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AFFYMETRIX, INC.
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Rights Agent
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of October 15, 1998
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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Section 1 Certain Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right
Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Section 7. Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights . . . .9
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . 10
Section 9. Availability of Shares of Series B Preferred Stock. . . . . . . . . 11
Section 10. Series B Preferred Stock Record Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and
Number of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. . . . . 19
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 15. Rights of Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder . . . . . . . . . 25
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent . . . . . 25
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Section 23. Redemption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Section 24. Exchange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Section 26. Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 28. Successors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. . . . . . . . 32
Section 31. Severability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 32. Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 33. Counterparts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Rights Agreement, dated as of October 15, 1998 ("Agreement"), between
Affymetrix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a
dividend of (i) one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each share
of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company, and (ii) a number of
Rights for each share of Series AA Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined)
of the Company equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such
share of Series AA Preferred Stock is convertible at the Close of Business
(as hereinafter defined) on the Record Date (as hereinafter defined) for such
dividend, with such dividends being declared, in each of cases (i) and (ii),
upon shares outstanding as of the Close of Business on October 27, 1998 (the
"Record Date"), and with each Right representing the right to purchase one
one-thousandth (subject to adjustment) of a share of Series B Preferred Stock
(as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein
set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right
(subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of
Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the
earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are
hereinafter defined); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that Rights may be issued with
respect to shares of Common Stock that shall become outstanding after the
Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date in accordance with
Section 22.
Accordingly, 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 meaning indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of 15% or more in aggregate voting power of the shares of
Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock then outstanding, but shall not
include an Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter defined); PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that (i) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good
faith that a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" became the
Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred
Stock such that the Person would otherwise qualify as an "Acquiring Person"
inadvertently (including, without limitation, because (A) such Person was
unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of the voting power of the
Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock that would otherwise cause such
Person to be an "Acquiring Person" or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of
its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock but had
no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership under this
Agreement) and without any intention of changing or influencing control of the
Company, then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an
"Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement unless and until such
Person shall have failed to divest itself, as soon as practicable (as
determined, in good faith, by the Board of Directors of the Company), of
Beneficial Ownership of a sufficient
number of shares of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock so that such
Person would no longer otherwise qualify as an "Acquiring Person"; (ii) if,
as of the date hereof or prior to the first public announcement of the
adoption of this Agreement, any Person is or becomes the Beneficial Owner of
15% or more in aggregate voting power of the shares of Common Stock and
Series AA Preferred Stock outstanding, such Person shall not be deemed to be
or to become an "Acquiring Person" unless and until such time as such Person
shall, after the first public announcement of the adoption of this Agreement,
become the Beneficial Owner of additional shares of Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock (in each case, other than pursuant to a dividend or
distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Stock or
Series AA Preferred Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the
outstanding Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock), unless, upon becoming
the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock, such Person is not then the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more
in aggregate voting power of the shares of Common Stock and Series AA
Preferred Stock then outstanding; and (iii) no Person shall become an
"Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock
or Series AA Preferred Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common
Stock of Series AA Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Person such
that such Person owns 15% or more in aggregate voting power of the shares of
Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock then outstanding, PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more in
aggregate voting power of the shares of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred
Stock then outstanding by reason of such share acquisitions by the Company
and shall thereafter become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of
Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock (other than pursuant to a dividend
or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Stock
or Series AA Preferred Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the
outstanding Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock), then such Person
shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" unless upon becoming the
Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock such Person does not beneficially own 15% or more in
aggregate voting power of the shares of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred
Stock then outstanding. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation
of the number of shares of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of the voting power of such outstanding shares of
Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock of which any Person is the
Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect on the
date hereof.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, shall be
deemed to have "Beneficial Ownership" of and shall be deemed to "beneficially
own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates is deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, within the
meaning of Rule l3d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
Act as in effect on the date hereof;
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(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a
Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (x)
securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf
of such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such
tendered securities are accepted for purchase, (y) securities which such Person
has a right to acquire upon the exercise of Rights at any time prior to the time
that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person or (z) securities issuable upon the
exercise of Rights from and after the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person if such Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section
3(a) or Section 22 hereof ("Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) or
Section 11(n) with respect to an adjustment to Original Rights; or (B) the right
to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to
beneficially own, any security by reason of such agreement, arrangement or
understanding if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such
Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to,
and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under
the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person and with respect to which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other
than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group
members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the
proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of such securities of the Company;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no Person who is an officer, director or employee of an
Exempt Person shall be deemed, solely by reason of such Person's status or
authority as such, to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, to have "Beneficial
Ownership" of or to "beneficially own" any securities that are "beneficially
owned" (as defined in this Section l(c)), including, without limitation, in a
fiduciary capacity, by an Exempt Person or by any other such officer, director
or employee of an Exempt Person.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the city in
which the principal office of the Rights Agent is located are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., 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.
(f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
the Common Stock, presently par value $.01 per share, of the Company. "Common
Stock"
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when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean
the common stock (or, in the case of an unincorporated entity, the equivalent
equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such
other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(h) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.
(j) "Equivalent Preferred Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b) hereof.
(k) "Exempt Person" shall mean the Company or any Subsidiary (as such
term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, in each case including, without
limitation, in its fiduciary capacity, or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding
Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of
funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.
(l) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24
hereof.
(m) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(n) "Flip-In Event" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(o) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(p) "NASDAQ" shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(q) "New York Stock Exchange" shall mean the New York Stock Exchange,
Inc.
(r) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity, and shall include
any successor (by merger or otherwise) to such entity.
(s) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
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(t) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(u) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23
hereof.
(v) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.
(w) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
(x) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(y) "Series AA Preferred Stock" shall mean the Series AA Preferred
Stock, presently par value $.01 per share, of the Company.
(z) "Series B Preferred Stock" shall mean the Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, presently par value $.01 per share, of the
Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate
of Designation attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A.
(aa) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(bb) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the
Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, or such
earlier date as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become aware of the
existence of an Acquiring Person.
(cc) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting
power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons
performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
such Person, and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise controlled by
such Person.
(dd) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ee) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.
(ff) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the
Rights (who, in accordance
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with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date be the holders of
Common Stock and the holders of shares of Series AA Preferred Stock which
were outstanding on the Record Date) in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable.
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the tenth day
after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later
date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time
as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by
any Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement
of the intention of such Person (other than an Exempt Person) to commence, a
tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person
(other than an Exempt Person) becoming the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common
Stock and/or Series AA Preferred Stock aggregating 15% or more in voting power
of the Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock then outstanding (the earlier
of such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date", PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that if either of such dates occurs after the date of this Agreement
and on or prior to the Record Date, then the Distribution Date shall be the
Record Date), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of
Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Stock and Series AA
Preferred Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof and not by
separate Right Certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in
connection with the transfer of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock,
respectively. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company
will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign and the Company will
send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by
first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, (i) to each record holder of Common
Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any
Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate,
in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Right Certificate"),
evidencing one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) for each share
of Common Stock so held, and (ii) to each record holder of Series AA Preferred
Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any
Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate
evidencing (subject to adjustment as provided herein) that number of Rights for
each share of Series AA Preferred Stock so held (and which was also outstanding
at the Close of Business on the Record Date) that is equal to the number of
shares of Common Stock into which such share of Series AA Preferred Stock was
convertible under the terms of the Company's certificate of incorporation at the
Close of Business on the Record Date. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Shares of Series B
Preferred Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of
Rights"), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Stock and each record holder of Series AA Preferred Stock, in each case as of
the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common
Stock and
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Series AA Preferred Stock, in each case outstanding as of the Record Date,
until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with the
Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the
Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common
Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock, in each case outstanding on the Record
Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock represented thereby.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock
(but not Series AA Preferred Stock) issued or disposed of (including, without
limitation, upon disposition of Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance
or reissuance of Common Stock out of authorized but unissued shares) after the
Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration
Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the
Distribution Date. Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without
limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock, disposition of Common
Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of
authorized but unissued shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier
of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances
provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date shall have impressed
on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder
hereof to certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement
between Affymetrix, Inc. (the "Company") and American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent, dated as of
October 15, 1998 and as amended from time to time (the
"Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on
file at the principal executive offices of the Company.
Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge
after receipt of a written request therefor. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS
OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND
CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND
WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate, except as otherwise provided
herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Stock represented thereby.
In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires
(including, without limitation, upon conversion pursuant to the terms of the
Company's certificate of incorporation) any Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any
Rights associated with such Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock
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shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be
entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock which are no longer outstanding.
Notwithstanding this subsection (c), the omission of a legend shall
not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any
holder of the Rights.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The Right Certificates
(and the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on
the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B
hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement,
or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the Rights may from time to
time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of
this Agreement, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to
purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred
Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-thousandth of a
share of Series B Preferred Stock set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but
the number of such one one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock
and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by the President of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature,
shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof and shall
be attested by the Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights
Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any
officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall
cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights
Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates,
nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered
by the Company with the same force and effect as though the Person who signed
such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and
any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who,
at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of
the execution of this Agreement any such Person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for
registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such
books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right
Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right
Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
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(a) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after
the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or
Right Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder
to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a share of Series B
Preferred Stock as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then
entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall
make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender
the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the
Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case
may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.
(b) Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after
the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, upon receipt by the
Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the
loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of
loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to
them, and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights
Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the
Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company
will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent
for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost,
stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS, PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF
RIGHTS.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become
exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of
any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as
otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in
part upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to
purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the
office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with
payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock (or other securities,
cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised,
at any time which is both after the Distribution Date and prior to the time (the
"Expiration Date") that is the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on October
15, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are
redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date") or (iii) the
time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price shall be initially $125.00 for each one
one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. The Purchase Price and the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock or other securities or
property to be acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and
shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in
accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 7.
9
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right
Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to
purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price
for the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be purchased and an amount equal
to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right
Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof, in cash or by certified check,
cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights
Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Series B Preferred Stock, or make available if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for the Series B Preferred Stock, certificates for the number of
shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be purchased, and the Company hereby
irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or
(B) requisition from a depositary agent appointed by the Company depositary
receipts representing interests in such number of one one-thousandths of a share
of Series B Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates
for the Series B Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited
by the transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the Company hereby directs
any such depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate,
requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance
of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) promptly after
receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be
delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to
or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered
holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all of the Rights
evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the
exercisable Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to
the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized
assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder of Rights upon the occurrence of any
purported transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or this
Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment or form of election to purchase
set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such
transfer or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity
of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof as the Company
shall reasonably request.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split
up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of
its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled
form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no
Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted
by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall
deliver all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company,
10
destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a
certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. AVAILABILITY OF SHARES OF SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Series
B Preferred Stock or any shares of Series B Preferred Stock held in its
treasury, the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock that will be
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Series B Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of Rights may be listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, or quoted on NASDAQ, the Company shall use its best efforts
to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares
reserved for such issuance to be listed or admitted to trading on such exchange,
or quoted on NASDAQ, upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) From and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the
Company shall use its best efforts, if then necessary to permit the issuance of
shares of Series B Preferred Stock upon the exercise of Rights, to register and
qualify such shares of Series B Preferred Stock under the Securities Act and any
applicable state securities or "Blue Sky" laws (to the extent exemptions
therefrom are not available), cause such registration statement and
qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after such filing and
keep such registration and qualifications effective until the earlier of the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and
the Expiration Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time
not to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and
file a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit it to become
effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until
a registration statement under the Securities Act shall have been declared
effective, unless an exemption therefrom is available.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Series B Preferred Stock
delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the
certificates therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and
validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates
or of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock upon the exercise of Rights. The
Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person
other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts
for the Series B Preferred Stock in a name other than that of, the registered
holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to
issue or deliver any certificates or depositary
11
receipts for Series B Preferred Stock upon the exercise of any Rights until
any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by that holder
of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been
established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in
whose name any certificate for Series B Preferred Stock is issued upon the
exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of
record of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock represented thereby on, and
such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
(and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the
date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Series B Preferred
Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to
have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be
dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Series B Preferred Stock
transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a holder of Series B Preferred Stock for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive
dividends or other distributions, and shall not be entitled to receive any
notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES
AND NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date
of this Agreement (A) declare and pay a dividend on the Series B Preferred Stock
payable in shares of Series B Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding
Series B Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Series B Preferred Stock
into a smaller number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, or (D) issue any
shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Series B Preferred
Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except
as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the
time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such
subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares
of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so
that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to
receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Series B Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, the holder
would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of
such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one
Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the
Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person (the first occurrence of such event being
referred to hereinafter as the "Flip-In Event"), then (A) the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the
Flip-In Event multiplied by the number of one one-
12
thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such Flip-In Event, whether or not such
Right was then exercisable, and (B) each holder of a Right, except as
otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price
equal to the Purchase Price (as so adjusted), in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, such number
of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by dividing the
Purchase Price (as so adjusted) by 50% of the current per share market price
of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date
of such Flip-In Event; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as so
adjusted) and the number of shares of Common Stock so receivable upon
exercise of a Right shall, following the Flip-In Event, be subject to further
adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however, from and
after the Flip-In Event, any Rights that are beneficially owned by (x) any
Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (y)
a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who
becomes a transferee after the Flip-In Event or (z) a transferee of any
Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee
prior to or concurrently with the Flip-In Event pursuant to either (I) a
transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to
any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer which the
Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or
understanding which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of
this paragraph, and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall be void
without any further action and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter
have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of
this Agreement. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that
the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) are complied with, but shall have no
liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of
its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or
its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after the
Flip-In Event, no Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or
Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant
to the provisions of this paragraph, and any Right Certificate delivered to
the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant
to the provisions of this paragraph shall be canceled. From and after the
occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that
theretofore have not been exercised pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall
thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and not pursuant
to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) The Company may at its option substitute for a share of
Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii) a number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock or
fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one share of
Series B Preferred Stock multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the
current per share market price of one share of Common Stock. In the event that
there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding
or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Board of Directors shall,
to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in
effect to which the Company is a party (A) determine the excess (such excess,
the "Spread") of (1) the value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
exercise of a Right in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the
"Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii)), and (B) with respect to each Right (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the
13
foregoing subparagraph (ii)), make adequate provision to substitute for the
shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii) upon exercise of the Right and payment of the Purchase Price (as
adjusted in accordance therewith), (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase
Price, (3) shares of Series B Preferred Stock or other equity securities of
the Company (including, without limitation, shares or fractions of shares of
preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation
rights substantially comparable to those of the shares of Common Stock, are
deemed in good faith by the Board of Directors to have substantially the same
value as the shares of Common Stock (such shares of Series B Preferred Stock
and shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock are hereinafter referred
to as "Common Stock Equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5)
other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value which,
when added to the value of the shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of
such Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less
the amount of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate
value has been determined by the Board of Directors upon the advice of a
nationally recognized investment banking firm selected in good faith by the
Board of Directors; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Company shall not make
adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within
thirty (30) days following the Flip-In Event (the "Section 11(a) (ii) Trigger
Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, to the extent
permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to
which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
without requiring payment of such Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to
the extent available), and then, if necessary, such number or fractions of
shares of Series B Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if
necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to
the Spread. If, upon the occurrence of the Flip-In Event, the Board of
Directors shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient
additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon
exercise in full of the Rights, then, if the Board of Directors so elects,
the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent
necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a) (ii)
Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the
authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it
may be extended, is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent
that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the
second and/or third sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x)
shall provide, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of
this Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until
the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization
of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to
be made pursuant to such second sentence and to determine the value thereof.
In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii),
the value of the shares of Common Stock shall be the current per share market
price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)) on the Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date and the per share or fractional value of any "Common Stock
Equivalent" shall be deemed to equal the current per share market price of
the Common Stock. The Board of Directors of the Company may, but shall not
be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive shares
of Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights
pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii).
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Series B Preferred Stock entitling
them (for a period
14
expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or
purchase Series B Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Series B Preferred Stock ("Equivalent
Preferred Shares")) or securities convertible into Series B Preferred Stock
or Equivalent Preferred Shares at a price per share of Series B Preferred
Stock or Equivalent Preferred Shares (or having a conversion price per share,
if a security convertible into shares of Series B Preferred Stock or
Equivalent Preferred Shares) less than the then current per share market
price of the Series B Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Equivalent
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of
Series B Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares which the aggregate
offering price of the total number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock
and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate
initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered)
would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of which
shall be the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Equivalent
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of
additional shares of Series B Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred
Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the
convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case
such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which
shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be
as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
Shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares owned by
or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for
the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Series B Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Series B Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those
referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the then current per share market price of the Series B Preferred Stock
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, less the fair
market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share
of Series B Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such current
per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the
Series B Preferred Stock; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued
upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively
15
whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is
not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) Except as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any
computation hereunder, the "current per share market price " of any security (a
"Security" for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed
to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the
30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately
prior to such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the current per
share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the
announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on
such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into
such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such
Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend
date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per
share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market
price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day
shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in
either case as reported by the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall
mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the
Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of
business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any
national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Series
B Preferred Stock is publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of
the Series B Preferred Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method
set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Series B Preferred Stock is not publicly
traded but the Common Stock is publicly traded, the "current per share market
price" of the Series B Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be the
current per share market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i) multiplied by the then applicable Adjustment Number (as defined
in and determined in accordance with the Certificate of Designation for the
Series B Preferred Stock). If neither the Common Stock nor the Series B
Preferred Stock is publicly traded, "current per share market price" shall mean
the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors
of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase
Price; PROVIDED,
16
HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not
required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any
subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share of
Series B Preferred Stock or one-hundredth of a share of Common Stock or other
share or security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of
this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made
no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction
which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to
receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than the Series B
Preferred Stock, thereafter the Purchase Price and the number of such other
shares so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment
from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable
to the provisions with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(e), 11(h), 11(i) and 11(m) hereof, as
applicable, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with
respect to the Series B Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such
other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Series B Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon
exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and 11(c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall
thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
that number of one one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock
(calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share of Series B
Preferred Stock) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
one-thousandths of a share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right
immediately prior to such adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment and (ii) dividing the product so
obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment
of the Purchase Price pursuant to Sections 11(b) or 11(c) hereof to adjust
the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of
the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of
Rights (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth) obtained by dividing the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election
to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the
adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be
made. Such
17
record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any
day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at
least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right
Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights
pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company may, as promptly as practicable,
cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such
record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the
additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such
adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed
to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right
Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon
surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued,
executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be
registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the
record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of a Right, the Right Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Series B Preferred Stock which were expressed
in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the fraction of Series B
Preferred Stock or other shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of a
Right, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of
its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Series B Preferred Stock or other
such shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the
Series B Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Series B Preferred Stock
and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or
other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such
additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Series B Preferred Stock,
issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock at less than
the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Series B Preferred Stock
or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
Series B Preferred Stock, dividends on Series B Preferred Stock payable in
shares of Series B Preferred Stock or issuance of rights, options or warrants
referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to
holders of its Series B Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such
stockholders.
18
(n) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare and pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination
or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then, in each such case, the number of Rights
associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or
delivered thereafter, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of
Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such
event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights
associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a
fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
(o) The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Stock Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections
23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at
the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the
Distribution Date, the Company shall effect a subdivision, combination or
consolidation of the Series AA Preferred Stock (by reclassification or otherwise
than by payment of a dividend payable in Series AA Preferred Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Series AA Preferred Stock, then, in each
such case, the number of Rights associated with each share of Series AA
Preferred Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with
each share of Series AA Preferred Stock following any such event shall equal the
result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share
of Series AA Preferred Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the
numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Series AA Preferred
Stock outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Series AA Preferred
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 13 hereof,
the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common
Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series AA Preferred Stock a copy of
such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right
Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof (if so required under Section
25 hereof). The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such
certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to
have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received
such certificate.
19
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS
OR EARNING POWER.
(a) In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after the
Flip-In Event (i) the Company shall consolidate with or shall merge into any
other Person, (ii) any Person shall merge with and into the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and,
in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Stock shall be
changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person
(or of the Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the Company shall
sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or
otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person (other than the Company
or one or more wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company), then upon the first
occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that: (A) each
holder of a Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in
accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Series B Preferred Stock or Common
Stock of the Company, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the
Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any
liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as
shall equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as
theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) by 50% of
the current per share market price of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of
consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in accordance with
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) and the number of shares of Common Stock of such
Principal Party so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to
further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof to
reflect any events occurring in respect of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party after the occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer;
(B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations
and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (C) the term "Company"
shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party; and (D) such
Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the
reservation of a sufficient number of its shares of Common Stock in
accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation of any
such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof
shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation
to the shares of its Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of
the Rights; provided that, upon the subsequent occurrence of any
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary
transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall
thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the
Purchase Price as provided in this Section 13(a), such cash, shares, rights,
warrants and other property which such holder would have been entitled to
receive had such holder, at the time of such transaction, owned the Common
Stock of the Principal Party receivable upon the exercise of a Right pursuant
to this Section 13(a), and such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be
necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with
the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
20
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described in (i) or (ii) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of
the securities into which the shares of Common Stock are converted in such
merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer
the shares of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of
shares outstanding, or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that
is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives said merger, or, if
there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock of
which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding or (y) if
the Person that is the other party to the merger does not survive the merger,
the Person that does survive the merger (including the Company if it survives)
or (z) the Person resulting from the consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in (iii) of the
first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving
the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such
transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party to such
transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning
power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the
assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding;
provided, however, that in any such case described in the foregoing clause
(b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time or has
not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so
registered, the term "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or (2)
if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person,
the Common Stock of all of which is and has been so registered, the term
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding,
or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture
formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the
same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to
each of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the Person owned by
the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and
the Principal Party in each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in
this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the
total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any consolidation, merger, sale
or transfer referred to in Section 13(a) hereof unless prior thereto the Company
and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and delivered to
the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of Sections 13(a)
and (b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance with their terms and
that such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets shall not result in
a default by the Principal Party under this Agreement as the same shall have
been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof
and providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement
pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the
21
Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such
filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of
the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date and similarly comply with
applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal
Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or
on another national securities exchange, to list or admit to trading (or
continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise
of the Rights on the New York Stock Exchange or such securities exchange, or, if
the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or a national securities exchange, to
cause the Rights and the securities receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be
authorized for quotation on NASDAQ or on such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with the
requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive
rights in respect of the Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase
upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
(d) In case the Principal Party has provision in any of its
authorized securities or in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other
instrument governing its affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i)
causing such Principal Party to issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant
to this Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of, the
consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common
Stock or Common Stock Equivalents of such Principal Party at less than the then
current market price per share thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents of such Principal Party at less than such then current
market price, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar
provision in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13, then, in such event, the Company
hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any such
transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have
executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing
that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been canceled,
waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that
the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a
consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Flip-In Event, enter into any transaction of the type described in
clauses (i) through (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof if (i) at the time of or
immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or other
transaction there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities
outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or
otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights,
(ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer or other transaction, the stockholders of the Person
22
who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of
Section 13(b) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously
owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form
or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the
exercisability of the Rights.
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or
to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights (except prior
to the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(n) hereof). In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or,
if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not
listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last
quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other
system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a
market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Series
B Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock) or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional shares of Series B Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Series B Preferred Stock) upon the exercise or exchange of Rights.
Interests in fractions of Series B Preferred Stock in integral multiples of
one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an
appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it;
PROVIDED, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such
depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to
which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Series B Preferred Stock
represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of
Series B Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay
to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised or exchanged as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Series B Preferred
Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) for the Trading
Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.
23
(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such
fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered
holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of
Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock (as
determined in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise or exchange of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of
this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of Common
Stock and shares of Series AA Preferred Stock which were outstanding on the
Record Date); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock), without
the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred
Stock), on his own behalf and for his own benefit, may enforce, and may
institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to
enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights
evidenced by such Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, such
Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock) in the manner provided therein and in
this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of
any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right,
by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock or the Series AA
Preferred Stock which were outstanding on the Record Date;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in
whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common
Stock certificate or Series AA Preferred Stock certificate) is registered as the
absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any
notations of ownership or writing on the
24
Right Certificates or the Common Stock certificate or the Series AA Stock
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall
be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. No
holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Series B Preferred
Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise or exchange of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall
anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer
upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement), or
to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights
evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right
Certificate or certificate for the Series AA Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred
Stock or Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of
assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter,
notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary,
verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the
advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS
AGENT.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto; PROVIDED, that such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights
25
Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such
successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor
Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the
name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and
in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior
name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights
Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its
changed name and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full
force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes
the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms
and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right
Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken
or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by the President and the Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith
by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect
of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of
26
any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right
Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability
of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights provided for
in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 and 24, or the ascertaining of the existence of
facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a
certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12, describing such change or
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
shares of Series B Preferred Stock or other securities to be issued pursuant
to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of
Series B Preferred Stock or other securities will, when issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the President or the
Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of
any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from
the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any
action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement
and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission
shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken
by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in
any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which
date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the
Company actually receives such application unless any such officer shall have
consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action
(or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have
received written instructions in response to such application specifying the
action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from
acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
27
(j) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of
assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof,
as the case may be, has not been completed to certify the holder is not an
Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof), the Rights Agent shall
not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer
without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Common Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and Series AA
Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and, following the Distribution
Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company
may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice
in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case
may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, Series B Preferred Stock
and Series AA Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and, following
the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class
mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become
incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.
If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days
after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of
such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or
by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his
Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of
any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized
and doing business under the laws of the United States or the laws of any state
of the United States or the District of Columbia, in good standing, having an
office in the State of California or the State of New York, which is authorized
under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is
subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which
has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and
surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if
it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but
the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock, and,
following the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding
any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the
Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in
such forms as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any
adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of
shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates
made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in
connection with the issuance or
28
sale of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the
Expiration Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common Stock so
issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii) under any
employee plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise, conversion or exchange
of securities, notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a
contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing prior to the
Distribution Date, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate
number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that, following the Distribution Date, the Board of Directors may not issue
any Rights or Right Certificates in connection with the issuance of Common
Stock to holders or former holders of shares of Series AA Preferred Stock in
connection with the conversion of such shares into Common Stock pursuant to
the terms of the Company's certificate of incorporation as then in effect.
Section 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at any time prior to
the Flip-In Event, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights
at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (the redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption
Price"). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on
such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole
discretion may establish. The Redemption Price shall be payable, at the option
of the Company, in cash, shares of Common Stock, or such other form of
consideration as the Board of Directors shall determine.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering
the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at
such later time as the Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of
such redemption), and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity
of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board of
Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company
shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
transfer agent for the Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock. Any notice
which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or
not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state
the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time after the Flip-In Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and
exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Stock at an
exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to
reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after
the date hereof (such amount per Right being hereinafter referred to as the
"Exchange Ratio").
29
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered
to effect such exchange at any time after an Acquiring Person shall have
become the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred
Stock aggregating 50% or more in voting power of the shares of Common Stock
and Series AA Preferred Stock then outstanding. From and after the
occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that
theretofore have not been exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall
thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and may not be
exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a). The exchange of the Rights by the
Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with
such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to
paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right
thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares
of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder
multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice
of any such exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect
in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company
shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of the
Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry
books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein
provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.
Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the
shares of Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) The Company may at its option substitute, and, in the event that
there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding
or authorized but unissued to permit an exchange of Rights for Common Stock as
contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall substitute to
the extent of such insufficiency, for each share of Common Stock that would
otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock or fraction thereof (or Equivalent Preferred Shares, as such
term is defined in Section 11(b)) such that the current per share market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of one share of Series B Preferred
Stock (or equivalent preferred share) multiplied by such number or fraction is
equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of such exchange.
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend
payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Series B Preferred Stock or
to make any other distribution to the holders of its Series B Preferred Stock
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of
its Series B Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional shares of Series B Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any
class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Series B Preferred Stock (other than a
30
reclassification involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding
Series B Preferred Stock), (iv) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company, or (v) to pay any dividend on the Common Stock or
Series AA Preferred Stock payable in Common Stock or Series AA Preferred
Stock, respectively, or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation
of the Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock or Series AA Preferred
Stock, respectively), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each
holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice
of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes
of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on
which such liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or
Series B Preferred Stock and/or Series AA Preferred Stock, if any such date
is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date
for determining holders of the Series B Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to
the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Series B Preferred Stock
and/or Series AA Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13
shall occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution
Date, the holders of the Common Stock or shares of Series AA Preferred Stock
which were outstanding on the Record Date) in accordance with Section 26 hereof,
a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event
and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii)
and Section 13 hereof.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in
writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Affymetrix, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
0000 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Mailroom - Inside Delivery
31
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then
redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights
Agent shall if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this
Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights. At
any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights, PROVIDED that no such supplement or amendment
may (a) adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other
than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person),
(b) cause this Agreement again to become amendable other than in accordance with
this sentence or (c) cause the Rights again to become redeemable.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no
supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the Redemption Price. Upon
the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which
states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms
of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment.
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement
shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights
Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the Common Stock or Series AA Preferred Stock).
Section 30. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise the rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company,
or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary
or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, without
limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend or
not amend this Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and
determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with
respect to the foregoing) that are done or made by the Board of Directors of the
Company in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights, as such, and all other
parties, and (y) not subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the
holders of the Rights.
32
Section 31. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be
deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same instrument.
Section 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall
not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
--------------------------------------
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
and Secretary
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST
COMPANY, as Rights Agent
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-------------------------------------
Vice President
33
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
of
SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
Affymetrix, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in
accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the said
Corporation, the said Board of Directors on October 15, 1998 adopted the
following resolution creating a series of 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock
designated as "Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock":
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the
Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with
the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, a series
of Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Corporation be and hereby is created, and that the
designation and number of shares thereof and the voting and
other powers, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other rights of the shares of such series and
the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof are
as follows:
SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. There shall be a series of
Preferred Stock that shall be designated as "Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock," and the number of shares constituting such series shall be
100,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of
the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the
number of shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than
the number of shares then issued and outstanding plus the number of shares
issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon
conversion of outstanding securities issued by the Corporation.
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2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTION.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the
holders of any shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation ranking
prior and superior to the shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of any
class or series of stock of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, shall be entitled to
receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally
available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day
of March, June, September and December, in each year (each such date being
referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or
fraction of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an
amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10
or (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined below) times the aggregate per share
amount of all cash dividends, and the Adjustment Number times the aggregate per
share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions
other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared
on the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common
Stock") since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or,
with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first
issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock. The "Adjustment Number" shall initially be 1000. In the event
the Corporation shall at any time after October 27, 1998 (i) declare and pay any
dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect
immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment
Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or
distribution on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
paragraph (A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on
the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be
cumulative on outstanding shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of
issue of such shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless
the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall
begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of
issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date
for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends
shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid
on the shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount
less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable
on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among
all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may
E-2
fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Each share of Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to
the Adjustment Number on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of
the Corporation.
(B) Except as required by law, by Section 3(C) and by
Section 10 hereof, holders of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required
(except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as
set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
(C) If, at the time of any annual meeting of
stockholders for the election of directors, the equivalent of six quarterly
dividends (whether or not consecutive) payable on any share or shares of Series
B Junior Participating Preferred Stock are in default, the number of directors
constituting the Board of Directors of the Company shall be increased by two.
In addition to voting together with the holders of Common Stock for the election
of other directors of the Company, the holders of record of the Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class to the exclusion of
the holders of Common Stock, shall be entitled at said meeting of stockholders
(and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders), unless all dividends in
arrears on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock have been paid or
declared and set apart for payment prior thereto, to vote for the election of
two directors of the Company, the holders of any Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock being entitled to cast a number of votes per share of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock as is specified in paragraph (A) of this
Section 3. Until the default in payments of all dividends which permitted the
election of said directors shall cease to exist, any director who shall have
been so elected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 3(C) may be removed
at any time, without cause, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of the
shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock at the time entitled to
cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast for the election of any such
director at a special meeting of such holders called for that purpose, and any
vacancy thereby created may be filled by the vote of such holders. If and when
such default shall cease to exist, the holders of the Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be divested of the foregoing special voting
rights, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent like
default in payments of dividends. Upon the termination of the foregoing special
voting rights, the terms of office of all persons who may have been elected
directors pursuant to said special voting rights shall forthwith terminate, and
the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be reduced by
two. The voting rights granted by this Section 3(c) shall be in addition to any
other voting rights granted to the holders of the Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in this Section 3.
4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock as
provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
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thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions,
whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other
distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any
other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the
Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which
the holders of all such shares are then entitled; or
(iii) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or
any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or
by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of
Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or to such holders and holders of
any such shares ranking on a parity therewith, upon such terms as the Board of
Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other
relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall
determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the
respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of
the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation
in any manner whatsoever shall be retired promptly after the acquisition
thereof. All such shares shall upon their retirement become authorized but
unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series
of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP.
(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the Corporation, voluntary or otherwise, no distribution shall be made to the
holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount per share (the
"Series B Liquidation Preference") equal to the greater of (i) $10 plus an
amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether
or not declared, to the date of such payment, or (ii) the
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Adjustment Number times the per share amount of all cash and other property
to be distributed in respect of the Common Stock upon such liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not
sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series B
Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other classes and
series of stock of the Corporation, if any, that rank on a parity with the
Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock in respect thereof, then the
assets available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably to the
holders of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of
such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the
Corporation into or with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of
any other corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of
this Section 6.
7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the outstanding shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into
other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case
each share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same
time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the
Adjustment Number times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or
any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for
which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
8. NO REDEMPTION. Shares of Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not be subject to redemption by the Company.
9. RANKING. The Series B Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up, unless the terms of any such series shall provide
otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock as to such matters.
10. AMENDMENT. At any time that any shares of Series B
Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would
materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the
Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely
without the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding
shares of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a
class.
11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series B Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the
holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting
rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit
of all other rights of holders of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
E-5
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this
____ day of __________, 1998.
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
-----------------------------------
Title:
----------------------------------
E-6
EXHIBIT B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R-______
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER OCTOBER 15, 2008 OR EARLIER IF
REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS
SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS
OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND
CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND
WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
This certifies that ____________________________ or registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above,
each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions
and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of October 15, 1998, as the
same may be amended from time to time (the "Rights Agreement"), between
Affymetrix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company Bancorp, Inc., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"),
to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York
City time, on October 15, 2008 at the office or agency of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, or of its successor as Rights Agent, one
one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series B Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Preferred
Stock"), of the Company at a purchase price of $125.00 per one one-thousandth
of a share of Preferred Stock (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and
surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase
duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
(and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock which
may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase
Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of October 27,
1998, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. As provided
in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price, the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or
property) which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights and the
number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to
modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by
E-7
reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is
hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights,
obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company
and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement
are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the
above-mentioned office or agency of the Rights Agent. The Company will mail
to the holder of this Right Certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement
without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of
like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the
Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such
holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the
holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right
Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption
price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares
of the Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, or shares of Preferred
Stock.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock will be
issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby
(other than fractions of Preferred Stock which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of
the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash
payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to
vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise or exchange hereof, nor shall anything contained in
the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as
such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement) or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
E-8
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of _________ __, 199_.
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
-----------------------------------
Title:
----------------------------------
ATTEST:
------------------------------------
Name:
-------------------------------
Title:
------------------------------
Countersigned:
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Rights Agent
By:
---------------------------------
Name:
-------------------------------
Title:
------------------------------
E-9
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED __________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto ____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_______ Rights represented by this Right Certificate, together with
all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute
and appoint ___________________________ Attorney, to transfer said Rights on the
books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated:
-----------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker,
dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature
guarantee medallion program.
.............................................
(To be completed)
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by the
undersigned from, and are not being assigned to an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
-----------------------------------
Signature
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate)
To AFFYMETRIX, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock
(or other securities or property) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such shares of Preferred Stock (or such other
securities) be issued in the name of:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated:
------------------------
----------------------------------------
Signature
(Signature must conform to holder specified on Right Certificate)
Signature Guaranteed:
Signature must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker, dealer
or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature guarantee
medallion program.
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
(To be completed)
The undersigned certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
are not beneficially owned by, and were not acquired by the undersigned from, an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights
Agreement).
----------------------------------------
Signature
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to
Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face
of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
Exhibit C
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO
IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL
AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK OF
AFFYMETRIX, INC.
On October 15, 1998, the Board of Directors of Affymetrix, Inc. (the
"Company") declared a dividend of (i) one preferred share purchase right (a
"Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $.01 per share,
of the Company (the "Common Stock"), and (ii) a number of Rights for each share
of Series AA Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the
"Series AA Preferred Stock") equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into
which such share of Series AA Preferred Stock was convertible at the close of
business on the Record Date (as hereinafter defined). The dividend is payable
on October 27, 1998 (the "Record Date") to the stockholders of record on that
date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company
one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Series B Preferred Stock") at a
price of $125.00 per one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock
(the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the
Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement dated as of October 15, 1998, as the
same may be amended from time to time (the "Rights Agreement"), between the
Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (with
certain exceptions, an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial ownership of
15% or more in aggregate voting power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
and Series AA Preferred Stock or (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 or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the
commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or
exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person or group of 15% or more in aggregate voting power of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock (the earlier of
such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced,
with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates or Series AA Preferred
Stock certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock
certificate or Series AA Preferred Stock certificate, in each case together with
a copy of this Summary of Rights.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or
earlier expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only
with the Common Stock or
the Series AA Preferred Stock, respectively. Until the Distribution Date (or
earlier expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued after
the Record Date upon transfer or new issuances of Common Stock will contain a
notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier expiration of the Rights), the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for shares of Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation
or a copy of this Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock or Series AA Preferred
Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the
Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right
Certificates") will be mailed to (i) holders of record of the Common Stock as
of the close of business on the Distribution Date and (ii) holders of record
of Series AA Preferred Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution
Date who hold shares of Series AA Preferred Stock which were outstanding on
the Record Date.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The
Rights will expire on October 15, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the
Final Expiration Date is advanced or extended or unless the Rights are earlier
redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the
Rights is 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 Series B Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Series B
Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase
Series B Preferred Stock at a price, or securities convertible into Series B
Preferred Stock with a conversion price, less than the then-current market price
of the Series B Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the
Series B Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding
regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in Series B Preferred
Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to
above).
The number of outstanding Rights is subject to adjustment in the event
of a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or
subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock or Series AA
Preferred Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
Shares of Series B Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights will not be redeemable. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock will be
entitled, when, as and if declared, to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend
payment of the greater of (a) $10 per share, and (b) an amount equal to 1000
times the dividend declared per share of Common Stock. In the event of
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of the Series
B Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential payment of the
greater of (a) $10 per share (plus any accrued but unpaid dividends), (b) an
amount equal to 1000 times the payment made per share of Common Stock. Each
share of Series B Preferred Stock will have 1000 votes, voting together with the
Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other
transaction in which outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or
exchanged, each share of Series B Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive
1000 times the amount received per share of Common Stock. These rights are
protected by customary antidilution provisions.
E-2
Because of the nature of the Series B Preferred Stock's dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-thousandth interest in a
share of Series B Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of each Right should
approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.
In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights
beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void),
will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right that number
of shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times the exercise price
of the Right.
In the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring
Person, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold,
proper provisions will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person which will have become void) will
thereafter have the right to receive upon the exercise of a Right that number of
shares of common stock of the person with whom the Company has engaged in the
foregoing transaction (or its parent) that at the time of such transaction have
a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the earlier of one of the events described in the previous paragraph or
the acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more in aggregate voting
power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and Series AA Preferred Stock,
the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights
owned by such Acquiring Person which will have become void), in whole or in
part, for shares of Common Stock or Series B Preferred Stock (or a series of the
Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges),
at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or a fractional share of
Series B Preferred Stock (or other preferred stock) equivalent in value thereto,
per Right.
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Series B Preferred Stock or Common
Stock will be issued (other than fractions of Series B Preferred Stock which are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock,
which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts),
and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be made based on the current
market price of the Series B Preferred Stock or the Common Stock.
At any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the
Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price") payable, at the
option of the Company, in cash, shares of Common Stock or such other form of
consideration as the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine. The
redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and
with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to
receive the Redemption Price.
E-3
For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, except
with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Rights Agreement in any manner.
After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, except with respect
to the Redemption Price, amend the Rights Agreement in any manner that does not
adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, 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.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated
October 16, 1998. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge
from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement,
as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
E-4
