EXHIBIT B
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
and
NORTHEAST UTILITIES SERVICE COMPANY
Rights Agent
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of February 23, 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. Certain Definitions
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of
Rights
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Shares
Section 10. Common Shares Record Date
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of
Rights
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger, Share Exchange or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares
Section 15. Rights of Action
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareowner
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates
Section 23. Redemption
Section 24. Exchange
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events
Section 26. Notices
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments
Section 28. Successors
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement
Section 30. Severability
Section 31. Governing Law
Section 32. Counterparts
Section 33. Descriptive Headings
Section 34. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Trustees
Exhibit A - Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit B - Summary of Rights to Purchase Common Shares
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of February 23, 1999, between NORTHEAST
UTILITIES, a Massachusetts voluntary association (the "Company"), and
NORTHEAST UTILITIES SERVICE COMPANY, a Connecticut corporation (the "Rights
Agent").
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Company on February 23, 1999
authorized and declared, subject to receipt of necessary approval from the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935, a dividend of one common share purchase right (a "Right") for
each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding upon
the close of business on the fifth Business Day (as such term is hereinafter
defined) after the date of such approval of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Record Date"), payable on such date (the "Payment Date"),
and has authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (as such number may
hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) with
respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record
Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the
Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), each Right
initially representing the right to purchase one Common Share upon the terms
and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be
the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of
the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include the
Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company,
any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan, or any trustee, administrator or fiduciary of such a plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person"
as a result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by
reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number
of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common
Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person
would, but for the foregoing, become an Acquiring Person by reason of share
purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the
Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the
Company at any time that the Person is or thereby becomes the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding
(other than Common Shares acquired solely as a result of corporate action of
the Company not caused, directly or indirectly, by such Person), then such
Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person". Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the Board of Trustees of the Company determines in good faith
that a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person", as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such
inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a
sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an
"Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
(b) "Adjustment Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be
deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
has, directly or indirectly, (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the
occurrence of an event) pursuant to any written or oral 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 (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to
a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange; or (B) 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 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 of 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 with 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, or with respect to, acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent
contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any
securities of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to
the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used with reference to a
Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the
number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the
number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such
Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Connecticut are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Hartford, Connecticut time, on such date; provided, however, that if such
date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Hartford, Connecticut
time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
the common shares, $5.00 par value, of the Company, or shares having
equivalent rights, privileges and preferences to common shares. "Common
Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall
mean the capital stock (or 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.
(h) "Common stock equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Current per share market price" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(d) hereof.
(j) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(a) hereof.
(l) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(b)
hereof.
(m) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a)
hereof.
(n) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7 hereof.
(o) "NASDAQ" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.
(p) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership,
limited liability company or other entity, and shall include any successor
(by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(q) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b)
hereof.
(r) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b)
hereof.
(s) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(t) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(a) hereof.
(u) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(v) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(w) "Section 13 Event" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
13(a) hereof.
(x) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(y) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the
Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person
has become an Acquiring Person.
(z) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(aa) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity
securities or a majority of the equity interest is owned, directly or
indirectly, by such Person.
(bb) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(cc) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(b) hereof.
(dd) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)
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 with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares of the Company) 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 earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition
Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined
by action of the Company's Board of Trustees prior to such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement of, or of the
first public announcement of the intention of any Person to commence, a
tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, any entity holding
Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or any trustee,
administrator, or fiduciary of such a plan) becoming the Beneficial Owner of
Common Shares of the Company aggregating 15% or more of the then outstanding
Common Shares (including in either case any such date which is after the date
of this Agreement and prior to the Payment Date; the earlier of such dates
being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"; provided, however, that
if the tenth day or tenth Business Day, as the case may be, after the
pertinent date occurs before the Record Date, "Distribution Date" shall mean
the Record Date), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions
of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in
the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to
be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the
right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection
with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent
will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the
Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-
prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of
business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of
Exhibit A hereto (a "Right Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each
Common Share so held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Payment Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Common Shares, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by
first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as
of the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common
Shares 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. Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the
Redemption Date or Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any
certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without
a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including,
without limitation, certificates for reacquired Common Shares referred to in
the last sentence of this paragraph (c) and certificates issued on the
transfer of Common Shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of
the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall
have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a
legend in substantially the following form:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Northeast Utilities
and Northeast Utilities Service Company, dated as of February 23, 1999, and
as such agreement may be amended (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 Northeast Utilities. 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. Northeast Utilities 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 set forth in the Rights
Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate
or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement),
whether held by such person or any subsequent holder, shall become null and
void.
After the due execution of any supplement or amendment to this Agreement in
accordance with the terms hereof, the reference to this Agreement in the
foregoing legend shall mean the Agreement as so supplemented or amended.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented
by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after
the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated
with such Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the
Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the
Common Shares which are no longer outstanding. The failure to print the
foregoing legend on any such Common Share certificate or any other defect
therein shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the application or
interpretation of the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
Common Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall
be substantially the same as Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the
Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to
the provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the
holders thereof to purchase such number of Common Shares as shall be set
forth therein at the price per Common Share set forth therein (the "Purchase
Price"), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon exercise of
each Right and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided
herein.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, (i) any
Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that
represents Rights beneficially owned by: (x) an Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate thereof, (y) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person became such, or (z) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or
to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the
transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Trustees of the
Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, (ii) any Right Certificate issued at any
time to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, and
(iii) any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11
hereof, upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Right
Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent
feasible following the written instruction of the Company to the Rights
Agent) the following legend, modified as applicable to apply to such Person:
The Rights represented by this Right Certificate are or were beneficially
owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or an
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement). Accordingly, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented
may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of
the Rights Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice
President either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed
thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by
the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Corporate Secretary or an
Assistant Corporate 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 Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
In case any authorized signatory of the Rights Agent who shall have
countersigned any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such signatory
before delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be
issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though
the person who countersigned such Right Certificates had not ceased to be
such signatory; and any Right Certificate may be countersigned on behalf of
the Rights Agent by any person who, at the actual date of the
countersignature of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper signatory of
the Rights Agent to countersign such Right Certificate, although at the date
of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such a
signatory.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its principal office, books for registration and
transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show
the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates,
the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates
and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after
the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close
of business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration
Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right
Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section
7(e) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) 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 Common Shares 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 principal office of the
Rights Agent. 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) 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) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, each Right shall be exercisable to
purchase one Common Share, subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights
evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part
at any time after the Distribution Date 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 principal office of the
Rights Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each Common
Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of
(i) the close of business on February 23, 2009, subject to extension (the
"Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), and (iii) the time at
which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each Common Share pursuant to the exercise
of Rights shall initially be $65.00, 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)
below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Purchase Price for the Common Shares 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, as set forth
below, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any
transfer agent of the Common Shares certificates for the number of Common
Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its
transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate,
requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of
issuance of fractional Common Shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) after receipt of such certificates, 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, deliver such cash to or upon the order of
the registered holder of such Right Certificate. The payment of the Purchase
Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof)
shall be made by certified check, cashier's check, bank draft or money order
payable to the order of the Company, except that, if so provided by the Board
of Trustees of the Company, the payment of the Purchase Price following the
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as hereinafter defined) and until
the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (as hereinafter defined) may be
made wholly or in part by delivery of a certificate or certificates (with
appropriate stock powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a
number of Common Shares of the Company equal to the then Purchase Price
divided by the closing price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
per Common Share on the Trading Day (as such term is hereinafter defined)
immediately preceding the date of such exercise. If the Company is obligated
to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other
property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all
arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other
property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the 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, from
and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring
Person became such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any
such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person become such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or
to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the
transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Trustees of the
Company has determined is a part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any
further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever
with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the
provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with,
but shall have no liability to any holder of 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.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither
the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action with
respect to a registered holder of a Right Certificate upon the occurrence of
any purported transfer, assignment or exercise as set forth in this Section 7
unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the
certification following the form of assignment or election to purchase set
forth on the reverse of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer,
assignment or exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates
or Associates thereof or of the holder, or of any other Person with which
such holder or any of such holder's Affiliates or Associates has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the
Company, 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 Rights Agreement. The Company
shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the
Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise
thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates to
the Company or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such
canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of
destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Shares.
(a) The Company may, but is not required to, cause to be reserved and
kept available out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares or any
authorized and issued Common Shares held in its treasury, the number of
Common Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7.
(b) So long as the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of Rights
may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its
best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become
exercisable, all Common Shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on
such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts (X) (i) to file, as soon as
practicable following the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, or
as soon as required by law, as the case may be, a registration statement
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with
respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, (ii) to cause such registration statement to become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) to cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities,
and (B) the Expiration Date and (Y) (i) to file appropriate applications with
any state or federal regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the issuance
of the securities (or assets) purchasable upon exercise of the Rights in
order to obtain any approvals or orders of such bodies as may be legally
required, (ii) to cause such approvals to be obtained or orders to be issued
as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) to cause such approvals or
orders to remain effective until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the
Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities (or assets), and (B) the
Expiration Date, to the extent not previously obtained. The Company will
also take such action as may be appropriate under the blue sky laws of the
various states. The Company may temporarily suspend (X) for a period of time
not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (X) (i) of
the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in
order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective, and (Y) for a period of time not in excess of 180 days after such
date (or for such longer period as is required by any applicable law, rule or
regulation of any appropriate regulatory bodies), the exercisability of the
Rights in order to obtain any such required regulatory body approvals or
orders. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement and shall give simultaneous written notice to the Rights Agent
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended,
as well as a public announcement and notice to the Rights Agent 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 qualifications in such jurisdiction shall
have been obtained.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Common Shares delivered upon exercise
of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized
and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares (except as otherwise
provided by any law applicable to the Company).
(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 Common Shares 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 for the Common
Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right
Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to
deliver any certificates for Common Shares upon the exercise of any Rights
until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the
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. Common Shares Record Date. Each person in whose name any
certificate for Common Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Common
Shares 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 Common Shares 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 Common Shares 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 shareholder of the Company with
respect to Common Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable,
including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or
other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be
entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as
provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number
of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares covered by each
Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common
Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the
outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of Common Shares or (D) issue
any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares
(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 Common Shares transfer books of the Company
were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled
to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; 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. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both
Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this
Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person shall become an Acquiring Person (a "Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), other
than pursuant to any transaction set forth in Section 13(a), each holder of a
Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have a
right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current
Purchase Price per Common Share multiplied by the number of Common Shares for
which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price per Common
Share by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is then exercisable
and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market
price of the Common Shares of the Company (determined pursuant to Section
11(d)) on the date the Person became an Acquiring Person (such number of
shares, the "Adjustment Shares") provided that the Purchase Price and the
number of Adjustment Shares shall be further adjusted as provided in this
Agreement to reflect any events occurring after the date of such first
occurrence.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common
Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued
(and not reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the
Rights) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of
(1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right
(the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price payable with respect to
such Right (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each Right,
make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment
of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase
Price, (3) Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred
stock, if any, which the Board of Trustees of the Company has deemed to have
the same value as Common Shares (such shares of preferred stock, hereinafter
referred to as "common stock equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the
Company, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an
aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has
been determined by the Board of Trustees of the Company based upon the advice
of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of
Trustees of the Company; provided, however, if the Company shall not have
made adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares pursuant to
clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the date of the occurrence
of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the
Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a
Right and without requiring payment of any portion of the Purchase Price,
Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which
shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board
of Trustees of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely
that sufficient additional Common Shares might be authorized for issuance for
exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
shareowner approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such
period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent
that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the
first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x)
shall provide, subject to the last paragraph of Section 11(a)(ii) 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 to seek any authorization of additional Common Shares
and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to
such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any
such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that
the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Shares shall
be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and
the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same
value as the Common Shares on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares entitling them
(for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Common Shares (or securities convertible into
Common Shares) at a price per Common Share (or having a conversion price per
share, if a security convertible into Common Shares) less than the then
current per share market price of the Common Shares (as defined in Section
11(d)) 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 Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the
number of Common Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of Common 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 Common Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number
of additional Common 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 Trustees
of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed
with the Rights Agent. Common 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 Common Shares (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 Common Shares) or subscription rights or warrants
(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), the Purchase Price to be in
effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the then current per share market price of the
Common Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, less the
fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Trustees 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 Common Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price of the Common Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be
issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be
the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per
share market price" of the Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be
the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share 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 Common Shares is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (i) a
dividend or distribution on such Common Shares payable in Common Shares or
securities convertible into Common Shares, or (ii) any subdivision,
combination or reclassification of Common Shares 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
Common Share. The closing price for each Trading 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 Common Shares 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 Common Shares are listed
or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not
so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-
counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ") or such other system
then in use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any
such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as
furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares
selected by the Board of Trustees of the Company. The term "Trading Day"
shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which
the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the
transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted
to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the
Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this
Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth
of a share 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 date of the expiration of the
right to exercise any Rights.
(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a),
the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive
any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Common Shares,
thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any
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 Common Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the Common Shares
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 Common Shares
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 Section 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding
immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence
the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of Common
Shares (calculated to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share) obtained
by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Common Shares covered by a Right
immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing
the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after
such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any
adjustment in the number of Common Shares 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 Common Shares 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 ten-thousandth) obtained by
dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the
Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment
of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its
election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the
adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be
made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is
adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the 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 shall, 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 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the Purchase Price and the number of Common Shares 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 par value, if any, of the Common Shares issuable
upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any 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 (except as otherwise
provided by any law applicable to the Company) Common 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 the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
of the Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if
any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares
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 reductions 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 Common Shares, issuance
wholly for cash of any Common Shares at less than the current market price,
issuance wholly for cash of Common Shares or securities which by their terms
are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, dividends on Common
Shares payable in Common Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants
referred to in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its
Common Shares shall not be taxable to such shareowners.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Shares Acquisition Date,
(i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company
in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with
or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (iii) sell or transfer
(or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a
series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than
50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken
as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any
of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof) or (iv) consummate a share exchange with any other
Person, if at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger,
sale or share exchange (A) 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, (B) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such consolidation, merger, sale or share exchange the shareowners of
the Person who constitute, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for
purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates or
(C) the form or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude
or limit the exercisability of the Rights.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date,
it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time
such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event that the Company shall at any time after the Record Date and prior to
the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding Common Shares
payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or
(iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares,
the number of Rights associated with each Common Share then outstanding, or
issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated
with each Common Share following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each Common
Share immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to
the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total
number of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the occurrence of
such event.
(q) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, prior
to the Distribution Date, the Company may, in lieu of making any adjustment
to the Purchase Price, the number of Common Shares eligible for purchase on
exercise of each Right or the number of Rights outstanding, which adjustment
would otherwise be required by Section 11(a)(i), 11(b), 11(c), 11(h), or
11(i), make such other equitable adjustment or adjustments thereto as the
Board of Trustees (whose determination shall be conclusive) deems appropriate
in the circumstances and not inconsistent with the objectives of the Board of
Trustees in adopting this Agreement and such Sections.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 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 Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary
thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 26
hereof.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger, Share Exchange or Sale or Transfer
of Assets or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Shares Acquisition Date, directly
or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and
into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall
not be the continuing or surviving entity of such consolidation or merger,
(y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or
into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
entity of such consolidation or merger, or any Person or Persons (other than
a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)
hereof) shall consummate a share exchange with the Company, and, in
connection with such consolidation, merger or share exchange, all or part of
the outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or
other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other
property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more
of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or
a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more
than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case, proper provision
shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise
provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the
exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price per
Common Share multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is
then exercisable (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the
first occurrence of any of the events described in clauses (x), (y) or (z)
above (a "Section 13 Event"), the Purchase Price per Common Share in effect
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such first occurrence), in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
nonassessable (except as otherwise required by any corporation law applicable
to the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined)) and freely
tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party, not subject to any liens,
encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be
equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase
Price per Common Share by the number of Common Shares for which a Right is
exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event
(or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence
of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such shares for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price per Common Share in effect immediately
prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product (which, following
the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the
"Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by
(2) 50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per Common Share of such Principal Party on the date of consummation
of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be
liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the
obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the
term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party,
it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall
apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a
Section 13 Event; and (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its
Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as
may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be
applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; provided that, upon
the subsequent occurrence of any consolidation, merger, share exchange, 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 Shares of the
Principal Party receivable upon the exercise of a Right pursuant to this
Section 13(a), and such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but
not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit
the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for
such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y)
of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any
securities into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such
merger, consolidation or share exchange, and if no securities are so issued,
(A) the Person that is the other party to the merger, consolidation or share
exchange and that survives such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more
than one such Person, the Person the Common Shares of which have the greatest
aggregate market value of shares outstanding or (B) if the Person that is the
other party to the merger or consolidation does not survive the merger or
consolidation, the Person that does survive the merger or consolidation
(including the Company if it survives); and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the
first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the
greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such
transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such
Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12)-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and
such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common
Shares of which are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall
refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary,
directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or
more of which are and have been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer
to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the
greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless all
regulatory approvals for the consummation of such Section 13 Event and the
exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms of this Agreement have
been obtained and the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of
authorized Common Shares which have not been issued or reserved for issuance
to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section
13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have
executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing
for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and
further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any
consolidation, merger, share exchange or sale of assets mentioned in
paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause
such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Final Expiration
Date; and
(ii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements
for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all
respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange
Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers, consolidations, share exchanges, sales or other transfers. In the
event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been
exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in
Section 13(a).
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. 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 Trustees 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 Trustees of the Company shall be
used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which
evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the
Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the
same fraction of the current market value of one Common Share. For purposes
of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Common Share shall be
the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second
sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to
the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional Common
Shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of
this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent
under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of
the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares),
without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of any Common Shares), may,
in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and
maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or
otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and
in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available
to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of
Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this
Agreement and 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 Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) subject to Section 6 and Section 7(f) hereof, 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 associated Common Shares
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on
the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares 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.
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a
Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise
restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company
must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareowner. No
holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or other distributions or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
the Common Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any
time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall
anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer
upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a
shareowner of the Company or any right to vote for the election of Trustees
or upon any matter submitted to shareowners at any meeting thereof, or to
give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of
meetings or other actions affecting shareowners (except as provided in
Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or
otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificates
shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to
time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees
and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The
Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it
harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent,
for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and 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 Common Shares 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.
In addition to the foregoing, the Rights Agent shall be protected and
shall incur no liability for, or in respect of, any action taken or omitted
by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance
upon (i) the proper execution of the certification concerning beneficial
ownership appended to the Form of Assignment and the Form of Election to
Purchase included as part of Exhibit B hereto (the "Certification"), unless
the Rights Agent shall have actual knowledge that, as executed, the
Certification is untrue or (ii) the non-execution or failure to complete the
Certification including, without limitation, any refusal to honor any
otherwise permissible assignment or election by reason of such non-execution
or failure.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the
stock transfer or corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on
the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall
succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the 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 only
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 Chairman of the Board, the Chief
Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President and by the Treasurer,
any Assistant Treasurer, the Corporate Secretary or any Assistant Corporate
Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action
taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement
in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the 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 authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights
Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate
(except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any
breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this
Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any
change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming
void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the
Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in
Section 3, 11, 13, 23 or 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 actual notice that
such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be
deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or
reservation of any Common Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to
this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares 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 Chairman of
the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President,
the Corporate Secretary, any Assistant Corporate Secretary, the Treasurer or
any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for
advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be
liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while
waiting for those instructions. An application by the Rights Agent for
instructions may set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or
omitted by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties and obligations under
this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken,
and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted in
accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the
date specified therein (which date shall not be less than one Business Day
after the Company receives such application) without the consent of the
Company unless prior to taking or omitting such action, the Rights Agent has
received written instructions in response to such application specifying the
actions to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareowner, director, officer or employee
of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in, or act as the transfer agent
for, any of the Rights, Common Shares 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 the Rights Agent under this Agreement.
Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other
capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by
or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any
such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was
exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its
rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of
such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certification attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either
not been completed or indicates an affirmative response, the Rights Agent
shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or
transfer without first consulting the Company. The Company shall give the
Rights Agent prompt written instructions as to the action to be taken
regarding the Right Certificates involved. The Rights Agent shall not be
liable for acting in accordance with such instructions.
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 Shares by registered or certified mail, and
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 Shares by
registered or certified mail, and 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) a corporation or
other Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States
or of the State of New York or the State of Connecticut (or of any other
state of the United States so long as such corporation or other Person is
authorized to do business as a banking or trust institution or transfer agent
in the State of New York or the State of Connecticut), in good standing,
having an office or agency in the State of Connecticut 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, or (b) an
Affiliate of a corporation or Person described in clause (a) of this
sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with
the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it has 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 Shares, and 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 form as may be approved by its Board of Trustees 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 sale of Common Shares following
the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the
Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or
sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or
arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities
hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed
necessary or appropriate by the Board of Trustees of the Company, issue Right
Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with
such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate
shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by
counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material
adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Right
Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be
issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise
have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Rights may be redeemed by action of the Board of Trustees
pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 23 and shall not be redeemed in
any other manner.
(b) The Board of Trustees of the Company may, at its option, at any
time prior to the earlier of (x) the close of business on the tenth calendar
day following the Shares Acquisition Date (or if the Shares Acquisition Date
shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the
tenth calendar day following the Record Date), or (y) the Final Expiration
Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a
redemption price of $.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the
"Redemption Price"). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Trustees
may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as
the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion may establish. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be
exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until
such time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder has expired.
(c) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of
Trustees of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to
subsection (b) of this Section 23, 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 the effectiveness of the action of the Board of Trustees ordering the
redemption of the Rights pursuant to subsection (b), 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 Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by
which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company
nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for
value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set
forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in
connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Trustees of the Company may, at its option, at any
time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of
the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights
that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for
Common Shares of the Company at any exchange ratio of one Common Share per
Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio
being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Board of Trustees shall not be empowered to effect such
exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary
of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such
Subsidiary, any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of
any such plan, or any trustee, administrator or fiduciary of such a plan),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Trustees of the Company
ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (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 Common Shares 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 promptly shall
mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights
Agent. Any notice 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 Common
Shares 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 7(e) hereof) held by each
holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its
option, may substitute for any Common Share exchangeable for a Right (i)
common stock equivalents, (ii) cash, (iii) debt securities of the Company,
(iv) other assets, or (v) any combination of the foregoing, having an
aggregate value which the Board of Trustees of the Company shall have
determined in good faith to be equal to the Current Market Price of one
Common Share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the Trading
Date immediately preceding the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares.
In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issued an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For
the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole
Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined
pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, after the Distribution Date, (i)
to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Common
Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of Common Shares
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders
of Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any
additional Common Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other
securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of Common
Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding Common Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into
or with (other than a merger of a Subsidiary into or with the Company), to
effect any share exchange with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or
to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other
transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any
other Person, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder
of a 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 reclassification, consolidation, merger, share exchange, sale,
transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares 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 Common Shares 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 Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event shall
occur, then, in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable
thereafter give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with
Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice
shall include a brief summary of the Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13
Event, as the case may be, and the consequences thereof to holders of Rights.
Section 26. Notices.
(a) 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:
Northeast Utilities
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
(b) 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:
Northeast Utilities Service Company
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
(c) 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.
(a) Prior to the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate
sentence of this Section 27, the Company may and the Rights Agent shall, if
the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement
without the approval of any holders of certificates representing Common
Shares. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time prior to
such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this Agreement to
lower the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a) hereof from 15% to
not less than 10%, with appropriate exceptions for persons then beneficially
owning Common Shares of the Company constituting a percentage of the number
of Common Shares then outstanding equal to or in excess of the new threshold.
From and after the Distribution Date and subject to the penultimate sentence
of this Section 27, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, supplement and amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Right Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to
correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective
or inconsistent with any other provision herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen
any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions
hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and
which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right
Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
an Acquiring Person); provided, that from and after the Distribution Date
this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to
clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights
may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B)
any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of
protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to,
the holders of Rights. 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. Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall
be made which reduces the then effective Redemption Price or moves to an
earlier date the then effective Final Expiration Date. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
(b) This Agreement shall also be subject to termination and shall
terminate, without any action by either the Company or Northeast Utilities
Service Company, to the extent and from the time that performance may
conflict with the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or with any
rule, regulation or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted
before or after the making hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
parties hereto will use reasonable efforts to negotiate any amendments to
this Agreement which are necessary for this Agreement to comply with the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or any rule, regulation or order
thereunder, and they will also replace Northeast Utilities Service Company
with a successor Rights Agent if that action will achieve such compliance.
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 insure 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 or corporation other than the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) 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 Shares).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain
in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or
invalidated.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such Commonwealth applicable to
contracts to be made and performed entirely within such Commonwealth.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the
provisions hereof.
Section 34. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Trustees. (a)
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common
Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of
which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with
the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Exchange Act. The Board of Trustees of the Company shall have the
exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise
all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board 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 (a) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement, and (b) make all determinations deemed
necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a
determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement
and any determination as to whether actions of any Person shall be such as to
cause such Person to beneficially own shares held by another Person). All
such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including,
for purposes of clause (ii) below, all omissions with respect to the
foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Trustees of the Company in
good faith, shall (i) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (ii) not
subject the Board of Trustees of the Company to any liability to the holders
of the Rights.
(b) No Trustee or shareholder of the Company shall be held to any
liability whatever for any obligation or for damages or otherwise under this
Agreement and such Agreement shall not be enforceable against any such
Trustee in their or his or her individual capacities or capacity. This
Agreement shall be enforceable against the Trustees only as such, and every
person, firm, association, trust or corporation having any claim or demand
arising under this Agreement and relating to the Company, its shareholders or
its Trustees shall look solely to the trust estate of the Company for the
payment or satisfaction thereof
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
By/s/
Name:
Title:
NORTHEAST UTILITIES SERVICE COMPANY
By/s/
Name:
Title:
EXHIBIT A TO EXHIBIT B TO FORM U-1
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 23, 2009 (SUBJECT TO EXTENSION) OR EARLIER IF
REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.001
PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON
(AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER MAY BECOME
NULL AND VOID.
Right Certificate
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
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 February 23, 1999, and as such agreement
may be amended (the "Rights Agreement"), between Northeast Utilities, a
Massachusetts voluntary association (the "Company"), and Northeast Utilities
Service Company, a Connecticut corporation (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., Hartford,
Connecticut time, on February 23, 2009, subject to extension, at the
principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as
Rights Agent, one fully paid nonassessable (except as otherwise provided by
any law applicable to the Company) common share, $5 par value (a "Common
Share," and collectively "Common Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase
price of $65.00 per Common Share (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 Right Certificate (and
the number of Common Shares 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 February 23, 1999, based on the Common Shares as
constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase
Price and the number of Common Shares which may be purchased upon the
exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to
modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate
or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement, a transferee of a person who concurrently with or after such
transfer became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof
shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the
occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions
are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to
which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the
rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder
of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices
of the Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, 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
Common Shares 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 Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption
price of $.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for
Common Shares. The Board of Trustees of the Company may, at its option, at
any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, but prior to such
Person's acquisition of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares,
exchange the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate for Common Shares, at
an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, subject to adjustment, as
provided in the Rights Agreement.
No fractional Common Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be
made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Common Shares or of
any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or
herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the
rights of a shareowner of the Company or any right to vote for the election
of Trustees or upon any matter submitted to shareowners at any meeting
thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareowners (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 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.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of , .
ATTEST: NORTHEAST UTILITIES
By:/s/
Title:
Countersigned:
NORTHEAST UTILITIES SERVICE COMPANY
By:/s/
Authorized Signature
[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) this Right Certificate, together with all
right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint Attorney, to transfer the within Right
Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
substitution.
Dated: ,
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATION
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by 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 the Right Certificate.)
To NORTHEAST UTILITIES:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Common Shares
issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for
such Common Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(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 Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States.
Certification
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
Signature
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election to
Purchase 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,
the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment
or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
EXHIBIT B TO EXHIBIT B TO FORM U-1
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
COMMON SHARES
On February 23, 1999, the Board of Trustees of Northeast Utilities (the
"Company") declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (a "Right")
for each outstanding common share, $5.00 par value (the "Common Shares"), of
the Company, subject to receipt of necessary approval from the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.
The dividend is payable upon the close of business on , 1999 (the fifth
business day after the date of such approval) to the shareowners of record on
that date (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the registered holder to
purchase from the Company one Common Share, at a price of $65.00 per Common
Share, subject to adjustment (the "Purchase Price"). The description and
terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights
Agreement") between the Company and Northeast Utilities Service 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
(other than the Company, a subsidiary of the Company or an employee benefit
plan of the Company or a subsidiary) (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired
beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the
"Shares Acquisition Date") or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as
may be determined by action of the Company's Board of Trustees prior to such
time as any person 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 (other than the Company, a subsidiary of the Company or an
employee benefit plan of the Company or a subsidiary) of 15% or more of such
outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being called the
"Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of
the Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such
Common Share certificate.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares, will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption
or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates
for Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such
notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable
following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights
("Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common
Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate
Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on February 23, 2009 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the
Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, or the Rights
Agreement is amended, in each case as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Common Shares or other
securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Common
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Common Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Common Shares with a conversion price, less than
the then current market price of the Common Shares or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Common Shares of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends or dividends payable in
Common Shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).
In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person (a "Flip-In
Event"), holders of Rights (except as otherwise provided in the Rights
Agreement) will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise that
number of Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances cash, property or other
securities of the Company or a reduction in the Purchase Price) having a
market value of two times the then current Purchase Price. Notwithstanding
any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of a Flip-In Event all Rights
that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement)
were, or subsequently become beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person,
related persons and transferees will be null and void.
In the event that, at any time following the Shares Acquisition Date,
(i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction in which the Common Shares are exchanged for securities or other
property or (ii) 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are
sold (the events described in clauses (i) and (ii) are herein referred to as
"Flip-Over Events"), proper provision will be made so that holders of Rights
(except Rights which have previously become void) will thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase
Price, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which
at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the
then current Purchase Price.
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 Common Shares will be issued. In lieu of
fractional Common Shares, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date
of exercise.
The Purchase Price is payable by certified check, cashier's check, bank
draft or money order or, if so provided by the Company, the Purchase Price
following the occurrence of a Flip-In Event and until the first occurrence of
a Flip-Over Event may be paid in Common Shares having an equivalent value.
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the
acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares, the Board of Trustees of the Company may exchange the Rights (other
than Rights owned by any Acquiring Person which have become void), in whole
or in part, at an exchange ratio per Right of one Common Share (or other
securities or asset having equivalent value) (subject to adjustment).
At any time prior to the earlier of (1) 10 days after the first public
announcement that any person has become an Acquiring Person and (ii) the date
of final expiration of the Rights, the Board of Trustees of the Company may
redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right
(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 Trustees
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.
Other than provisions relating to certain principal economic terms of
the Rights, the terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Trustees
of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an
amendment to lower the threshold for exercisability of the Rights from 15% to
not less than 10%, with appropriate exceptions for any person then
beneficially owning a percentage of the number of Common Shares then
outstanding equal to or in excess of the new threshold, except that from and
after the Distribution Date no such amendment may adversely affect the
interests of the holders of the Rights. The Rights may also be amended to
extend the expiration date thereof.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a shareowner of the Company, including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.
The Company has filed a copy of the Rights Agreement with the Securities
and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A
filed with respect to the Rights. A copy of the Rights Agreement is also
available free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the
Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
