WARRANT AGREEMENT Dated as of , 2010 between MERCANTILE BANCORP, INC. and ILLINOIS STOCK TRANSFER COMPANY as Warrant Agent
Exhibit 4.2
WARRANT
AGREEMENT
Dated as of
, 2010
between
MERCANTILE BANCORP, INC.
and
ILLINOIS STOCK TRANSFER COMPANY
as Warrant Agent
Dated as of
, 2010
between
MERCANTILE BANCORP, INC.
and
ILLINOIS STOCK TRANSFER COMPANY
as Warrant Agent
Warrants for
Common Stock
WARRANT AGREEMENT dated as of
[ ],
2010 (this “Agreement”), between Mercantile
Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) and Illinois
Stock Transfer Company as Warrant Agent (the “Warrant
Agent”).
The Company shall issue the warrants described herein (each, a
“Warrant” and collectively, the
“Warrants”) as a component of certain units
(the “Units”), each consisting of one share of
the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.4167 per share
(the “Common Stock”) and one Warrant, which may
be acquired upon exercise of certain rights (the
‘‘Rights”) distributed by the Company to
its stockholders of record on September 23, 2010 (the
“Rights Offering”).
Each Warrant entitles the registered holder thereof (the
“Holder”) to purchase one share of Common
Stock, subject to the provisions of this Agreement and the
relevant Warrant Certificate. Each Warrant Certificate
(including any Global Warrant) shall evidence such number of
Warrants as is set forth therein, subject to adjustment pursuant
to the provisions of the Warrant Certificate.
The Warrants and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Warrants will be freely transferable by Holders
that are not Affiliates of the Company. The Company desires the
Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company in connection with
the registration, transfer, exchange, redemption, exercise and
cancellation of the Warrants as provided herein and the Warrant
Agent is willing to so act.
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party
and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of Warrants:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01. Definitions.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any
Person, any Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by or under common control with, such other Person.
For purposes of this definition, “control”
(including, with correlative meanings, the terms
“controlled by” and “under common control
with”) when used with respect to any Person, means the
possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to cause the
direction of management
and/or
policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting
securities by contract or otherwise.
“Agent Members” means the securities
brokers and dealers, banks and trust companies, clearing
organizations and certain other organizations that are
participants in the Depositary’s system.
“business day” means any day except
Saturday, Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in
the State of Illinois are authorized or required by law or other
governmental actions to close.
“Definitive Warrant” means a Warrant
Certificate in definitive form that is not deposited with the
Depositary or with the Warrant Agent as custodian for the
Depositary.
“Depositary” means The Depository
Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.
“Exchange Act” means the
U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any
successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“Exercise Price” has the meaning set
forth in the form of Warrant Certificate attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
“Expiration Time” has the meaning set
forth in the form of Warrant Certificate attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Vice
President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a
certificate signed by two Officers.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written
opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the
Warrant Agent. Such counsel may be an employee of or counsel to
the Company or the Warrant Agent.
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“Person” means an individual,
corporation, partnership, joint venture, association,
joint-stock company, limited liability company, limited
liability partnership, trust, unincorporated organization, or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any
other entity.
“Shares” has the meaning set forth in
the form of Warrant Certificate attached as Exhibit A
hereto.
“Transfer Agent” has the meaning set
forth in the form of Warrant Certificate attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
“Warrant Certificate” means any fully
registered certificate (including a Global Warrant) issued by
the Company and authenticated by the Warrant Agent under this
Agreement evidencing Warrants, in the form attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
“Warrant Share Number” has the meaning
set forth in the form of Warrant Certificate attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
Section 1.02. Rules
of Construction.
Unless the text otherwise requires, (a) a defined term has
the meaning assigned to it; (b) an accounting term not
otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles as in effect on
the date hereof; (c) “or” is not exclusive;
(d) “including” means including, without
limitation; and (e) words in the singular include the
plural and words in the plural include the singular.
ARTICLE II
WARRANTS
Section 2.01. Form.
(a) Global Warrants. Except as
provided in Section 2.04 or 2.05, Warrants issued upon any
transfer or exchange thereof shall be issued in the form of one
or more permanent global Warrants in fully registered form with
the global securities legend set forth in Exhibit A hereto
(each, a ‘‘Global Warrant”), which shall
be deposited on behalf of the Company with the Warrant Agent, as
custodian for the Depositary (or with such other custodian as
the Depositary may direct), and registered in the name of the
Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary, duly executed by the
Company and countersigned by the Warrant Agent as hereinafter
provided.
(b) Book-Entry Provisions. This
Section 2.01(b) shall apply only to a Global Warrant
deposited with or on behalf of the Depositary.
(i) The Company shall execute and the Warrant Agent shall,
in accordance with Section 2.02, countersign, by either
manual or facsimile signature, and deliver one or more Global
Warrants that (A) shall be registered in the name of the
Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary and (B) shall
be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Depositary or pursuant
to the Depositary’s instructions or held by the Warrant
Agent as custodian for the Depositary. Each Global Warrant shall
be dated the date of its countersignature by the Warrant Agent.
(ii) Agent Members shall have no rights under this
Agreement with respect to any Global Warrant held on their
behalf by the Depositary or by the Warrant Agent as the
custodian of the Depositary or under such Global Warrant except
to the extent set forth herein or in a Warrant Certificate, and
the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Warrant Agent
and any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent as the
absolute owner of such Global Warrant for all purposes
whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall
(A) prevent the Company, the Warrant Agent or any agent of
the Company or the Warrant Agent from giving effect to any
written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by
the Depositary or (B) impair, as between the Depositary and
the Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of the
Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a
beneficial interest in any Warrant. The rights of beneficial
owners in a Global Warrant shall be exercised through the
Depositary subject to the applicable procedures of the
Depositary except to the extent set forth herein or in a Warrant
Certificate.
(c) Definitive Securities. Except
as provided in Section 2.04 or 2.05, owners of beneficial
interests in Global Warrants will not be entitled to
receive physical delivery of Definitive Warrants.
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(d) Warrant Certificates. Warrant
Certificates shall be in substantially the form attached as
Exhibit A hereto and shall be typed, printed, lithographed
or engraved or produced by any combination of such methods or
produced in any other manner permitted by the rules of any
securities exchange on which the Warrants may be listed, all as
determined by the Officer or Officers executing such Warrant
Certificates, as evidenced by their execution thereof. Any
Warrant Certificate shall have such insertions as are
appropriate or required or permitted by this Agreement and may
have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and
such legends and endorsements, stamped, printed, lithographed or
engraved thereon, (i) as the Company may deem appropriate
and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Agreement, (ii) such as may be required to comply with this
Agreement, any law or any rule of any securities exchange on
which the Warrants may be listed, and (iii) such as may be
necessary to conform to customary usage.
Section 2.02. Execution
and Countersignature.
At least one Officer shall sign the Warrant Certificates for the
Company by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Warrant Certificate no
longer holds that office at the time the Warrant Agent
countersigns the Warrant Certificate, the Warrants evidenced by
such Warrant Certificate shall be valid nevertheless.
The Warrant Agent shall initially countersign, by either manual
or facsimile signature, and deliver Warrant Certificates
entitling the Holders thereof to purchase in the aggregate not
more than
[ ] shares
of Common Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in such
Warrant Certificates) upon a written order of the Company signed
by one Officer of the Company. Each Warrant Certificate shall be
dated the date of its countersignature by the Warrant Agent.
At any time and from time to time after the execution of this
Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall upon receipt of a written
order of the Company signed by an Officer of the Company
countersign, by either manual or facsimile signature, for issue
a Warrant Certificate evidencing the number of Warrants
specified in such order; provided, however, that
the Warrant Agent shall be entitled to receive an Officers’
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel of the Company that it may
reasonably request in connection with such countersignature of
Warrants. Such order shall specify the number of Warrants to be
evidenced on the Warrant Certificate to be countersigned, the
date on which such Warrant Certificate is to be countersigned
and the number of Warrants then authorized.
The Warrants evidenced by a Warrant Certificate shall not be
valid until an authorized signatory of the Warrant Agent
countersigns the Warrant Certificate either manually or by
facsimile signature. Such signature shall be solely for the
purpose of authenticating the Warrant Certificate and shall be
conclusive evidence that the Warrant Certificate so
countersigned has been duly authenticated and issued under this
Agreement.
Section 2.03. Registry.
The Warrants shall be issued in registered form only. The
Warrant Agent shall keep a registry (the
“Registry”) of the Warrant Certificates and of
their transfer and exchange. The Registry shall show the names
and addresses of the respective Holders and the date and number
of Warrants evidenced on the face of each of the Warrant
Certificates. The Holder of any Global Warrant will be the
Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary in whose name the
Global Warrant is registered. The Warrant holdings of Agent
Members will be recorded on the books of the Depositary. The
beneficial interests in the Global Warrant held by customers of
Agent Members will be reflected on the books and records of such
Agent Members and will not be known to the Warrant Agent, the
Company or to the Depositary.
Except as otherwise provided herein or in the Warrant
Certificate, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and
treat any Person in whose name a Warrant Certificate is
registered in the Registry as the absolute owner of such Warrant
Certificate for all purposes whatsoever and neither the Company
nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by notice to the
contrary.
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Section 2.04. Transfer
and Exchange.
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Warrants.
(i) Registration of the transfer and exchange of Global
Warrants or beneficial interests therein shall be effected
through the book-entry system maintained by the Depositary, in
accordance with this Agreement and the Warrant Certificates and
the procedures of the Depositary therefor. A transferor of a
beneficial interest in a Global Warrant (or the relevant Agent
Member on behalf of such transferor) shall deliver to the
Warrant Agent (x) a written order given in accordance with
the Depositary’s procedures containing information
regarding the account of the Agent Member to be credited with a
beneficial interest in the Global Warrant and (y) a written
instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Warrant
Agent, duly executed by the Holder thereof or by his attorney,
duly authorized in writing. Additionally, prior to the Holder
registering the transfer or making the exchange as requested,
the requirements for such transfer or exchange to be issued in a
name other than the registered Holder shall be met. Such
requirements include, inter alia, a signature guarantee from an
eligible guarantor institution participating in a signature
guarantee program approved by the Securities Transfer
Association, and any other reasonable evidence of authority that
may be required by the Warrant Agent. Upon satisfaction of the
conditions in this Section 2.04(a)(i), the Warrant Agent
shall, in accordance with such instructions, instruct the
Depositary to credit to the account of the Agent Member
specified in such instructions a beneficial interest in the
Global Warrant and to debit the account of the Agent Member
making the transfer of the beneficial interest in the Warrant
being transferred.
(ii) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement
(other than the provisions set forth in Section 2.05), a
Global Warrant may only be transferred as a whole, and not in
part, and only by (A) the Depositary, to a nominee of the
Depositary, (B) a nominee of the Depositary, to the
Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary, or (C) the
Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or its
nominee.
(iii) In the event that a Global Warrant is exchanged and
transferred for Definitive Warrants pursuant to
Section 2.05, such Warrants may be exchanged only in
accordance with such procedures as are substantially consistent
with the provisions of this Section 2.04 and the
requirements of any Warrant Certificate and such other
procedures as may from time to time be adopted by the Company
that are not inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or of
any Warrant Certificate.
(b) Cancellation or Adjustment of Global
Warrant. At such time as all beneficial
interests in a Global Warrant have been exchanged for Definitive
Warrants, redeemed, repurchased or canceled, such Global Warrant
shall be returned to the Depositary for cancellation or retained
and canceled by the Warrant Agent. At any time prior to such
cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Warrant is
transferred or exchanged for Definitive Warrants, redeemed,
repurchased or canceled, the number of Warrants represented by
such Global Warrant shall be reduced and an adjustment shall be
made on the books and records of the Warrant Agent to reflect
such reduction.
(c) Obligations with Respect to Transfers and
Exchanges of Warrants.
(i) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the
Company shall execute and the Warrant Agent shall countersign,
by either manual or facsimile signature, Global Warrants and
Definitive Warrants as required pursuant to the provisions of
Section 2.02 and this Section 2.04.
(ii) No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any
registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax,
assessments, or similar governmental charge payable in
connection therewith.
(iii) All Warrants issued upon any registration of transfer
or exchange pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be the
valid obligations of the Company, entitled to the same benefits
under this Agreement as the Warrants surrendered upon such
registration for transfer or exchange.
(d) No Obligation of the Warrant Agent.
(i) The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility or
obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Warrant, any
Agent Member or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the
records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any participant
or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the
Warrants or with respect to the delivery to any Agent Member,
beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of
any notice or the
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payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Warrants.
All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and
all payments to be made to Holders under the Warrants shall be
given or made only to or upon the order of the registered
Holders (which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the
case of a Global Warrant). The rights of beneficial owners in
any Global Warrant shall be exercised only through the
Depositary subject to the applicable rules and procedures of the
Depositary. The Warrant Agent may rely and shall be fully
protected in relying upon information furnished by the
Depositary with respect to its members, participants and any
beneficial owners.
(ii) The Warrant Agent shall have no obligation or duty to
monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any
restrictions on transfer imposed under this Agreement or under
applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in
any Warrant (including any transfer between or among the Agent
Members or beneficial owners in any Global Warrant) other than
to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation
or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and
when expressly required by, the terms of this Agreement, and to
examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form
with the express requirements hereof.
Section 2.05. Definitive
Warrants.
(a) Beneficial interests in a Global Warrant deposited with
the Depositary or with the Warrant Agent as custodian for the
Depositary pursuant to Section 2.01 shall be transferred to
each beneficial owner thereof in the form of Definitive Warrants
evidencing a number of Warrants equivalent to such owner’s
beneficial interest in such Global Warrant, in exchange for such
Global Warrant, only if such transfer complies with
Section 2.04 and (i) the Depositary notifies the
Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary
for such Global Warrant or if at any time the Depositary ceases
to be a “clearing agency” registered under the
Exchange Act and, in each such case, a successor Depositary is
not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice,
(ii) the Company, in its sole discretion, notifies the
Warrant Agent in writing that it elects to cause the issuance of
Definitive Warrants under this Agreement, or (iii) the
Company shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or makes an
assignment for the benefit of its creditors or institutes
proceedings to be adjudicated a bankrupt or shall consent to the
filing of a bankruptcy proceeding against it, or shall file a
petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization under
Federal bankruptcy laws or any other similar applicable Federal
or State law, or shall consent to the filing of any such
petition, or shall consent to the appointment of a receiver or
custodian of all or any substantial part of its property, or
shall admit in writing its inability to pay or meet its debts as
they mature, or if a receiver or custodian of it or all or any
substantial part of its property shall be appointed, or if a
public officer shall have taken charge or control of the Company
or of its property or affairs, for the purpose of
rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation.
(b) Any Global Warrant that is transferable to the
beneficial owners thereof in the form of Definitive Warrants
pursuant to this Section 2.05 shall be surrendered by the
Depositary to the Warrant Agent to be so transferred, in whole
or from time to time in part, without charge, and the Warrant
Agent shall countersign, by either manual or facsimile
signature, and deliver to each beneficial owner in the name of
such beneficial owner, upon such transfer of each portion of
such Global Warrant, Definitive Warrants evidencing a number of
Warrants equivalent to such beneficial owner’s beneficial
interest in the Global Warrant. The Warrant Agent shall register
such transfer in the Registry, and upon such transfer the
surrendered Global Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant
Agent.
(c) All Definitive Warrants issued upon registration of
transfer pursuant to this Section 2.05 shall be the valid
obligations of the Company, evidencing the same obligations of
the Company and entitled to the same benefits under this
Agreement and the Global Warrant surrendered for registration of
such transfer.
(d) Subject to the provisions of Section 2.05(b), the
registered Holder of a Global Warrant may grant proxies and
otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and
Persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take
any action that a Holder is entitled to take under this
Agreement or the Warrants.
(e) In the event of the occurrence of any of the events
specified in Section 2.05(a), the Company will promptly
make available to the Warrant Agent a reasonable supply of
Definitive Warrants in definitive, fully registered form.
(f) Neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent will be
liable or responsible for any registration or transfer of any
Warrants that are registered or to be registered in the name of
a fiduciary or the nominee of a fiduciary.
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Section 2.06. Replacement
Certificates.
If a mutilated Warrant Certificate is surrendered to the Warrant
Agent or if the Holder of a Warrant Certificate provides proof
reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Warrant Agent
that the Warrant Certificate has been lost, destroyed or
wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Warrant Agent
shall countersign, by either manual or facsimile signature, a
replacement Warrant Certificate of like tenor and representing
an equivalent number of Warrants, if the reasonable requirements
of the Warrant Agent and of
Section 8-405
of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of
Illinois are met. If required by the Warrant Agent or the
Company, such Holder shall furnish an indemnity bond sufficient
in the reasonable judgment of the Company and the Warrant Agent
to protect the Company and the Warrant Agent from any loss that
either of them may suffer if a Warrant Certificate is replaced.
The Company and the Warrant Agent may charge the Holder for
their expenses in replacing a Warrant Certificate. Every
replacement Warrant Certificate evidences an additional
obligation of the Company.
Section 2.07. Outstanding
Warrants.
The Warrants outstanding at any time are all Warrants evidenced
on all Warrant Certificates authenticated by the Warrant Agent
except for those canceled by it and those delivered to it for
cancellation. A Warrant ceases to be outstanding if the Company
or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Warrant.
If a Warrant Certificate is replaced pursuant to
Section 2.06, the Warrants evidenced thereby cease to be
outstanding unless the Warrant Agent and the Company receive
proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Warrant Certificate
is held by a bona fide purchaser.
Section 2.08. Cancellation.
In the event the Company shall purchase or otherwise acquire
Definitive Warrants, the same shall thereupon be delivered to
the Warrant Agent for cancellation.
The Warrant Agent and no one else shall cancel and destroy all
Warrant Certificates surrendered for registration of transfer,
exchange, replacement, exercise or cancellation and deliver a
certificate of such destruction to the Company unless the
Company directs the Warrant Agent to deliver canceled Warrant
Certificates to the Company. The Company may not issue new
Warrant Certificates to replace Warrant Certificates to the
extent they evidence Warrants that have been exercised or
Warrants that the Company has purchased or otherwise acquired.
Section 2.09. CUSIP
Numbers.
The Company, in issuing the Warrants, may use “CUSIP”
numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Warrant Agent
shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices as a convenience
to Holders; provided, however, that any such
notice may state that no representation is made as to the
correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Warrant
Certificates or as contained in any notice and that reliance may
be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on
the Warrant Certificates.
ARTICLE III
EXERCISE
TERMS; REDEMPTION
Section 3.01. Exercise.
The Exercise Price of each Warrant, the Warrant Share Number,
the number of Warrants evidenced by any Warrant Certificate and
the Expiration Time of each Warrant shall be set forth in the
related Warrant Certificate. The Exercise Price of each Warrant
and the Warrant Share Number are subject to adjustment pursuant
to the terms set forth in the Warrant Certificate.
Section 3.02. Manner
of Exercise and Issuance of Shares.
Warrants may be exercised in the manner set forth in
Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate, and upon any such
exercise, Shares shall be issued in the manner set forth in
Section 4 of the Warrant Certificate.
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Section 3.03. Covenant
to Make Stock Certificates Available.
(a) The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to requisition
from time to time from any stock transfer agents of the Company
stock certificates required to honor outstanding Warrants upon
exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,
and the Company agrees to authorize and direct such transfer
agents to comply with all such requests of the Warrant Agent.
The Company shall supply such transfer agents with duly executed
stock certificates for such purposes and shall provide or
otherwise make available any cash or scrip that may be payable
upon exercise of Warrants as provided herein and in each Warrant
Certificate.
(b) The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to create a
special account for the reserve of shares of Common Stock to be
issued upon exercise of the Warrants.
(c) In connection with the shares of Common Stock to be
issued upon exercise, the Company shall, if so required by the
Warrant Agent, provide an opinion of counsel, stating that all
such shares, when issued, will be:
(i) registered, or subject to a valid exemption from
registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
all material and necessary State securities law filings will
have been made with respect to such shares; and
(ii) validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Section 3.04. Redemption.
Each Warrant may be redeemed for no consideration on the terms
set forth in Section 13 of the Warrant Certificate.
ARTICLE IV
ANTIDILUTION
PROVISIONS
Section 4.01. Antidilution
Adjustments; Notice of Adjustment.
The Exercise Price and the Warrant Share Number shall be subject
to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 12
of the Warrant Certificate. Whenever the Exercise Price or the
Warrant Share Number is so adjusted or is proposed to be
adjusted as provided in Section 12 of the Warrant
Certificate, the Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent the
notices or statements, and shall cause a copy of such notices or
statements to be sent or communicated to each Holder pursuant to
Section 6.03, as provided in Sections 12(H) and
(I) of the Warrant Certificate.
Section 4.02. Adjustment
to Warrant Certificate.
The form of Warrant Certificate need not be changed because of
any adjustment made pursuant to the Warrant Certificate, and
Warrant Certificates issued after such adjustment may state the
same Exercise Price and the same Warrant Share Number as are
stated in the Warrant Certificates initially issued pursuant to
this Agreement. The Company, however, may at any time in its
sole discretion make any change in the form of Warrant
Certificate that it may deem appropriate to give effect to such
adjustments and that does not affect the substance of the
Warrant Certificate, and any Warrant Certificate thereafter
issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for
an outstanding Warrant Certificate or otherwise, may be in the
form as so changed.
ARTICLE V
WARRANT
AGENT
Section 5.01. Appointment
of Warrant Agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent
for the Company in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment.
The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for anything that it may
do or refrain from doing in connection with this Agreement,
except for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad
faith.
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Section 5.02. Rights
and Duties of Warrant Agent.
(a) Agent for the Company. In
acting under this Warrant Agreement and in connection with the
Warrant Certificates, the Warrant Agent is acting solely as
agent of the Company and does not assume any obligation or
relationship of agency or trust for or with any of the holders
of Warrant Certificates or beneficial owners of Warrants.
(b) Counsel. The Warrant Agent may
consult with counsel satisfactory to it (who may be counsel to
the Company), and the advice of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection in respect of any action
taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in
accordance with the advice of such counsel.
(c) Documents. The Warrant Agent
shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in
respect of any action taken or thing suffered by it in reliance
upon any Warrant Certificate, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, affidavit, statement or other paper or document
reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been
presented or signed by the proper parties.
(d) No Implied Obligations. The
Warrant Agent shall be obligated to perform only such duties as
are specifically set forth herein and in the Warrant
Certificates, and no implied duties or obligations of the
Warrant Agent shall be read into this Agreement or the Warrant
Certificates against the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall
not be under any obligation to take any action hereunder that
may involve it in any expense or liability for which it does not
receive indemnity if such indemnity is reasonably requested. The
Warrant Agent shall not be accountable or under any duty or
responsibility for the use by the Company of any of the Warrant
Certificates countersigned by the Warrant Agent and delivered by
it to the Holders or on behalf of the Holders pursuant to this
Agreement or for the application by the Company of the proceeds
of the Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty or
responsibility in case of any default by the Company in the
performance of its covenants or agreements contained herein or
in the Warrant Certificates or in the case of the receipt of any
written demand from a Holder with respect to such default,
including any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to
initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise.
(e) Not Responsible for Adjustments or Validity of
Stock. The Warrant Agent shall not at any
time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to
determine whether any facts exist that may require an adjustment
of the Warrant Share Number or the Exercise Price, or with
respect to the nature or extent of any adjustment when made, or
with respect to the method employed herein or in any
supplemental agreement provided to be employed, in making the
same. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable with respect to
the validity or value of any Shares or of any securities or
property that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the
exercise of any Warrant or upon any adjustment pursuant to
Section 12 of the Warrant Certificate, and it makes no
representation with respect thereto. The Warrant Agent shall not
be responsible for any failure of the Company to make any cash
payment or to issue, transfer or deliver any Shares or stock
certificates upon the surrender of any Warrant Certificate for
the purpose of exercise or upon any adjustment pursuant to
Section 12 of the Warrant Certificate, or to comply with
any of the covenants of the Company contained in the Warrant
Certificate.
(f) If the Warrant Agent shall receive any notice or demand
(other than Notice of Exercise of Warrants) addressed to the
Company by the Holder of a Warrant, the Warrant Agent shall
promptly forward such notice or demand to the Company.
Section 5.03. Individual
Rights of Warrant Agent.
The Warrant Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Warrant Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of
the Warrants or other securities of the Company or its
Affiliates or become pecuniarily interested in transactions in
which the Company or its Affiliates may be interested, or
contract with or lend money to the Company or its Affiliates or
otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the
Warrant Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall
preclude the Warrant Agent from acting in any other capacity for
the Company or for any other legal entity.
Section 5.04. Warrant
Agent’s Disclaimer.
The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for, and makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of, this Agreement
(except the due and valid authorized execution and delivery of
this Agreement by the Warrant
9
Agent) or the Warrant Certificates (except the due
countersignature of the Warrant Certificate(s) by the Warrant
Agent) and it shall not be responsible for any statement in this
Agreement or the Warrant Certificates other than its
countersignature thereon.
Section 5.05. Compensation
and Indemnity.
(a) The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent from time
to time reasonable compensation for its services as agreed and
to reimburse the Warrant Agent upon request for all reasonable
out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by it, including the reasonable compensation
and expenses of the Warrant Agent’s agents and counsel as
agreed. The Company shall indemnify the Warrant Agent, its
officers, directors, agents and counsel against any loss,
liability or expense (including reasonable agents’ and
attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it without gross
negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on its part arising
out of or in connection with the acceptance or performance of
its duties under this Agreement. The Warrant Agent shall notify
the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek
indemnity. The Company need not reimburse any expense or
indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Warrant
Agent through willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith.
The Company’s payment obligations pursuant to this Section
shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Warrant Agent shall be responsible for and shall
indemnify and hold the Company harmless from and against any and
all losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel fees, payments,
expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the
Warrant Agent’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms
of this Agreement, or which arise out of Warrant Agent’s
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct or which arise
out of the breach of any representation or warranty of the
Warrant Agent hereunder, for which the Warrant Agent is not
entitled to indemnification under this Agreement; provided,
however, the Warrant Agent’s aggregate liability hereunder
during any term of this Agreement with respect to, arising from,
or arising in connection with this Agreement, whether in
contract, or in tort, or otherwise, is limited to, and shall not
exceed, the amounts paid hereunder by the Company to the Warrant
Agent as fees and charges, but not including reimbursable
expenses.
To secure the Company’s payment obligations under this
Agreement, the Warrant Agent shall have a lien prior to the
Holders on all money or property held or collected by the
Warrant Agent.
Section 5.06. Successor
Warrant Agent.
(a) Company to Provide and Maintain Warrant
Agent. The Company agrees for the benefit of
the Holders that there shall at all times be a Warrant Agent
hereunder until all the Warrants have been exercised or
cancelled or are no longer exercisable.
(b) Resignation and Removal. The
Warrant Agent may at any time resign by giving written notice to
the Company of such intention on its part, specifying the date
on which its desired resignation shall become effective;
provided, however, that such date shall not be
less than 60 days after the date on which such notice is
given unless the Company otherwise agrees. The Warrant Agent
hereunder may be removed at any time by the filing with it of an
instrument in writing signed by or on behalf of the Company and
specifying such removal and the date when it shall become
effective, which date shall not be less than 60 days after
such notice is given unless the Warrant Agent otherwise agrees.
Any removal under this Section shall take effect upon the
appointment by the Company as hereinafter provided of a
successor Warrant Agent (which shall be (i) a bank or trust
company, (ii) organized under the laws of the United States
of America or one of the states thereof, (iii) authorized
under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization to
exercise corporate trust powers, (iv) having a combined
capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 (as set forth in its
most recent reports of condition published pursuant to law or to
the requirements of any United States federal or state
regulatory or supervisory authority) and (v) having an
office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or any
other jurisdiction within the United States of America as
determined by the Company) and the acceptance of such
appointment by such successor Warrant Agent. The obligations of
the Company under Section 5.05 shall continue to the extent
set forth herein notwithstanding the resignation or removal of
the Warrant Agent.
(c) Company to Appoint
Successor. In the event that at any time the
Warrant Agent shall resign, or shall be removed, or shall become
incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent,
or shall commence a voluntary case under the Federal bankruptcy
laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or under any other
applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar
law or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession
by
10
a receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, trustee,
sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Warrant Agent or
its property or affairs, or shall make an assignment for the
benefit of creditors, or shall admit in writing its inability to
pay its debts generally as they become due, or shall take
corporate action in furtherance of any such action, or a decree
or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the
premises shall have been entered in respect of the Warrant Agent
in an involuntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now
or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or
State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or a decree or
order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall have
been entered for the appointment of a receiver, custodian,
liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or similar
official) of the Warrant Agent or of its property or affairs, or
any public officer shall take charge or control of the Warrant
Agent or of its property or affairs for the purpose of
rehabilitation, conservation, winding up or liquidation, a
successor Warrant Agent, qualified as aforesaid, shall be
appointed by the Company by an instrument in writing, filed with
the successor Warrant Agent. In the event that a successor
Warrant Agent is not appointed by the Company, a successor
Warrant Agent, qualified as aforesaid, may be appointed by the
Warrant Agent or the Warrant Agent may petition a court to
appoint a successor Warrant Agent. Upon the appointment as
aforesaid of a successor Warrant Agent and acceptance by the
successor Warrant Agent of such appointment, the Warrant Agent
shall cease to be Warrant Agent hereunder; provided,
however, that in the event of the resignation of the
Warrant Agent under this subsection (c), such resignation shall
be effective on the earlier of (i) the date specified in
the Warrant Agent’s notice of resignation and (ii) the
appointment and acceptance of a successor Warrant Agent
hereunder.
(d) Successor to Expressly Assume
Duties. Any successor Warrant Agent appointed
hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to its
predecessor and to the Company an instrument accepting such
appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor Warrant
Agent, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become
vested with all the rights and obligations of such predecessor
with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent
hereunder, and such predecessor, upon payment of its charges and
disbursements then unpaid, shall thereupon become obligated to
transfer, deliver and pay over, and such successor Warrant Agent
shall be entitled to receive, all monies, securities and other
property on deposit with or held by such predecessor, as Warrant
Agent hereunder.
(e) Successor by Merger. Any
entity into which the Warrant Agent hereunder may be merged or
consolidated, or any entity resulting from any merger or
consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party, or
any entity to which the Warrant Agent shall sell or otherwise
transfer all or substantially all of its assets and business,
shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement
without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act
on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided,
however, that it shall be qualified as aforesaid.
Section 5.07.
Representations of the Company.
The Company represents and warrants to the Warrant Agent that:
(a) the Company has been duly organized and is validly
existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation;
(b) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company and is enforceable against the Company
in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization and other
similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally; and
(c) the execution and delivery of this Agreement does not,
and the issuance of the Warrants in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and the Warrant Certificate will not,
(i) violate the Company’s certificate of incorporation
or by-laws, (ii) violate any law or regulation applicable
to the Company or order or decree of any court or public
authority having jurisdiction over the Company, or
(iii) result in a breach of any mortgage, indenture,
contract, agreement or undertaking to which the Company is a
party or by which it is bound, except in the case of
(ii) and (iii) for any violations or breaches that
could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
11
ARTICLE VI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 6.01. Persons
Benefitting.
Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to
confer upon any Person other than the Company, the Warrant Agent
and the Holders any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of
this Agreement or any part hereof.
Section 6.02. Amendment.
This Agreement and the Warrants may be amended by the parties
hereto without the consent of any Holder for the purpose of
curing any ambiguity, or of curing, correcting or supplementing
any defective provision contained herein or therein or adding or
changing any other provisions with respect to matters or
questions arising under this Agreement or the Warrants as the
Company and the Warrant Agent may deem necessary or desirable;
provided, however, that such action shall not
adversely affect the rights of any of the Holders in any
material respect. Any amendment or supplement to this Agreement
or the Warrants that has a material adverse effect on the
interests of any of the Holders or owners of a beneficial
interest in a Global Warrant shall require the written consent
of the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants;
provided, that the consent of each Holder affected
thereby shall be required for any amendment pursuant to which
(i) the Exercise Price would be increased or the Warrant
Share Number would be decreased (in each case, other than
pursuant to adjustments provided for in Section 12 of the
Warrant Certificate), (ii) the time period during which the
Warrants are exercisable would be shortened or (iii) any
change adverse to the Holder would be made to the anti-dilution
provisions set forth in Article IV of this Agreement or
Section 12 of the Warrant Certificate. In determining
whether the Holders of the required number of Warrants have
concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Warrants owned by
the Company or by any Affiliate of the Company shall be
disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that, for
the purpose of determining whether the Warrant Agent shall be
protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent,
only Warrants that the Warrant Agent knows are so owned shall be
so disregarded. Also, subject to the foregoing, only Warrants
outstanding at the time shall be considered in any such
determination. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty to determine
whether any such amendment would have an effect on the rights or
interests of the holders of the Warrants. Upon receipt by the
Warrant Agent of an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the
execution of the amendment have been complied with and such
execution is permitted by this Agreement and the Warrant
Certificate, the Warrant Agent shall join in the execution of
such amendment; provided, that the Warrant Agent may, but shall
not be obligated to, execute any amendment or supplement which
affects the rights or changes or increases the duties or
obligations of the Warrant Agent.
Section 6.03. Notices.
Any notice or communication shall be in writing and delivered in
person or mailed by first-class mail addressed as follows:
if to the Company:
with a copy to:
DLA Piper LLP (US)
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
12
if to the Warrant Agent:
Illinois Stock Transfer Co.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
000 Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
The Company or the Warrant Agent by notice to the other may
designate additional or different addresses for subsequent
notices or communications.
Unless the Warrant is a Global Warrant, any notice or
communication mailed to a Holder shall be mailed to the Holder
at the Holder’s address as it appears on the Registry and
shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time
prescribed. Any notice to the owners of a beneficial interest in
a Global Warrant shall be distributed through the Depositary in
accordance with the procedures of the Depositary. Communications
to such Holder shall be deemed to be effective at the time of
dispatch to the Depositary.
Failure to provide a notice or communication to a Holder or any
defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to
other Holders. If a notice or communication is provided in the
manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the
intended recipient actually receives it.
Section 6.04. Governing
Law.
This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts
made and to be performed entirely within such State.
Section 6.05. Successors.
All agreements of the Company in this Agreement and the Warrants
shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Warrant Agent
in this Agreement shall bind its successors.
Section 6.06. Multiple
Originals.
The parties may sign any number of copies of this Agreement.
Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together
represent the same agreement. One signed copy is enough to prove
this Agreement.
Section 6.07. Inspection
of Agreement.
A copy of this Agreement shall be made available at all
reasonable times for inspection by any registered Holder or
owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant at the
principal office of the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant
agent).
Section 6.08. Headings.
The headings of the Articles and Sections of this Agreement have
been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not
intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or
restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 6.09. Severability.
The provisions of this Agreement are severable, and if any
clause or provision shall be held invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in whole or in part in any jurisdiction, then such
invalidity or unenforceability shall affect in that jurisdiction
only such clause or provision, or part thereof, and shall not in
any manner affect such clause or provision in any other
jurisdiction or any other clause or provision of this Agreement
in any jurisdiction.
13
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Warrant
Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
by |
|
Name:
Title:
ILLINOIS STOCK TRANSFER COMPANY,
as Warrant Agent,
by |
Name:
Title:
14
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF WARRANT
UNLESS THIS GLOBAL WARRANT IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK
CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE
COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR
PAYMENT, AND ANY WARRANT CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE
NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE
TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR
OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF,
CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL WARRANT SHALL BE LIMITED TO
TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A
SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS
OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL WARRANT SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS
MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE
WARRANT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
A-1
GLOBAL
WARRANT
representing
WARRANTS
to purchase
[ ] Shares of
Common Stock
of
MERCANTILE BANCORP, INC.
representing
WARRANTS
to purchase
[ ] Shares of
Common Stock
of
MERCANTILE BANCORP, INC.
No.
CUSIP No: 587343 112
1. DEFINITIONS. Unless the context
otherwise requires, when used herein the following terms shall
have the meanings indicated. Any capitalized terms used but not
defined herein that are defined in the Warrant Agreement shall
have the meanings set forth in the Warrant Agreement.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person,
any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or
under common control with, such other Person. For purposes of
this definition, “control” (including, with
correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and
“under common control with”) when used with respect to
any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the
power to cause the direction of management
and/or
policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting
securities by contract or otherwise.
“Agent Members” means the securities brokers
and dealers, banks and trust companies, clearing organizations
and certain other organizations that are participants in the
Depositary’s system.
“Board of Directors” means the board of
directors of the Company, including any duly authorized
committee thereof.
“Business Combination” means a merger,
consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction
that requires the approval of the Company’s stockholders.
“business day” means any day except Saturday,
Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in the State of
Illinois are authorized or required by law or other governmental
actions to close.
“Capital Stock” means (A) with respect to
any Person that is a corporation or company, any and all shares,
interests, participations or other equivalents (however
designated) of capital or capital stock of such Person and
(B) with respect to any Person that is not a corporation or
company, any and all partnership or other equity interests of
such Person.
“Charter” means, with respect to any Person,
its certificate or articles of incorporation, articles of
association, or similar organizational document.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par
value $0.4167 per share, of the Company.
“Company” means Mercantile Bancorp, Inc., a
corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of
Delaware.
“Definitive Warrant” means a Warrant
Certificate in definitive form that is not deposited with the
Depositary or with the Warrant Agent as custodian for the
Depositary.
“Depositary” means The Depository
Trust Company, its nominees and their respective successors.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exercise Price” means $[ • ],
subject to adjustment as set forth herein.
“Expiration Time” has the meaning set forth in
Section 3.
A-2
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any
security or other property, the fair market value of such
security or other property as determined by the Board of
Directors, acting in good faith.
“Global Warrant” means a Warrant Certificate in
global form that is deposited with the Depositary or with the
Warrant Agent as custodian for the Depositary.
“Governmental Entities” means, collectively,
all United States and other governmental, regulatory or judicial
authorities.
“Issue Date” means
[ ],
2010.
“Market Price” means, with respect to a
particular security, on any given day, the last reported sale
price regular way or, in case no such reported sale takes place
on such day, the average of the last closing bid and ask prices
regular way, in either case on the principal national securities
exchange on which the applicable securities are listed or
admitted to trading, or if not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid
and ask prices as furnished by two members of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. selected from time to time
by the Company for that purpose. “Market Price” shall
be determined without reference to after hours or extended hours
trading. If such security is not listed and traded in a manner
that the quotations referred to above are available for the
period required hereunder, the Market Price per share of Common
Stock shall be deemed to be the fair market value per share of
such security as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors in reliance on an opinion of a nationally recognized
independent investment banking corporation retained by the
Company for this purpose; provided that if any such
security is listed or traded on a
non-U.S. market,
such fair market value shall be determined by reference to the
closing price of such security as of the end of the most
recently ended business day in such market prior to the date of
determination; and further, provided that if
making such determination requires the conversion of any
currency other than U.S. dollars into U.S. dollars,
such conversion shall be done in accordance with customary
procedures based on the rate for conversion of such currency
into U.S. dollars displayed on the relevant page by
Bloomberg L.P. (or any successor or replacement service) on or
by 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on such exercise date.
For the purposes of determining the Market Price of the Common
Stock on the “trading day” preceding, on or following
the occurrence of an event, (i) that trading day shall be
deemed to commence immediately after the regular scheduled
closing time of trading on the NYSE Amex or, if trading is
closed at an earlier time, such earlier time and (ii) that
trading day shall end at the next regular scheduled closing
time, or if trading is closed at an earlier time, such earlier
time (for the avoidance of doubt, and as an example, if the
Market Price is to be determined as of the last trading day
preceding a specified event and the closing time of trading on a
particular day is 4:00 p.m. and the specified event occurs
at 5:00 p.m. on that day, the Market Price would be
determined by reference to such 4:00 p.m. closing price).
“Ordinary Cash Dividends” means a regular
quarterly cash dividend on shares of Common Stock out of surplus
or net profits legally available therefor (determined in
accordance with U.S. GAAP in effect from time to time),
provided that Ordinary Cash Dividends shall not include
any cash dividends paid subsequent to the Issue Date to the
extent the aggregate per share dividends paid on the outstanding
Common Stock in any quarter exceed $0.06 per share of Common
Stock, as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse
stock split, reclassification or similar transaction.
“Person” has the meaning given to it in
Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and as used in
Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act.
“Per Share Fair Market Value” has the meaning
set forth in Section 12(B).
“Pro Rata Repurchases” means any purchase of
shares of Common Stock by the Company or any Affiliate thereof
pursuant to (A) any tender offer or exchange offer subject
to Section 13(e) or 14(e) of the Exchange Act or
Regulation 14E promulgated thereunder or (B) any other
offer available to substantially all holders of Common Stock, in
the case of both (A) and (B), whether for cash, shares of
Capital Stock of the Company, other securities of the Company,
evidences of indebtedness of the Company or any other Person or
any other property (including, without limitation, shares of
Capital Stock, other securities or evidences of indebtedness of
a subsidiary), or any combination thereof, effected while this
Warrant Certificate is outstanding. The “Effective
Date” of a Pro Rata Repurchase shall mean the date of
acceptance of shares for purchase or exchange by the Company
under any tender
A-3
or exchange offer which is a Pro Rata Repurchase or the date of
purchase with respect to any Pro Rata Repurchase that is not a
tender or exchange offer.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.
“trading day” means (A) if the shares of
Common Stock are not traded on any national or regional
securities exchange or association or
over-the-counter
market, a business day or (B) if the shares of Common Stock
are traded on any national or regional securities exchange or
association or
over-the-counter
market, a business day on which such relevant exchange or
quotation system is scheduled to be open for business and on
which the shares of Common Stock (i) are not suspended from
trading on any national or regional securities exchange or
association or
over-the-counter
market for any period or periods aggregating one half hour or
longer; and (ii) have traded at least once on the national
or regional securities exchange or association or
over-the-counter
market that is the primary market for the trading of the shares
of Common Stock. The term “trading day” with respect
to any security other than the Common Stock shall have a
correlative meaning based on the primary exchange or quotation
system on which such security is listed or traded.
“Transfer Agent” means Illinois Stock Transfer
Company, as transfer agent of the Company, and any successor
transfer agent.
“U.S. GAAP” means United States generally
accepted accounting principles.
“Warrant” means a right to purchase a number of
shares of the Company’s Common Stock equal to the Warrant
Share Number as provided herein. References herein to
“Warrant” shall include the Global Warrant where the
context requires.
“Warrant Agent” has the meaning set forth in
Section 16.
“Warrant Agreement” has the meaning set forth
in Section 16.
“Warrant Certificate” means a fully registered
certificate evidencing Warrants.
“Warrantholder” means a registered owner of
Warrants as set forth in the Registry.
“Warrant Share Number” means one share of
Common Stock, as subsequently adjusted pursuant to the terms of
this Warrant and the Warrant Agreement.
2. NUMBER OF SHARES; EXERCISE
PRICE. This certifies that, for value
received, Cede & Co., and any of its registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Warrants set
forth on Schedule A hereto, each of which entitles the
Warrantholder to purchase from the Company, upon the terms and
subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, a number of
fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock (each a
“Share” and collectively the
“Shares”) equal to the Warrant Share Number at
a purchase price per share equal to the Exercise Price. The
Warrant Share Number and the Exercise Price are subject to
adjustment as provided herein, and all references to
“Warrant Share Number” and “Exercise Price”
herein shall be deemed to include any such adjustment or series
of adjustments.
3. EXERCISE OF WARRANT;
TERM. Subject to Section 2, to the
extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, all or a
portion of the Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate
are exercisable by the Warrantholder, at any time or from time
to time after the execution and delivery of this Warrant
Certificate by the Company on the date hereof, but in no event
later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time on the fifth
anniversary of the Issue Date (the “Expiration
Time”), by (A) delivery to the Warrant Agent of a
Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto, duly completed
and executed (or to the Company or to such other office or
agency of the Company in the United States as the Company may
designate by notice in writing to the Warrantholders pursuant to
Section 19), and (B) payment of the Exercise Price for
the Shares thereby purchased in cash (by certified check or wire
transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated
by the Company), or, at the option of the Company, by having the
Company withhold, from the shares of Common Stock that would
otherwise be delivered
A-4
to such Warrantholder upon such exercise, Shares issuable upon
exercise of the Warrants so exercised equal in value to the
aggregate Exercise Price as to such Shares, based on the Market
Price of the Common Stock on the trading day on which such
Warrants are exercised and the Notice of Exercise is delivered
to the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Section 3. For the
avoidance of doubt, if Warrants are exercised and the Company
elects to have the purchase price satisfied by withholding
shares of Common Stock otherwise to be delivered pursuant to the
exercise of the Warrant, such that the Exercise Price would
exceed the value of the Shares issuable upon exercise, no amount
shall be due and payable by the Warrantholder to the Company. In
the case of a Global Warrant, any person with a beneficial
interest in such Global Warrant shall effect compliance with the
requirements in clauses (A) and (B) above through the
relevant Agent Member in accordance with procedures of the
Depositary.
In the case of a Global Warrant, whenever some but not all of
the Warrants represented by such Global Warrant are exercised in
accordance with the terms thereof and of the Warrant Agreement,
such Global Warrant shall be surrendered by the Warrantholder to
the Warrant Agent, which shall cause an adjustment to be made to
Schedule A to such Global Warrant so that the number of
Warrants represented thereby will be equal to the number of
Warrants theretofor represented by such Global Warrant less the
number of Warrants then exercised. The Warrant Agent shall
thereafter promptly return such Global Warrant to the
Warrantholder or its nominee or custodian. In the case of a
Definitive Warrant, whenever some but not all of the Warrants
represented by such Definitive Warrant are exercised in
accordance with the terms thereof and of the Warrant Agreement,
the Warrantholder shall be entitled, at the request of such
Warrantholder, to receive from the Company within a reasonable
time, not to exceed three business days, a new Definitive
Warrant in substantially identical form for the number of
Warrants equal to the number of Warrants theretofor represented
by such Definitive Warrant less the number of Warrants then
exercised.
If this Warrant Certificate shall have been exercised in full,
the Warrant Agent shall promptly cancel such certificate
following its receipt from the Warrantholder or the Depositary,
as applicable.
Notwithstanding anything in this Warrant Certificate to the
contrary, in the case of Warrants evidenced by a Global Warrant,
any Agent Member may, without the consent of the Warrant Agent
or any other person, on its own behalf and on behalf of any
beneficial owner for which it is acting, enforce, and may
institute and maintain, any suit, action or proceeding against
the Company suitable to enforce, or otherwise in respect of, its
right to exercise, and to receive Shares for, its Warrants as
provided in the Global Warrant, and to enforce the Warrant
Agreement.
4. ISSUANCE OF SHARES; AUTHORIZATION;
LISTING. Shares issued upon exercise of
Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate shall be
(i) issued in such name or names as the exercising
Warrantholder may designate and (ii) delivered by the
Transfer Agent to such Warrantholder or its nominee or nominees
(A) via book-entry transfer crediting the account of such
Warrantholder (or the relevant Agent Member for the benefit of
such Warrantholder) through the Depositary’s DWAC system
(if the Transfer Agent participates in such system), or
(B) otherwise in certificated form by physical delivery to
the address specified by the Warrantholder in the Notice of
Exercise. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to cause its Transfer Agent to be a participant in the
Depositary’s DWAC system. The Company shall cause the
number of full Shares to which such Warrantholder shall be
entitled to be so delivered by the Transfer Agent within a
reasonable time, not to exceed three business days after the
date on which Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate
have been duly exercised in accordance with the terms hereof.
The Company hereby represents and warrants that any Shares
issued upon the exercise of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant
Certificate in accordance with the provisions of Section 3
will be duly and validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges (other
than liens or charges created by a Warrantholder, income and
franchise taxes incurred in connection with the exercise of the
Warrant or taxes in respect of any transfer occurring
contemporaneously therewith). The Company agrees that the Shares
so issued will be deemed to have been issued to a Warrantholder
as of the close of business on the date on which Warrants
evidenced by this Warrant Certificate have been duly exercised,
notwithstanding that the stock transfer books of the Company may
then be closed or certificates representing such Shares may not
be actually delivered on such date. The Company will at all
times until the Expiration Time (or, if such date shall not be a
business day, then on the next succeeding business day) reserve
and keep available, out of its authorized but unissued Common
Stock, solely for the purpose of providing for the exercise of
Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate, the aggregate
number of shares of Common Stock then issuable upon exercise
hereof at any time. The Company will (A) procure, at its
sole expense, the listing of the Shares issuable upon exercise
hereof at any time, subject to issuance or notice of issuance,
on all principal stock exchanges on which the Common Stock is
then listed or traded and (B) maintain such listings
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of such Shares at all times after issuance. The Company will use
reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Shares may be issued
without violation of any applicable law or regulation or of any
requirement of any securities exchange on which the Shares are
listed or traded.
5. NO FRACTIONAL SHARES OR
SCRIP. No fractional Shares or scrip
representing fractional Shares shall be issued upon any exercise
of Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate. In lieu of
any fractional Share that would otherwise be issued to a
Warrantholder upon the exercise of any Warrants, such
Warrantholder shall be entitled to receive a cash payment equal
to the Market Price of the Common Stock on the trading day on
which such warrants are exercised representing such fractional
Share. The beneficial owners of the Warrants and the
Warrantholder, by their acceptance hereof, expressly waive their
right to receive any fraction of a share of Common Stock or a
certificate representing a fraction of a share of Common Stock
or Warrant Certificate representing a fractional Warrant upon
exercise of any Warrant.
6. NO RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDERS; TRANSFER
BOOKS. Warrants evidenced by this Warrant
Certificate do not entitle the Warrantholder or the owner of any
beneficial interest in such Warrants to any voting rights or
other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the date
of exercise hereof. The Company will at no time close its
transfer books against transfer of Warrants in any manner which
interferes with the timely exercise hereof.
7. CHARGES, TAXES AND
EXPENSES. Issuance of Shares in certificated
or book-entry form to the Warrantholder upon the exercise of
Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate shall be made
without charge to the Warrantholder for any issue or transfer
tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of
such Shares (other than liens or charges created by a
Warrantholder, income and franchise taxes incurred in connection
with the exercise of the Warrant or taxes in respect of any
transfer occurring contemporaneously therewith), all of which
taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company.
8. TRANSFER/ASSIGNMENT. This
Warrant Certificate and all rights hereunder are transferable,
in whole or in part, upon the books of the Company (or an agent
duly appointed by the Company) by the registered holder hereof
in person or by duly authorized attorney, and one or more new
Warrant Certificates shall be made and delivered by the Company,
of the same tenor and date as this Warrant Certificate but
registered in the name of one or more transferees, upon
surrender of this Warrant Certificate, duly endorsed, to the
office or agency of the Company described in Section 3;
provided that if this Warrant Certificate is a Global
Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary, transfers of
such Global Warrant may only be made as a whole, and not in
part, and only by (i) the Depositary to a nominee of the
Depositary, (ii) a nominee of the Depositary to the
Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or
(iii) the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor
Depositary or its nominee. All expenses (other than stock
transfer taxes) and other charges payable in connection with the
preparation, execution and delivery of the new Warrant
Certificates pursuant to this Section 8 shall be paid by
the Company.
If this Warrant Certificate is a Global Warrant, then so long as
the Global Warrant is registered in the name of the Depositary,
the holders of beneficial interests in the Warrants evidenced
thereby shall have no rights under this Warrant Certificate with
respect to the Global Warrant held on their behalf by the
Depositary or the Warrant Agent as its custodian, and the
Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Warrant Agent and
any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent as the absolute
owner of the Global Warrant for all purposes whatsoever except
to the extent set forth herein. Accordingly, any such
owner’s beneficial interest in the Global Warrant will be
shown only on, and the transfer of such interest shall be
effected only through, records maintained by the Depositary or
the Agent Members, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent
shall have any responsibility with respect to such records
maintained by the Depositary or the Agent Members.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall
(i) prevent the Company, the Warrant Agent or any agent of
the Company or the Warrant Agent from giving effect to any
written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by
the Depositary or (ii) impair, as between the Depositary
and the Agent Members, the operation of customary practices
governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial
interest in any Warrant. Except as may otherwise be provided in
this Warrant Certificate or the Warrant Agreement, the rights of
beneficial owners in a Global Warrant shall be exercised through
the Depositary subject to the applicable procedures of the
Depositary. Any holder of the Global Warrant shall, by
acceptance of the Global Warrant, agree that transfers of
beneficial interests in the Global Warrant may be effected only
through a book-entry system maintained by the Depositary, and
that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Warrants
represented thereby shall be required to be reflected in
book-entry form.
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A Global Warrant shall be exchanged for Definitive Warrants, and
Definitive Warrants may be transferred or exchanged for a
beneficial interest in a Global Warrant, only at such times and
in the manner specified in the Warrant Agreement. Subject to the
provisions of the Warrant Agreement, the holder of a Global
Warrant may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any person,
including Agent Members and persons that may hold beneficial
interests in such Global Warrant through Agent Members, to take
any action that a Warrantholder is entitled to take under a
Warrant or the Warrant Agreement.
9. EXCHANGE AND REGISTRY OF
WARRANTS. This Warrant Certificate is
exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Warrantholder to
the Company, for a new Warrant Certificate or Warrant
Certificates of like tenor and representing the same aggregate
number of Warrants. The Company or an agent duly appointed by
the Company (which initially shall be the Warrant Agent) shall
maintain a Registry showing the name and address of the
Warrantholder as the registered holder of this Warrant
Certificate. This Warrant Certificate may be surrendered for
exchange or exercise in accordance with its terms, at the office
of the Company or any such agent, and the Company shall be
entitled to rely in all respects, prior to written notice to the
contrary, upon such Registry.
10. LOSS, THEFT, DESTRUCTION OR MUTILATION OF WARRANT
CERTIFICATE. Upon receipt by the Company of
proof reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft,
destruction or mutilation of this Warrant Certificate, and in
the case of any such loss, theft or destruction, upon receipt of
a bond, indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to the
Company and the Warrant Agent, or, in the case of any such
mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant
Certificate, the Company shall make and deliver, in lieu of such
lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Warrant Certificate, a new
Warrant Certificate of like tenor and representing the same
aggregate number of Warrants as provided for in such lost,
stolen, destroyed or mutilated Warrant Certificate.
11. SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS, HOLIDAYS,
ETC. If the last or appointed day for the
taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or
granted herein shall not be a business day, then such action may
be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding
day that is a business day.
12. ADJUSTMENTS AND OTHER
RIGHTS. The Exercise Price and the Warrant
Share Number shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as
follows; provided that if more than one subsection of
this Section 12 is applicable to a single event, the
subsection shall be applied that produces the largest adjustment
and no single event shall cause an adjustment under more than
one subsection of this Section 12 so as to result in
duplication:
(a) Stock Splits, Subdivisions, Reclassifications or
Combinations. If the Company shall
(i) declare and pay a dividend or make a distribution on
its Common Stock in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide
or reclassify the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a
greater number of shares, or (iii) combine or reclassify
the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the Warrant Share Number at the time of the record date
for such dividend or distribution or the effective date of such
subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of a Warrant after
such date shall be entitled to purchase the number of shares of
Common Stock which such holder would have owned or been entitled
to receive in respect of the Warrant Share Number had such
Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such date. In such
event, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the
record date for such dividend or distribution or the effective
date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall
be adjusted by multiplying such Exercise Price by the quotient
of (x) the Warrant Share Number immediately prior to such
adjustment divided by (y) the new Warrant Share Number
determined pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence.
(b) Other Distributions. In case
the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of shares of its Common Stock of
securities, evidences of indebtedness, assets, cash, rights or
warrants (excluding Ordinary Cash Dividends, dividends of its
Common Stock and other dividends or distributions referred to in
Section 12(a)), in each such case, the Exercise Price in
effect prior to such record date shall be reduced immediately
thereafter to the price determined by multiplying the Exercise
Price in effect immediately prior to the reduction by the
quotient of (x) the Market Price of the Common Stock on the
last trading day preceding the first date on which the Common
Stock trades regular way on the principal national securities
exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to
trading without the right to receive such distribution, minus
the amount of cash
and/or the
Fair Market Value of the securities, evidences of indebtedness,
assets, rights or warrants to be so distributed in respect of
one share of Common Stock (such
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subtracted amount
and/or Fair
Market Value, the “Per Share Fair Market
Value”) divided by (y) such Market Price on such
date specified in clause (x); such adjustment shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed. In such
event, the Warrant Share Number shall be increased to the number
obtained by multiplying the Warrant Share Number immediately
prior to such adjustment by the quotient of (x) the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the distribution
giving rise to this adjustment divided by (y) the new
Exercise Price determined in accordance with the immediately
preceding sentence. In the case of adjustment for a cash
dividend that is, or is coincident with, a regular quarterly
cash dividend, the Per Share Fair Market Value would be reduced
by the per share amount of the portion of the cash dividend that
would constitute an Ordinary Cash Dividend. In the event that
such distribution is not so made, the Exercise Price and the
Warrant Share Number then in effect shall be readjusted,
effective as of the date when the Board of Directors determines
not to distribute such shares, evidences of indebtedness,
assets, rights, cash or warrants, as the case may be, to the
Exercise Price and the Warrant Share Number that would then be
in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) Certain Repurchases of Common
Stock. In case the Company effects a Pro Rata
Repurchase of Common Stock, then the Exercise Price shall be
reduced to the price determined by multiplying the Exercise
Price in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date of such
Pro Rata Repurchase by a fraction of which the numerator shall
be (i) the product of (x) the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding immediately before such Pro Rata
Repurchase and (y) the Market Price of a share of Common
Stock on the trading day immediately preceding the first public
announcement by the Company or any of its Affiliates of the
intent to effect such Pro Rata Repurchase, minus (ii) the
aggregate purchase price of the Pro Rata Repurchase, and of
which the denominator shall be the product of (i) the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior
to such Pro Rata Repurchase minus the number of shares of Common
Stock so repurchased and (ii) the Market Price per share of
Common Stock on the trading day immediately preceding the first
public announcement by the Company or any of its Affiliates of
the intent to effect such Pro Rata Repurchase. In such event,
the Warrant Share Number shall be increased to the number
obtained by multiplying the Warrant Share Number immediately
prior to such adjustment by the quotient of (x) the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Pro Rata
Repurchase giving rise to this adjustment divided by
(y) the new Exercise Price determined in accordance with
the immediately preceding sentence. For the avoidance of doubt,
no increase to the Exercise Price or decrease in the Warrant
Share Number shall be made pursuant to this Section 12(c).
(d) Business Combinations or Reclassifications of
Common Stock. In case of any Business
Combination or reclassification of Common Stock (other than a
reclassification of Common Stock referred to in
Section 12(a)), a Warrantholder’s right to receive
Shares upon exercise of a Warrant shall be converted into the
right to exercise such Warrant to acquire the number of shares
of stock or other securities or property (including cash) which
the Common Stock issuable (at the time of such Business
Combination or reclassification) upon exercise of such Warrant
immediately prior to such Business Combination or
reclassification would have been entitled to receive upon
consummation of such Business Combination or reclassification;
and in any such case, if necessary, the provisions set forth
herein with respect to the rights and interests thereafter of
the Warrantholder shall be appropriately adjusted so as to be
applicable, as nearly as may reasonably be, to such
Warrantholder’s right to exercise a Warrant in exchange for
any shares of stock or other securities or property pursuant to
this paragraph. In determining the kind and amount of stock,
securities or the property receivable upon exercise of a Warrant
following the consummation of such Business Combination, if the
holders of Common Stock have the right to elect the kind or
amount of consideration receivable upon consummation of such
Business Combination, then the consideration that a
Warrantholder shall be entitled to receive upon exercise shall
be deemed to be the types and amounts of consideration received
by the majority of all holders of the shares of Common Stock
that affirmatively make an election (or of all such holders if
none make an election). For purposes of determining any amount
to be withheld pursuant to Section 3 from stock, securities
or the property that would otherwise be delivered to a
Warrantholder upon exercise of Warrants following any Business
Combination, the amount of such stock, securities or property to
be withheld shall have a Market Price equal to the aggregate
Exercise Price as to which such Warrants are so exercised, based
on the fair market value of such stock, securities or property
on the trading day on which such Warrants are exercised and the
Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Warrant Agent;
provided, that in the case of any property that is not a
security, the Market Price of such property shall be deemed to
be its fair market value as determined in
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good faith by the Board of Directors in reliance on an opinion
of a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm
retained by the Company for this purpose; and further
provided, that if making such determination requires the
conversion of any currency other than U.S. dollars into
U.S. dollars, such conversion shall be done in accordance
with customary procedures based on the rate for conversion of
such currency into U.S. dollars displayed on the relevant
page by Bloomberg L.P. (or any successor or replacement service)
on or by 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on such exercise
date.
(e) Rounding of Calculations; Minimum
Adjustments. All calculations under this
Section 12 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth (1/10th)
of a cent or to the nearest one-hundredth (1/100th) of a share,
as the case may be. Any provision of this Section 12 to the
contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Exercise Price or
the Warrant Share Number shall be made if the amount of such
adjustment would be less than $0.01 or one-tenth (1/10th) of a
share of Common Stock, but any such amount shall be carried
forward and an adjustment with respect thereto shall be made at
the time of and together with any subsequent adjustment which,
together with such amount and any other amount or amounts so
carried forward, shall aggregate $0.01 or 1/10th of a share
of Common Stock, or more, or on exercise of a Warrant if it
shall earlier occur.
(f) Timing of Issuance of Additional Common Stock
Upon Certain Adjustments. In any case in
which the provisions of this Section 12 shall require that
an adjustment shall become effective immediately after a record
date for an event, the Company may defer until the occurrence of
such event (i) issuing to a Warrantholder of Warrants
exercised after such record date and before the occurrence of
such event the additional shares of Common Stock issuable upon
such exercise by reason of the adjustment required by such event
over and above the shares of Common Stock issuable upon such
exercise before giving effect to such adjustment and
(ii) paying to such Warrantholder any amount of cash in
lieu of a fractional share of Common Stock; provided,
that the Company upon request shall deliver to such
Warrantholder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument
evidencing such Warrantholder’s right to receive such
additional shares, and such cash, upon the occurrence of the
event requiring such adjustment.
(g) Other Events. Neither the
Exercise Price or the Warrant Share Number shall be adjusted in
the event of a change in the par value of the Common Stock or a
change in the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company.
(h) Statement Regarding
Adjustments. Whenever the Exercise Price or
the Warrant Share Number shall be adjusted as provided in
Section 12, the Company shall forthwith file at the
principal office of the Company a statement showing in
reasonable detail the facts requiring such adjustment and the
Exercise Price that shall be in effect and the Warrant Share
Number after such adjustment. The Company shall deliver to the
Warrant Agent a copy of such statement and shall cause a copy of
such statement to be sent or communicated to the Warrantholders
pursuant to Section 19.
(i) Notice of Adjustment Event. In
the event that the Company shall propose to take any action of
the type described in this Section 12 (but only if the
action of the type described in this Section 12 would
result in an adjustment in the Exercise Price or the Warrant
Share Number or a change in the type of securities or property
to be delivered upon exercise of a Warrant), the Company shall
deliver to the Warrant Agent a notice and shall cause such
notice to be sent or communicated to the Warrantholders in the
manner set forth in Section 19, which notice shall specify
the record date, if any, with respect to any such action and the
approximate date on which such action is to take place. Such
notice shall also set forth the facts with respect thereto as
shall be reasonably necessary to indicate the effect on the
Exercise Price and the number, kind or class of shares or other
securities or property which shall be deliverable upon exercise
of a Warrant. In the case of any action which would require the
fixing of a record date, such notice shall be given at least
10 days prior to the date so fixed, and in case of all
other action, such notice shall be given at least 15 days
prior to the taking of such proposed action. Failure to give
such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the
legality or validity of any such action.
(j) Proceedings Prior to Any Action Requiring
Adjustment. As a condition precedent to the
taking of any action which would require an adjustment pursuant
to this Section 12, the Company shall take any action which
may be necessary, including obtaining regulatory, New York Stock
Exchange, NYSE Amex NASDAQ Stock Market or other applicable
national securities exchange or stockholder approvals or
exemptions, in order
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that the Company may thereafter validly and legally issue as
fully paid and nonassessable all Shares that a Warrantholder is
entitled to receive upon exercise of a Warrant pursuant to this
Section 12.
(k) Adjustment Rules. Any
adjustments pursuant to this Section 12 shall be made
successively whenever an event referred to herein shall occur.
If an adjustment in Exercise Price made hereunder would reduce
the Exercise Price to an amount below par value of the Common
Stock, then such adjustment in Exercise Price made hereunder
shall reduce the Exercise Price to the par value of the Common
Stock.
13. REDEMPTION.
(a) At any time at which the Market Price of a share of the
Company’s Common Stock has exceeded 150% of the Exercise
Price for at least sixty (60) consecutive days, the Company
may redeem all but not less than all of the outstanding Warrants
for no consideration by (i) providing public notice of such
redemption (with prompt written notice thereof to the Warrant
Agent) and (ii) mailing a written notice of redemption to
each Warrantholder at its last address as it appears on the
registry books of the Warrant Agent, in each case, on or after
the third business day after the day on which such
60-day
period ends (the date of such notice, the
“Redemption Notice Date”). Any notice
which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed
given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. The
failure to give notice required by this Section 13(a) or
any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of
the action taken by the Company.
(b) On the thirtieth (30th) day after the
Redemption Notice Date and without any further action and
without any notice, the right to exercise the Warrants will
terminate.
14. NO IMPAIRMENT. The Company
will not, by amendment of its Charter or through any
reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger,
dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary
action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of
any of the terms to be observed or performed hereunder by the
Company, but will at all times in good faith assist in the
carrying out of all the provisions of this Warrant Certificate
and in taking of all such action as may be necessary or
appropriate in order to protect the rights of the Warrantholder.
15. GOVERNING LAW. This Warrant
Certificate and the Warrants evidenced hereby shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely
within such State.
16. BINDING EFFECT; COUNTERSIGNATURE BY WARRANT
AGENT. This Warrant Certificate shall be
binding upon any successors or assigns of the Company. This
Warrant Certificate shall not be valid until an authorized
signatory of the Warrant Agent (as defined below) or its agent
as provided in the Warrant Agreement (as defined below)
countersigns this Warrant Certificate. Such signature shall be
solely for the purpose of authenticating this Warrant
Certificate and shall be conclusive evidence that this Warrant
Certificate has been countersigned under the Warrant Agreement.
17. WARRANT AGREEMENT;
AMENDMENTS. This Warrant Certificate is
issued under and in accordance with a Warrant Agreement dated as
of
[ ],
2010 (the “Warrant Agreement”), between the
Company and Illinois Stock Transfer Company (the
“Warrant Agent,” which term includes any
successor Warrant Agent under the Warrant Agreement), and is
subject to the terms and provisions contained in the Warrant
Agreement, to all of which terms and provisions the beneficial
owners of the Warrants and the Warrantholders consent by
acceptance hereof. The Warrant Agreement is hereby incorporated
herein by reference and made a part hereof. Reference is hereby
made to the Warrant Agreement for a statement of the respective
rights, limitations of rights, duties and obligations of the
Company, the Warrant Agent and the Warrantholders and beneficial
owners of the Warrants. A copy of the Warrant Agreement may be
obtained for inspection by the Warrantholders or beneficial
owners of the Warrants upon request to the Warrant Agent at the
address of the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent) set
forth in the Warrant Agreement. The Warrant Agreement and this
Warrant Certificate may be amended and the observance of any
term of the Warrant Agreement or this Warrant Certificate may be
waived only to the extent provided in the Warrant Agreement.
18. PROHIBITED ACTIONS.
The Company agrees that it will not take any action which would
entitle the Warrantholder to an adjustment of the Exercise Price
if the total number of shares of Common Stock issuable after
such action upon exercise of the
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Warrants evidenced by this Warrant Certificate, together with
all shares of Common Stock then outstanding and all shares of
Common Stock then issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding
options, warrants, conversion and other rights, would exceed the
total number of shares of Common Stock then authorized by its
Charter.
19. NOTICES. Unless this Warrant
Certificate is a Global Warrant, any notice or communication
mailed to the Warrantholder shall be mailed to the Warrantholder
at the Warrantholder’s address as it appears in the
Registry and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the
time prescribed. Any notice to holders of a beneficial interest
in a Global Warrant shall be distributed through the Depositary
in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary.
Communications to such holders shall be deemed to be effective
at the time of dispatch to the Depositary.
[Remainder
of page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant
Certificate to be duly executed by a duly authorized officer.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the
Warrant Agent.
Dated:
By: |
|
Name:
Title:
Countersigned:
ILLINOIS STOCK TRANSFER COMPANY
as Warrant Agent
By: |
|
Authorized Signatory
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Schedule A
to Global Warrant
The initial number of Warrants represented by the Global Warrant
is
[ ].
The following decreases in the number of Warrants represented by
this Global Warrant have been made as a result of the exercise
of certain Warrants represented by this Global Warrant:
Total Number of |
||||||||||||
Number of |
Warrants Represented |
|||||||||||
Date of Exercise of |
Warrants |
Hereby Following Such |
Notation Made by |
|||||||||
Warrants
|
Exercised | Exercise | Warrant Agent | |||||||||
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Form of
Notice of Exercise
(to be executed only upon exercise of Warrants)
Date:
TO: Mercantile Bancorp, Inc. (the
“Company”)
RE: Election to Purchase Common Stock
The undersigned registered holder
of
Warrants irrevocably elects to exercise the number of Warrants
set forth
below represented
by the Global Warrant (or, in the case of a Definitive Warrant,
the Warrant Certificate enclosed herewith), and surrenders all
right, title and interest in the number of Warrants exercised
hereby to the Company, and directs that the shares of Common
Stock or other securities or property delivered upon exercise of
such Warrants, and any interests in the Global Warrant or
Definitive Warrant representing unexercised Warrants, be
registered or placed in the name and at the address specified
below and delivered thereto.
Number of
Warrants
Holder:
By: |
|
Name: |
Title:
Signature guaranteed by (if a guarantee is required):
A-14
Securities
and/or check
to be issued to:
If in book-entry form through the Depositary:
Depositary Account Number: |
Name of Agent Member: |
If in definitive form:
Social Security Number or Other Identifying Number: |
Name: |
Street Address: |
City, State and Zip Code: |
Any unexercised Warrants evidenced by the exercising
Warrantholder’s interest in the Global Warrant or
Definitive Warrant, as the case may be, to be issued to:
If in book-entry form through the Depositary:
Depositary Account Number: |
Name of Agent Member: |
If in definitive form:
Social Security Number or Other Identifying Number: |
Name: |
Street Address: |
City, State and Zip Code: |
A-15
Form of
Assignment
For value received, the undersigned registered Warrantholder of
the within Warrant Certificate hereby sells, assigns and
transfers unto the Assignee(s) named below (including the
undersigned with respect to any Warrants constituting a part of
the Warrants evidenced by the within Warrant Certificate not
being assigned hereby) all of the right, title and interest of
the undersigned under the within Warrant Certificate with
respect to the number of Warrants set forth below.
Social Security |
||||||||||||
Number or other |
||||||||||||
Name of Assignees
|
Address | Number of Warrants | Identifying Number | |||||||||
and does irrevocably constitute and
appoint ,
the undersigned’s attorney, to make such transfer on the
books of the Company maintained for the purpose, with full power
of substitution in the premises.
Dated:
Holder: |
By: |
Name: |
Title: |
Signature guaranteed by (if a guarantee is required):
A-16