent entity is the entity having the greatest net
assets.
(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 that have not been issued or
reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance
with this Section 13, and unless prior thereto the Company and such 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 the Principal Party will:
(i) (A) file on an appropriate form, as soon as practicable
following the execution of such agreement, a registration statement
under the Securities Act with respect to the Common Stock that may be
acquired upon exercise of the Rights, (B) cause such registration
statement to remain effective (and to include a prospectus complying
with the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date,
and
28
(C) as soon as practicable following the execution of such agreement
take such action as may be required to ensure that any acquisition of
such Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights complies with any
applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws; and
(ii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates that
comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form
10 under the Exchange Act.
(d) In case the Principal Party that is to be a party to a
transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in any of its
authorized securities or in its Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or other
instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the
effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue, in connection with, or as a
consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section
13, shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then current
market price per share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) or securities
exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock of such Principal Party at
less than such then current market price (other than to holders of Rights
pursuant to this Section 13) or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or
similar provisions in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such
Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 13, then, in such
event, the Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior
thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered
to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in
question of such Principal Party shall have been cancelled, waived or amended,
or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable
provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the
consummation of the proposed transaction.
(e) The 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 that have not theretofore been exercised
shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
SECTION 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. (a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute
Rights Certificates that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the Persons to which such fractional Rights would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to such fraction of the market
value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the 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, if the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading
29
on a national securities 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 sales 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 NASDAQ Consolidated Quotations Service 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 and such
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions that are integral multiples of
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or
to distribute certificates that evidence such fractional shares of Preferred
Stock (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of
a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of such fractional shares of Preferred
Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share, 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 then current market price of a share of Preferred Stock on the
day of exercise, determined in accordance with Section 11(d).
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of such Right
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 certificates evidencing shares of Company Common Stock); and any registered
holder of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of a
certificate evidencing shares of Company 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 a certificate evidencing shares of Company Common
Stock), may, in such registered holder's own behalf and for such registered
holder's own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action
or proceeding against the Company or any other Person to enforce, or otherwise
act in respect of, such registered holder's 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
30
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 Company 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 office 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 duly executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f), 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 Company
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
Company 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), shall 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 any 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, that the Company
must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling
lifted or otherwise overturned as promptly as practicable.
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
shares of Preferred Stock or any other
31
securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights evidenced 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, except as provided in Section 24, to receive notice of
meetings or other actions affecting stockholders, or to receive dividends or
subscription rights, or otherwise.
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, including reasonable fees and disbursements of its
counsel, incurred in connection with the execution and administration of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
shall indemnify the Rights Agent for, and 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 hereunder.
(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 Preferred 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 have been signed, executed
and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged by the proper Person or Persons.
SECTION 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent. (a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the corporate trust or shareholder services 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 document or any further act on
the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21. 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
32
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 specified herein) may be deemed to be conclusively proved
and established by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer,
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; provided, however, that so long as any
Person is an Acquiring Person hereunder, such certificate shall be
signed and delivered by a majority of the members of the Board of
Directors of the Company; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in
good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance
upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its
own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
33
(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 have any responsibility for the
validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or for 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 failure by the Company to satisfy
conditions 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 or 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 the Rights Agent of the certificate describing any such adjustment
contemplated by Section 12); nor shall it by any act hereunder be
deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization
or reservation of any shares of Preferred Stock or any other securities
to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as
to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or any other securities will,
when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
(f) The Company shall perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered
all such further acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be
required by the Rights Agent for the performance by the Rights Agent of
its duties under 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 Chief Executive Officer, 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; provided,
however, that so long as any Person is an Acquiring Person hereunder,
the Rights Agent shall accept such instructions and advice only from a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company and
shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it
in good faith in accordance with such instructions of the majority of
the members of the Board of Directors of the Company. Any application
by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at
the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action
34
proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken
or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be
liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in
accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after
the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less
than five Business Days after the date any such officer of the Company
actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have
consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any
such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the
Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to
such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights
or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract
with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely
as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein
shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for
the Company or for any other Person.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder
either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents.
(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 or in the exercise of
its rights hereunder if the Rights Agent shall have 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 Rights Certificate surrendered to
the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to
the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may
be, has either not been completed, not signed or indicates an
affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent
shall not take any further action with respect to such requested
exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company. If such
certificate has been completed and signed and shows a negative response
to clauses 1 and 2 of such certificate, unless previously instructed
otherwise in writing by the Company (which instructions may impose on
the Rights Agent additional ministerial responsibilities, but no
discretionary responsibilities), the Rights Agent may assume without
further inquiry that the Rights Certificate is not owned by a person
described in Section 4(b) or Section 7(e) and shall not be charged with
any knowledge to the contrary.
35
SECTION 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon 30 days' prior notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to
each transfer agent of the Preferred Stock and the Company Common Stock, by
registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates (or
certificates for the Company Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date) by
first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent upon 30 days' prior notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent
or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the
Preferred Stock and the Company Common Stock, by registered or certified mail,
and to the holders of the Rights Certificates (or certificates for the Company
Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date) by first-class mail. If the Rights
Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting,
the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall
fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of
such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate or, prior to the Distribution Date, the holder of a
certificate for the Company Common Stock (who shall, with such notice, submit
such holder's Rights Certificate or certificate for Company Common Stock, as the
case may be, for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any
Rights Certificate or, prior to the Distribution Date, the holder of a
certificate for the Company Common Stock may apply to any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights
Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
any state of the United States in good standing, shall be authorized to do
business as a banking institution in the State of New York, shall be authorized
under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers, shall be
subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and shall
have at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and
surplus of at least $100,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of a corporation described
in clause (a). 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 Preferred Stock and the Company Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (or certificates
for the Company Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date). 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.
36
SECTION 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or 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 the Board of Directors of
the Company to reflect any adjustment or change made in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement in the Purchase Price or the number or kind or
class of shares or other securities or property that may be acquired upon
exercise of the Rights. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of
shares of Company Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the
Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Company Common
Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any
employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue
Rights Certificates evidencing 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) Subject to Section
28, the Company may, at its option, by action of the Company's Board of
Directors (evidence of which shall be filed with the Rights Agent), at any time
prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day following the
Stock Acquisition 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 the "Redemption Price"). Any such redemption of the
Rights may be made effective immediately or at a later time determined in such
manner and subject to fulfillment of such conditions as the Board of Directors
in its sole discretion may establish (the effective time of redemption being
referred to as the "Redemption Effectiveness Time"). The Company may, at its
option, by action of the Company's Board of Directors, pay the Redemption Price
either in shares of Company Common Stock (based on the current market price,
determined in accordance with Section 11(d), of the shares of Company Common
Stock at the time of redemption) or cash.
(b) At the Redemption Effectiveness Time, 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 Redemption
Effectiveness Time, 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
37
the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of
the transfer agent for Company Common Stock. Any notice that 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),
(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, (iii) to effect any
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving
only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), (iv) to effect
any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)), or
to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its
Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions,
of 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)) 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 (or, prior to the Distribution Date, to each
holder of certificates for Company Common Stock), to the extent feasible and in
accordance with Section 25, 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 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 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; provided, however, no such notice shall be required
pursuant to this Section 24 if any Subsidiary of the Company effects a
consolidation or merger with or into, or effects a sale or other transfer of
assets or earning power to, any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in
any such case, 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, a notice of the occurrence of such
38
event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to
holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii).
SECTION 25. Notices. All notices and other communications
provided for hereunder shall, unless otherwise stated herein, be in writing and
mailed or sent or delivered (including by facsimile transmission), if to the
Company, at its address at:
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Secretary
Facsimile No.: 000-000-0000
and if to the Rights Agent, at its address at:
000 X. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx and EquiServe Trust Company X.X.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000 c/o EquiServe Limited Partnership
Attention: Shareholder Services 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Facsimile No.: 000-000-0000 Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Administration
Facsimile No.: 000-000-0000
Notices or demands authorized or required 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 evidencing
shares of Company 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 Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Company
Common Stock.
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 evidencing shares of Company 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 that 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 that the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and that shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
of an Acquiring Person); provided, however, that this Agreement may not be
supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence,
(A) subject to Section 30, a time period relating to when the Rights may be
redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then
39
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 an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company or, so long as any Person
is an Acquiring Person hereunder, from a majority of the members of the Board of
Directors, that 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 Company 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 Company Common Stock outstanding at any particular time,
including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such
outstanding shares of Company 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 Exchange Act Regulations as in effect on the date hereof (and shall in
any event include shares deemed to be beneficially owned by such Person as a
result of the application of Section 1(e)(ii)). Except as otherwise specifically
provided herein, the Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive
power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the
Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power (a) to interpret
the provisions of this Agreement and (b) to make all determinations deemed
necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement. All such
actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for
purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) that
are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith shall
(x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the
holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board of
Directors of the Company or any member thereof 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 shares of Company Common Stock)
any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. 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 shares of Company Common Stock).
40
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 and the Rights shall not then be redeemable, the right
of redemption set forth in Section 23 shall be reinstated and shall not expire
until the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the date of such
determination by the Board of Directors of the Company.
SECTION 31. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each
Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware.
SECTION 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed
(including by facsimile) in one or more counterparts, and by the different
parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be
deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.
SECTION 33. Descriptive Headings. The headings contained in
this Agreement are for descriptive purposes only and shall not affect in any way
the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
SECTION 34. Exchange. (a) (i) The Company may, at its option,
at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, upon resolution
adopted by a majority of the Company's Board of Directors, exchange all or part
of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights
that have become void pursuant Section 7(e)) for Units of Preferred Stock at an
exchange ratio of one Unit of Preferred Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted
to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring
after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the
"Section 34(a)(i) Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company
may not effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any trustee or fiduciary with respect
to such plan acting in such capacity), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the
shares of Company Common Stock then outstanding.
41
(ii) The Company may, at its option, at any time after any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person, upon resolution adopted by a majority of the
Company's Board of Directors, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and
exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void
pursuant to Section 7(e)) for Units of Preferred Stock at an exchange ratio
specified in the following sentence, as appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof. Subject to such adjustment, each Right may be exchanged for that number
of Units of Preferred Stock obtained by dividing the Adjustment Spread (as
defined below) by the then current market price (determined pursuant to Section
11(d)) per Unit of Preferred Stock on the earlier of (i) the date on which any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person and (ii) the date on which a tender or
exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in
such capacity) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule
14d-4(a) of the Exchange Act Regulations or any successor rule, if upon
consummation thereof such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of
the shares of Company Common Stock then outstanding (such exchange ratio being
the "Section 34(a)(ii) Exchange Ratio"). The "Adjustment Spread" shall equal (x)
the aggregate market price on the date of such event of the number of Adjustment
Shares determined pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), minus (y) the Purchase Price.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not effect such exchange at any
time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
or any trustee or fiduciary with respect to such plan acting in such capacity),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the shares of the Company Common Stock then
outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Company's Board of
Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 34(a) and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such
Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights
shall be to receive that number of Units of Preferred Stock equal to the number
of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Section 34(a)(i) Exchange
Ratio or Section 34(a)(ii) Exchange Ratio, as the case may be. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of
such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to
all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon
the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice that is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of exchange shall state the method by which the
exchange of Units of Preferred Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the
event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that will be exchanged. Any
partial exchange shall be effected
42
pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights that have become void
pursuant to Section 7(e)) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that the number of shares of Preferred Stock
that 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 any exchange of Rights as contemplated
in accordance with this Section 34, the Company shall take all such action as
may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Preferred Stock for issuance
upon exchange of the Rights or make adequate provision to substitute (i) cash,
(ii) Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company, (iii) debt
securities of the Company, (iv) other assets or (v) any combination of the
foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Adjustment Spread, where such
aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Units of Preferred Stock or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional
Units. In lieu of fractional Units, the Company may pay to the registered
holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exchanged as herein
provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) of one Unit of Preferred Stock.
43
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed on their behalf as of the date first above
written.
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
By /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.
By /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. ____________________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT
REFERRED TO BELOW). THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE
COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES (SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY
ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER
OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS EVIDENCED BY THIS RIGHTS
CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH
TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT REFERRED TO BELOW). ACCORDINGLY, THIS
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN
THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]*
Rights Certificate
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
This certifies that __________, or registered assigns, is the
registered holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the registered holder thereof, subject to the terms and conditions of
the Rights Agreement dated as of December 3, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"; terms
defined therein are used herein with the same meaning unless otherwise defined
herein) between BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., as Rights Agent (which term shall include
any successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date
at the office of the Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid and
nonassessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value
$.01 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Company at the Purchase Price
initially of $50.00 per one one-thousandth share (each such one one-thousandth
of a share being a "Unit") of Preferred Stock, upon presentation and surrender
of this Rights Certificate with the Election to Purchase and related certificate
duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by
--------
* The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable
and shall replace the preceding sentence.
2
this Rights Certificate (and the number of Units that may be purchased upon
exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per Unit set forth
above shall be subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13
Event, if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned
by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
or, under certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, a transferee
of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, such Rights shall become
null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such
Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section
13 Event.
In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, the
Rights evidenced hereby may entitle the registered holder thereof to purchase
capital stock of an entity other than the Company or receive common stock, cash
or other assets, all as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all the terms and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms and conditions are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights
Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company and are
available from the Company upon written request.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing an aggregate number of Rights
equal to the aggregate number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates surrendered. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised
in part, the registered holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender
hereof, another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of
whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company under certain
circumstances at its option at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, payable at
the Company's option in cash or in common stock of the Company, subject to
adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions that are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock), but in
lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
3
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled
to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities that may at any time be issuable on
the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or
herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights
of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of
directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof,
or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of
meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the
Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise,
until the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised
as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of _______ __, 199_/200_.
ATTEST: BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
By By
-------------------------- ------------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Countersigned:
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., as Rights Agent
By
--------------------------
Name:
Title:
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if
such holder desires to transfer the
Rights Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED__________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto____________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_______________________________________________________________________________
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ___________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated: __________ __, 199_ /200_
----------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold,
assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms
are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: _____________ __, 199_/200_ _________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
--------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
Signatures must be guaranteed by an approved eligible financial
institution acceptable to the Rights Agent in its sole discretion or by a
participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock
Exchange Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program or
by a participant in a successor to any such program.
In the event the certification set forth above is not completed,
the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment,
will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange
for this Rights Certificate.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if the registered holder
desires to exercise Rights evidenced
by the Rights Certificate)
To: BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _________
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to purchase the Units of Preferred
Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the
Company or of any other person or other property that may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such Units be issued
in the name of and delivered to:
_______________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_______________________________________
Please insert social security
or other identifying number:___________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
_______________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_______________________________________
Please insert social security
or other identifying number:
Dated: _____________ __, 199_/200_
_________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ]
are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate from any person who is, was or subsequently became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof.
Dated: _____________ __, 199_/200_ _________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
--------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
Signatures must be guaranteed by an approved eligible financial
institution acceptable to the Rights Agent in its sole discretion or by a
participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the Stock
Exchange Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program or
by a participant in a successor to any such program.
In the event the certification set forth above is not completed,
the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment,
will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange
for this Rights Certificate.
EXHIBIT B
SUMMARY OF PREFERRED STOCK
PURCHASE RIGHTS
On December 3, 1997, the Board of Directors of Burlington
Industries, Inc. (the "Company") declared a distribution of one Right for each
outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the
"Voting Common Stock") and for each outstanding share of Nonvoting Common Stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Nonvoting Common Stock";
collectively with the Voting Common Stock, the "Company Common Stock"), to
stockholders of record at the close of business on December 15, 1997 (the
"Record Date"), and for each share of Company Common Stock issued (including
shares distributed from treasury) by the Company thereafter and prior to the
Distribution Date (as defined below).
Each Right entitles the registered holder, subject to the terms
of the Rights Agreement (as defined below), to purchase from the Company one
one-thousandth of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of
$50.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The Purchase Price is payable in cash or
by certified or bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company.
The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement
between the Company and Wachovia Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agreement").
Copies of the Rights Agreement and the Certificate of
Designation for the Preferred Stock have been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as exhibits to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated
December 4, 1997 (as such Form is amended, the "Form 8-A"). Copies of the Rights
Agreement and such Certificate of Designation are available free of charge from
the Company. This summary description of the Rights and the Preferred Stock does
not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to all
the provisions of the Rights Agreement and such Certificate of Designation,
including the definitions therein of certain terms, which Rights Agreement and
Certificate of Designation are incorporated herein by reference.
The Rights Agreement
2
Initially, the Rights will attach to all certificates evidencing
shares of outstanding Company Common Stock, and no separate Rights Certificates
will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Company Common Stock and
the "Distribution Date" will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 days following a
public announcement (the date of such announcement being the "Stock Acquisition
Date") that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (other than
the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or such subsidiary) (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, obtained the
right to acquire, or otherwise obtained beneficial ownership of, 15% or more of
the then outstanding shares of Voting Common Stock, and (ii) 10 business days
(or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors
prior to such time as any person becomes an Acquiring Person) following the
commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person
or group beneficially owning 15% or more of the then outstanding shares of
Voting Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be
evidenced by Company Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with and
only with such Company Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Company Common Stock
certificates issued after the Record Date (also including shares distributed
from treasury) will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates evidencing
outstanding Company Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Company Common Stock evidenced by such certificates.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at the close of business on December 4, 2007, unless earlier
redeemed by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of Company Common Stock as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate
Rights Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
In the event that (i) a Person becomes the beneficial owner of
15% or more of the then outstanding shares of Voting Common Stock, (ii) the
Company is the surviving corporation in a merger with an Acquiring Person and
shares of Company Common Stock shall remain outstanding, (iii) an Acquiring
Person engages in one or more "self-dealing" transactions as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, or (iv) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, an
event occurs that results in such Acquiring Person's ownership interest being
increased by more than 1% (e.g., by means of a reverse stock split or
recapitalization) (each such event being referred to as a "Section 11(a)(ii)
Event"), then, in each such case, each holder of a Right will thereafter have
the right to receive, upon exercise, Units of Preferred Stock (or, in certain
circumstances, Company Common Stock,
3
cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two
times the exercise price of the Right. The exercise price is the Purchase Price
multiplied by the number of Units of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of a
Right prior to the events described in this paragraph. Notwithstanding any of
the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this
paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null
and void.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition
Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction and the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than a
merger described in the next preceding paragraph), (ii) any Person consolidates
or merges with the Company and all or part of the Company Common Stock is
converted or exchanged for securities, cash or property of any other Person, or
(iii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold or
transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights that previously have been
voided as described above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise, common stock of the Acquiring Person having a value equal to two times
the exercise price of the Right.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred
Stock issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time
to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a
subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) if
holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to
subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current
market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to the
holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness, cash or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price
will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the
Purchase Price. The Company is not required to issue fractional Units. In lieu
thereof, an adjustment in cash may be made based on the market price of the
Preferred Stock prior to the date of exercise.
At any time until 10 days following the Stock Acquisition Date,
a majority of the Directors may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at
a price of $.01 per Right (subject to adjustment in certain events) (the
"Redemption Price"), payable, at the election of such majority of the Directors,
in cash, shares of Company Common Stock or other securities. At the time the
redemption becomes effective (which may be immediately upon the action of a
majority of the Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights), the Rights
4
will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive
the Redemption Price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights
will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may,
depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the
Rights become exercisable for Units of Preferred Stock (or other consideration).
The Board of Directors, at its option, may exchange each Right
for (i) one Unit of Preferred Stock or (ii) such number of Units of Preferred
Stock as will equal (x) the difference between the aggregate market price of the
number of Units of Preferred Stock to be received upon a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
and the purchase price set forth in the Rights Agreement, divided by (y) the
market price per Unit of Preferred Stock upon a Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended
without the approval of the holders of Company Common Stock at any time prior to
the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights
Agreement may be amended in order to cure any ambiguity, defect or
inconsistency, to make changes that do not adversely affect the interests of
holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person), or to
shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement; provided,
however, that no amendment to lengthen the time period governing redemption
shall be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.
Description of Preferred Stock
Each Unit of Preferred Stock will have one vote, voting together
with the Voting Common Stock. Rights held by holders of Nonvoting Common Stock
will be exercisable for Units of Preferred Stock, but such Preferred Stock will
be nonvoting so long as it is held by The Equitable Life Assurance Society of
the United States or its affiliates, the current holders of the Nonvoting Common
Stock. The holders of Units of Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class,
shall be entitled to elect two directors if dividends on the Preferred Stock are
in arrears for six consecutive fiscal quarters. Otherwise, all holders of
Preferred Stock that may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights will be
entitled to the same rights and privileges.
The Units of Preferred Stock will be nonredeemable and
subordinate to any other shares of preferred stock that may be issued by the
Company.
5
Each Unit of Preferred Stock will have a minimum preferential
quarterly dividend of $.01 per Unit or any higher per share dividend declared on
the Company Common Stock.
In the event of liquidation, the holder of a Unit of Preferred
Stock will receive a preferred liquidation payment equal to the greater of $.01
per Unit and the per share amount paid in respect of a share of Company Common
Stock.
In the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction
in which shares of Company Common Stock are exchanged, each Unit of Preferred
Stock will be entitled to receive the per share amount paid in respect of each
share of Company Common Stock.
The rights of holders of the Preferred Stock to dividends,
liquidation and voting, and in the event of mergers and consolidations, are
protected by customary antidilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock's dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the economic value of one Unit of Preferred Stock
that may be acquired upon the exercise of each Right should approximate the
economic value of one share of Company Common Stock.
EXHIBIT C
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
OF THE VOTING POWERS, DESIGNATION,
PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE, PARTICIPATING,
OPTIONAL OR OTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS AND QUALIFICATIONS,
LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
--------------------
Pursuant to Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware
--------------------
I, Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx, III, Chief Executive Officer and
President of Burlington Industries, Inc., a corporation organized and existing
under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the "Corporation"),
DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
that, pursuant to authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the
Corporation by its Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate"), and,
pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, such Board of Directors, at a duly called meeting held on
December 3, 1997, at which a quorum was present and acted throughout, adopted
the following resolutions, which resolutions remain in full force and effect on
the date hereof creating a series of 215,000 shares of Preferred Stock having a
par value of $.01 per share, designated as Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock") out of the class of 30 million
shares of preferred stock of the par value of $.01 per share (the "Preferred
Stock"):
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board
of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate, the Board of
Directors does hereby create, authorize and provide for the issuance of the
Series A Preferred Stock having the voting powers, designation, relative,
participating, optional and other special rights, preferences, and
qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof that are set forth as
follows:
2
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 215,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions. (A) Subject to the
prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any other series of
Preferred Stock or any other shares of preferred stock of the Corporation
ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with
respect to dividends, each holder of one one-thousandth (1/1000) of a share (a
"Unit") of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and
if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that
purpose, (i) quarterly dividends payable in cash when, as and if declared by the
Board of Directors of the Corporation in respect of the common stock (each such
date being a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of such Unit of Series
A Preferred Stock, in an amount per Unit (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to
the greater of (a) $.01 and (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends
declared on shares of the common stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, since the first issuance of a Unit of Series A Preferred Stock, and (ii)
subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, quarterly
distributions (payable in kind) on each Quarterly Dividend Payment Date in an
amount per Unit equal to the aggregate per share amount of all noncash dividends
or other distributions (other than a dividend payable in shares of common stock
or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of common stock, by reclassification
or otherwise) declared on shares of common stock since the immediately preceding
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, since the first issuance of a Unit of Series A Preferred Stock. In
the event that the Corporation shall at any time after December 3, 1997 (the
"Rights Declaration Date"), (1) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of
common stock payable in shares of common stock, (2) subdivide outstanding shares
of common stock or (3) combine outstanding shares of common stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which the holder of a
Unit of Series A Preferred Stock was entitled immediately prior to such event
pursuant to the next preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of
common stock that are outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which shall be the number of shares of common stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on Units of Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the shares of common
stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of common stock); provided,
however, that, in the event no dividend or distribution
3
shall have been declared on the common stock during the period between any
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, a dividend of $.01 per Unit on the Series A Preferred Stock shall
nevertheless accrue with respect to the quarterly period ending on such
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and shall be cumulative on
each outstanding Unit of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issuance of such Unit of Series A
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issuance of such Unit is prior to the record
date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case, dividends on
such Unit shall begin to accrue from the date of issuance of such Unit, or
unless the date of issuance is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date
after the record date for the determination of holders of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall
begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on Units of
Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the aggregate amount of all such
dividends at the time accrued on such Units shall be allocated pro rata on a
unit-by-unit basis among all Units of Series A Preferred Stock at the time
outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination
of holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each Unit of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to
one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of Common Stock of
the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of Common
Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per Unit to which
holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the
numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
4
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders
of Units of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock
shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of holders
of Common Stock of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Units of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six consecutive
quarterly dividends thereon, then during the period (a "default period") from
the occurrence of such event until such time as all accrued and unpaid dividends
for all previously completed quarterly dividend periods on all Units of Series A
Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart
for payment, all holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately
as a class, shall have the right to elect two Directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting rights of
the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a
special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at
any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of
stockholders; provided, however, that neither such voting rights nor any right
of the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock to increase the authorized
number of Directors may be exercised at any meeting unless one-third of the
outstanding Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall be present at such meeting
in person or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock
shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Units of Series A Preferred
Stock of such rights. At any meeting at which the holders of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting rights initially during an existing
default period, they shall have the right, voting separately as a class, to
elect Directors to fill up to two vacancies in the Board of Directors, if any
such vacancies may then exist, or, if such right is exercised at an annual
meeting, to elect two Directors. If the number that may be so elected at any
special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the
Series A Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the
number of Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the
required number. After the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall
have exercised their right to elect Directors during any default period, the
number of Directors shall not be increased or decreased except as approved by a
vote of the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock as herein provided or
pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to the Series A
Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Series A Preferred Stock
shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right
to elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than 25% of the total number of
the Units of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding may request, the calling of a
special meeting of the holders of Units of Series A Preferred
5
Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the Secretary of the
Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders
of Units of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this
paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last address as
the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be called
for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later then 60 days after such order
or request or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after
such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any
stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than 25% of the
total number of outstanding Units of Series A Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding
the provisions of this paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be
called during the 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next
annual meeting of the stockholders.
(iv) During any default period, the holders of shares
of Common Stock and Units of Series A Preferred Stock, and other classes or
series of stock of the Corporation, if applicable, shall continue to be entitled
to elect all the Directors until holders of the Units of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two Directors voting as a
separate class, after the exercise of which right (x) the Directors so elected
by the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall continue in office
until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the
expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors
may (except as provided in paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by
vote of a majority of the remaining Directors theretofore elected by the holders
of the class of capital stock which elected the Director whose office shall have
become vacant. References in this paragraph (C) to Directors elected by the
holders of a particular class of capital stock shall include Directors elected
by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing
sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default
period, (x) the right of the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock as a
separate class to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors
elected by the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock as a separate class
shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors shall be such number as may be
provided for in the Certificate or By-laws irrespective of any increase made
pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number
being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in
the Certificate or By-laws). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by
the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the next preceding sentence may be
filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.
6
(vi) The provisions of this paragraph (C) shall
govern the election of Directors by holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock
during any default period notwithstanding any provisions of the Certificate to
the contrary.
(D) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in
paragraphs (A), (B) and (C) of this Section 3, except as otherwise provided by
law, Units of Series A Preferred Stock received by The Equitable Life Assurance
Society of the United States (or any successor thereto) and its Affiliates
("Equitable Persons") upon exercise of Rights issued to Equitable Persons in
respect of shares of Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Corporation shall not, for so long as such shares of Series A Preferred Stock
are held by any Equitable Person, have any right to vote on any matters to be
voted on by the stockholders of the Corporation, and such shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall not be included in determining the number of shares voting
or entitled to vote on any such matters.
(E) Except as set forth herein, holders of Units of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consents shall not
be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of
shares of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions. (A) Whenever any accrued
quarterly dividends for any previously completed quarterly dividend period, or
other dividends or distributions payable, on Units of Series A Preferred Stock
as provided in Section 2 have not been paid in full, thereafter and until all
such accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on
outstanding Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions
on, or redeem or repurchase or otherwise acquire for consideration, any
shares of junior stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of parity stock, except dividends paid
ratably on Units of Series A Preferred Stock and shares of all such
parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion
to the total amounts to which the holders of such Units and all such
shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or repurchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any parity stock; provided, however, that the
Corporation may at any time redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire
shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any junior
stock; or
7
(iv) repurchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
Units of Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a
repurchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by
the Board of Directors) to all holders of such Units on the same terms.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Xxxxxxx 0, xxxxxxxxxx or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any Units of Series A Preferred
Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition
thereof. All such Units shall, upon their cancellation, become authorized but
unissued Units of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. (A) Upon
any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of
junior stock unless the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall have
received, subject to adjustment as hereinafter provided in paragraph (B), the
greater of either (a) $.01 per Unit plus an amount equal to all accrued and
unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not earned or declared,
to the date of such payment, and (b) the amount, per Unit, equal to the
aggregate per share amount to be distributed to holders of shares of common
stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of parity stock, unless simultaneously
therewith distributions are made ratably on Units of Series A Preferred Stock
and all other shares of such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to
which the holders of Units of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled under clause
(i)(a) of this sentence and to which the holders of shares of such parity stock
are entitled, in each case upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
(B) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the
Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on outstanding shares of common
stock payable in shares of common stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of
common stock, or (iii) combine outstanding shares of common stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders
of Units of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such
event pursuant to clause (i)(b) of paragraph (A) of this Section 6 shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall
be the number of shares of common stock that are outstanding immediately
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after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of
common stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of common stock are exchanged for or converted into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case Units of
Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged for or
converted into an amount per Unit (subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth) equal to the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash
and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or
for which each share of common stock is converted or exchanged. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any
dividend on outstanding shares of common stock payable in shares of common
stock, (ii) subdivide outstanding shares of common stock, or (iii) combine
outstanding common stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount set forth in the immediately preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or conversion of Units of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the number
of shares of common stock that are outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of common stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. Redemption. The Units of Series A Preferred Stock
shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Units of Series A Preferred Stock
shall rank junior to all other series of the Preferred Stock and to any other
class of preferred stock that hereafter may be issued by the Corporation as to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series or class shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. The Certificate, including, without
limitation, this resolution, shall not hereafter be amended, either directly or
indirectly, or through merger or consolidation with another corporation, in any
manner that would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of
the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Units of Series
A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. The Series A Preferred Stock
may be issued in Units or other fractions of a share, which Units or fractions
shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to
exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to
have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
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Section 12. Certain Definitions. As used herein with respect
to the Series A Preferred Stock, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(A) The term "Common Stock" means the class of common stock
designated as the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation at
the date hereof or any other class of stock resulting from successive changes or
reclassification of the common stock.
(B) The term "common stock" means the common stock, par value
$.01 per share, of the Corporation at the date hereof or any other stock
resulting from successive changes or reclassification of the common stock.
(C) The term "junior stock" (i), as used in Section 4, means
the common stock and any other class or series of capital stock of the
Corporation hereafter authorized or issued over which the Series A Preferred
Stock has preference or priority as to the payment of dividends and (ii), as
used in Section 6, shall mean the common stock and any other class or series of
capital stock of the Corporation over which the Series A Preferred Stock has
preference or priority in the distribution of assets on any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.
(D) The term "parity stock" (i), as used in Section 4, means
any class or series of stock of the Corporation hereafter authorized or issued
ranking pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock as to dividends and (ii) as
used in Section 6, shall mean any class or series of capital stock ranking pari
passu with the Series A Preferred Stock in the distribution of assets on any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Burlington Industries, Inc. has caused
this Certificate to be signed by its Chief Executive Officer and President and
attested by its Secretary this ___ day of __________, ____.
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC.
--------------------------------
By
Attest:
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