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EXHIBIT 1.1
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CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
and
NATIONAL CITY BANK
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of July 23, 1997
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Section 1. Certain Definitions...................................................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent...........................................................................5
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates...........................................................................5
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates............................................................................8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.....................................................................9
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.....................................................................10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights........................................11
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates...................................................12
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares.....................................................................13
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date........................................................................14
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights..................................14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares..........................................26
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power................................26
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.............................................................28
Section 15. Rights of Action....................................................................................29
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders..........................................................................30
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder...................................................31
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.........................................................................31
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent...........................................32
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent..............................................................................33
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent..............................................................................36
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates..................................................................37
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Section 23. Redemption..........................................................................................37
Section 24. Exchange............................................................................................38
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events............................................................................41
Section 26. Notices.............................................................................................42
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments..........................................................................43
Section 28. Successors..........................................................................................44
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement..........................................................................44
Section 30. Severability........................................................................................44
Section 31. Governing Law.......................................................................................45
Section 32. Counterparts........................................................................................45
Section 33. Descriptive Headings................................................................................45
Exhibit A - Form of Certificate of Designations
Exhibit B - Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C - Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of July 23, 1997, between Corrpro
Companies, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), and National City Bank
(the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized
and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for
each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on July
23, 1997 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and
subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and
directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall
become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution
Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are
hereinafter defined).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person,
shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of
20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but
shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding
Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an
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"Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by
the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding,
increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such
Person to 20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company
then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall,
after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner
of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall
be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person." Notwithstanding the foregoing,
if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that
a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person," as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become
such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable
a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed
to be an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or
indirectly;
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(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time or the fulfillment of a condition or
conditions or both) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with, between
and among the Company, underwriters and selling group members
with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or
upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights,
rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or
otherwise; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own,
securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer
made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are
accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the
Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if
the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent
given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent
solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the
Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor
report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any
of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary
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agreements with, between and among the Company, underwriters
and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to
Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the
Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial
Ownership to the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used
with reference to a Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the
Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and
outstanding together with the number of such securities not then
actually issued and outstanding which such Person would be deemed to
own beneficially hereunder.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in Cleveland, Ohio are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if
such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Cleveland,
Ohio time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company
shall mean the Common Shares, without par value, of the Company.
"Common Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the
Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the
greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is
a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately
control such first-mentioned Person.
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(g) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(h) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7 hereof.
(i) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or
other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise)
of such entity.
(j) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Shares, without par value, of the Company
having the rights and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate
of Amendment attached to this Agreement as EXHIBIT A.
(k) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(l) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(m) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or
other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting
equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly,
by such Person.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the
Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall, prior to the
Distribution Date, also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with
the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such
appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as
it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. (a) Until the earlier
of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as may be
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determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding
Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first
public announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result in any Person becoming the Beneficial Owner
of Common Shares aggregating 20% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares
(including any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to
the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to
as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares
registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates also shall be
deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y)
the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection
with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will
countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent
will, if requested, send) by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record
holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at
the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right
Certificate, in substantially the form of EXHIBIT B hereto (a "Right
Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held. As of the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
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(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter,
the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred
Shares, in substantially the form of EXHIBIT C hereto (the "Summary of Rights"),
by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as
of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown
on the records of the Company. As soon as practicable after the date of this
Agreement, the Company shall file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
the full text of this Agreement and a summary thereof, which summary shall be in
substantially the form of EXHIBIT C hereto. With respect to certificates for
Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the
holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto.
Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final
Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common
Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of
Rights attached thereto, also shall constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding
(including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last
sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest
of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall
have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between
Corrpro Companies, Inc. and National City Bank, as Rights
Agent, dated as of July 23, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), the
terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and
a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices
of Corrpro Companies, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set
forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced
by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by
this
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certificate. Corrpro Companies, Inc. will mail to the holder
of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without
charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under
certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement,
Rights issued to any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person
(as defined in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing
legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common
Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates
alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate also shall
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any
Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any
Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired
so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with
the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend
shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights
of any holder of the Rights.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The Right Certificates
(and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be
printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form set forth in
EXHIBIT B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and
such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement,
or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-
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hundredth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the
number of such one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price
shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION. The Right
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the
Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents,
or its Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile
signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof,
and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company,
either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be
manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have
signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to
be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for
registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books
shall show the names and addresses of the respective
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holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by
each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF
RIGHT CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of
Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on
the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing
Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have
been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered
then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to
transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right
Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent,
and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the
Rights Agent. Thereupon, the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the
person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case
may be, as so requested. The Company, as a condition precedent thereto, may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that
may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or
exchange of Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the
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Company's request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all
reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent
and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make
and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for
delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost,
stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE
OF RIGHTS. (a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the
Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof
duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office of the Rights Agent,
together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the
earliest of (i) the Close of Business on July 23, 2007 (the "Final Expiration
Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23
hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at which such Rights are
exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially
be $75.00, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Section 11 or 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United
States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and
an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder
of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified
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check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the
Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to
be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to
comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent
depositary receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the
Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer
agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary
agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates
or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of
the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after
receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right
Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised
shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right
Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split
up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of
its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled
form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it,
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and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly
permitted by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall
deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights
Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or
acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights
Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at
the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Right Certificates,
and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the
Company.
Section 9. AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED SHARES. The Company
covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available
500,000 Preferred Shares out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or
any Preferred Shares held in its treasury. The Company covenants and agrees that
it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred
Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the
certificates for such Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase
Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable shares.
The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates
or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of
any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred
Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right
Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver
any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise
of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being
payable by
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the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has
been established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is
due.
Section 10. PREFERRED SHARES RECORD DATE. Each person in whose
name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights
shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the
Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated,
the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer
taxes) was made; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company
are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such
shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day
on which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to
the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate
shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which
the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to
vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive
rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of
the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR
NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the
date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in
Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Shares into a
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smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock
in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital
stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the
aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had
been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred
Shares transfer books of the Company were open, he or she would have owned upon
such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
subdivision, combination or reclassification; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no
event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less
than the aggregate par value, if any, of the shares of capital stock of the
Company issuable upon exercise of one Right
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event
that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall
thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to
the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement, and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of
Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and (y) dividing that
product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company's
Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
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on the date of the occurrence of such event. In the event that any Person shall
become an Acquiring Person and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company
shall not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights.
From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that
are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void and any holder of
such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any
provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to
Section 3 that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose
Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or
Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the
transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void
pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to
any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right
Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person
whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be canceled.
(iii) The right to buy Common Shares of the Company pursuant
to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (a) shall not arise as a result of any
Person becoming an Acquiring Person through a purchase of Common Shares pursuant
to a tender offer made in the manner prescribed by Section 14(d) of the Exchange
Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that (A) such tender offer shall provide for the acquisition for cash of all of
the outstanding Common Shares held by any Person other than such Person and its
Affiliates and Associates, and (B) such purchase shall cause such Person,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, to be the Beneficial
Owner of 80% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
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(iv) Whenever the Company shall become obligated under this
Section 11(a) to issue Common Shares upon the exercise of Rights, the Company,
at its option, may substitute therefor a number of Preferred Shares or fraction
thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share
multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market
price of one Common Share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of
the date of such exercise. In the event that there shall not be sufficient
Common Shares and Preferred Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but
unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall take such action it may consider
reasonable in order to authorize sufficient additional shares for issuance upon
exercise of the Rights (provided that the Company shall be under no obligation
to seek shareholder approval or take any other extraordinary action in order to
authorize additional shares). In the event that the Company shall, after good
faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
such additional shares, the Company shall take such action as shall be necessary
to ensure and provide, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any
agreements or instruments in effect as of the date of such action to which the
Company is a party, that there shall be substituted for one Common Share
issuable in accordance with subparagraph (ii) upon exercise of the Right and
payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) debt or equity securities of the
Company, (2) other assets, including cash, (3) a reduction in Purchase Price or
(4) any combination of the foregoing, having a fair value (as determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) equal to the current per share
market price of one Common Share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
as of the date of such exercise. The Board of Directors may, but shall not be
required to, establish procedures to
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allocate the right to receive Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares upon the
exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant to this Section
11(a)(iv).
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having
the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares ("equivalent
preferred shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or
equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent
preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security
convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the
then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in
Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the
number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so
to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator
of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date
plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred
shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible
securities so to be offered are initially convertible); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value, if any, of the shares of capital stock of the
Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may
be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than
cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
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determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be
deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment
shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the
event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase
Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect
if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any
such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred
to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences
of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such
current per share market price of the Preferred Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value, if any, of the shares of capital stock of the
Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever
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such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so
made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current per share market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose
of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall, subject to subparagraph (ii) below,
be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such
Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter
defined) immediately prior to such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event
that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a
period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a
dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or
securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days
after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date
for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such
case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to
reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The
closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in
case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is
listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted
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price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in
the over the counter market, as reported by the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("Nasdaq") or such other
system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any
such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished
by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on
which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed
or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the
Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in
accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred
Shares are not publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the
Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market
price of the Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
(appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If
neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so
listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value per
share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required
unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in
the Purchase Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations
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under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or
security as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section
11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than
the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires
such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any
Rights.
(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled
to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred
Shares, then thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a
manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with
respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c),
inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the
Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number
of one one-hundredths of a
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Preferred Share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y)
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the
Purchase Price and (B) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in
effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution
for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after
such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The
Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of
Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the
time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date
on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right
Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of
the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each
adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company
shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record
of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, the
additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such
adjustment, subject to Section 14 hereof, or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement
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for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment,
and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in
the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued
may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates
issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredth of the then par value, if
any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company
shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of
the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if
any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company shall
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deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing
such holder's right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the
event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine
to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred
Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the
current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities
which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares,
dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by
the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such
shareholders.
(n) In the event that, at any time after the date of this
Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or
pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (A) the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event
upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number
of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to
such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the
number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each
Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with
respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share outstanding
immediately prior to such event had
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issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n)
shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such
a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER
OF SHARES. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13
hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common
Shares or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief
summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section
25 hereof.
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF
ASSETS OR EARNING POWER. In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after
a Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall consolidate with,
or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall consolidate with
the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such
merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for
stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any
other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly owned
Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so
that (i) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal
to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one
one-hundredths
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of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of
Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto
or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (A)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and (B) dividing that
product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares
of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date
of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer
of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and
duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall
thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take
such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient
number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection
with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof
shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to
the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The
Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company
shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13
if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments
or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result
of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially
diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of
this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or
sales or other transfers.
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Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES. (a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute
Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole
Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a
whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been
otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price,
regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of
the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights
are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over the counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use
or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of
the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the
Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
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(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share).
Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a
depositary selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the
holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and
preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred
Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred
Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at
the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the
purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share
shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent
under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the
Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders
of the Common Shares as rightsholders); and any registered holder of any
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Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares),
without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in
his or her own behalf and for his or her own benefit, enforce, and may institute
and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or
otherwise act in respect of, his or her right to exercise the Rights evidenced
by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and
in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to
the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of
Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement
and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of
any Person subject to, this Agreement.
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of a
Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the
Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed
or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the
person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced
thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Right
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Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes
whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER.
No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT. The Company agrees to
pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration
and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this
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Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability in the premises.
The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right
Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for
other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by
the proper person or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set
forth in Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF
RIGHTS AGENT. Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto; provided, that such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed
to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been
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countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates
shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this
Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights
Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that
any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to
taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed)
may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by any one of
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the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President,
any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and
delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in
good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance
upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company
and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement
or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or
be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals
are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery
hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except
its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any
breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this
Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for
any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights
becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment
in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount
thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such
change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such change or
adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to
make any representation or
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warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares
to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as
to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed,
acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments
and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for
the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of
this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties
hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief
Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or
the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice
or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be
liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in
accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in
acting while waiting for those instructions.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights
or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract
with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely
as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein
shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for
the Company or for any other legal entity.
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39
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder
either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights
Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default,
neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss
to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or
misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and
continued employment thereof.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
30 days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights
Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or
Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint
a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or
after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the
resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate
(who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the
Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any
court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court,
shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United
States or any State thereof, which is authorized
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40
under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is
subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which
has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and
surplus of at least $50 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if
it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but
the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to
the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the
contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or
class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. REDEMPTION. (a) The Board of Directors of the
Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes
an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding
Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right,
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41
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). The redemption of the Rights
by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and
with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a)
of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity
of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of
redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior
to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the
Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other
than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and
other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the
Distribution Date.
Section 24. EXCHANGE. (a) The Board of Directors of the
Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, exchange all or part of the
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then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for
Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred
to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any
Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common
Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or
more of the Common Shares then outstanding. From and after the occurrence of an
event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have not
been exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall thereafter be exercisable
only in accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this
Section 24(a). The exchange of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made
effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of
Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of
the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to
the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such
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43
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for
Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of
Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata
based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant
to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) Whenever the Company shall become obligated under this
Section 24 to issue Common Shares in exchange for Rights, the Company, at its
option, may substitute therefor a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof
such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied
by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one
Common Share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of
such exchange of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof. In the event that
there shall not be sufficient Common Shares or Preferred Shares issued but not
outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as
contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such
action as it may consider reasonable to authorize sufficient additional shares
for issuance upon exchange of the Rights (provided that the Company shall be
under no obligation to seek shareholder approval or take any other extraordinary
action in order to authorize more shares). In the event the Company shall, after
good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to
authorize such additional shares, the Company shall take such action as shall be
necessary to ensure and provide, to the extent permitted by applicable law and
any agreements or instruments in effect as of the date of such action to which
the Company is a party, that each Right shall thereafter constitute the right to
receive (1) debt or
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44
equity securities, (2) other assets, including cash or (3) a combination
thereof, having a fair value (as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company) equal to the current per share market price of one
Common Share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of
such exchange. The Board of Directors may, but shall not be required to,
establish procedures to allocate the right to receive Common Shares and/or
Preferred Shares upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights
pursuant to this Section 24(c).
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common
Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the
purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share
shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the
second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS. (a) In case the Company
shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in shares of any class to the
holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders
of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to
offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for
or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its
Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision
of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger
into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or
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45
more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more
transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and
its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares),
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right
Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock
dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, if any such
date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date
for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and
in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the
taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the
holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the
earlier.
(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event
and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
Certificate to or on the
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Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights
Agent) as follows:
Corrpro Companies, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
National City Bank
0000 Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. The Company may from
time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or
supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent
with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions with respect
to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any such
supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and
the Rights Agent; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that from and after such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner
which would adversely
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47
affect the interests of the holders of Rights. Without limiting the foregoing,
the Company may at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person amend this Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in
Sections 1(a) and 3(a) to not less than the greater of (i) the sum of .001% and
the largest percentage of the outstanding Common Shares then known by the
Company to be beneficially owned by any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant
to the terms of any such plan) and (ii) 10%.
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of
this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall
bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns
hereunder.
Section 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of
the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of the
Common Shares as rightsholders).
Section 30. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
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48
Section 31. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Ohio and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State, without regard to conflicts of
laws principles.
Section 32. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall
not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first
above written.
Attest: CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
------------------------------ ---------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxx Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: General Counsel and Title: Senior Vice President,
Assistant Secretary Chief Financial Officer,
Secretary and Treasurer
Attest: NATIONAL CITY BANK
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------------ ---------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President Title: Vice President
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Exhibit A
---------
FORM
OF
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO
AMENDED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
The undersigned, being the Secretary of Corrpro Companies, Inc., an
Ohio corporation (the "Company"), hereby certifies that at a meeting of the
Board of Directors called and held on the 23rd day of July, 1997, the following
resolution was adopted pursuant to Section 1701.70(B)(1) of the Ohio General
Corporation Law:
RESOLVED FURTHER, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Ohio General
Corporation Law, as amended, and by Article FOURTH of the Company's
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Amended Articles
of Incorporation"), such Article FOURTH is amended to add a new
paragraph (c) providing for a series of Serial Preferred Shares,
without par value, of the Company, and that the designation and the
authorized number of shares of, and the relative rights, preferences,
and limitations of, such series shall be as set forth on ANNEX A
hereto.
EXECUTED this ___ day of _____________, 1997.
-------------------------------------
Secretary
A-1
51
Annex A
-------
(c) Series A Junior Participating Preferred Shares:
(1) DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Shares" (the "Series A
Preferred Shares") and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred
Shares shall be 500,000.
(2) Dividends and Distributions.
---------------------------
(i) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any
class of preferred shares ranking prior and superior to the Series A
Preferred Shares with respect to dividends, the holders of Series A
Preferred Shares, in preference to the holders of Common Shares,
without par value (the "Common Shares"), of the Corporation, and of any
other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if
declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for
that purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of
March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being
referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing
on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance
of a share or fraction of a Series A Preferred Share, in an amount per
share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1 or
(b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100
times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100
times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash
dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in
Common Shares or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Shares (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common
Shares since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since
the first issuance of any share or fraction of Series A Preferred
Shares. In the event that the Corporation shall at any time declare or
pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or
effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding
shares of Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number
of Common Shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of
Series A Preferred Shares were entitled immediately prior to such event
under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(ii) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series A Preferred Shares as provided in paragraph (i) of this
Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the
Common Shares (other than a dividend payable in Common Shares);
provided that, in the event that no dividend or distribution shall have
been declared on the Common Shares during the period between any
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of
A-2
52
$1 per share on the Series A Preferred Shares shall nevertheless be
payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(iii) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding Series A Preferred Shares from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless
the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such
shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a
date after the record date for the determination of holders of Series A
Preferred Shares entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before
such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the Series A Preferred Shares in an amount
less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and
payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share
basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of
Series A Preferred Shares entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than
60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
(3) VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of Series A Preferred Shares shall have
the following voting rights:
(i) Each Series A Preferred Share shall entitle the holder
thereof to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the
shareholders of the Corporation. The holders of fractional Series A
Preferred Shares shall not be entitled to any vote on any matter
submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation.
(ii) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Amended
Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, in any other Certificate
of Amendment creating a series of Serial Preferred Shares or any
similar stock, or by law, the holders of Series A Preferred Shares and
the holders of Common Shares and any other capital stock of the
Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one
class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the
Corporation.
(iii) Except as set forth herein, in the Amended Articles of
Incorporation of the Corporation, or as otherwise provided by law,
holders of Series A Preferred Shares shall have no special voting
rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent
they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Shares as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
(4) Certain Restrictions.
--------------------
(i) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Shares as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on
A-3
53
Series A Preferred Shares outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:
(a) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of any class ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Preferred Shares;
(b) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of any class ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) with the Series A Preferred Shares, except
dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Shares and
all such shares ranking on a parity with the Series A
Preferred Shares on which dividends are payable or in arrears
in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all
such shares are then entitled;
(c) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any class ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to
the Series A Preferred Shares, provided that the Corporation
may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares
of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock
of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Shares; or
(d) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any Series A Preferred Shares, or any shares of
any class ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred
Shares, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in
writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of
Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as
the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective
annual dividend rates and other relative rights and
preferences of the respective series and classes, shall
determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable
treatment among the respective series or classes.
(ii) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph
(i) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at
such time and in such manner.
(5) REACQUIRED SHARES. Any Series A Preferred Shares purchased or
otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired
and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon
their cancellation become authorized but unissued Serial Preferred Shares and
may be reissued as part of a new series of Serial Preferred Shares subject to
the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Amended
Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Amendment creating a
series of Serial Preferred Shares or any similar class of shares or as otherwise
required by law.
A-4
54
(6) LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. Upon any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (1)
to the holders of shares of any class ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Shares,
including the Common Shares, unless, prior thereto, the holders of Series A
Preferred Shares shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to
accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared,
to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of Series A Preferred
Shares shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to
the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the
aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Shares, or (2)
to the holders of shares of any class ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
Preferred Shares, except distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred
Shares and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the
holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or
winding up. In the event that the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or effect a
subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in Common Shares)
into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in each such case the
aggregate amount to which holders of Series A Preferred Shares were entitled
immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after
such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(7) CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall enter
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the
Common Shares are exchanged for or changed into other shares or securities, cash
and/or any other property, then in any such case each Series A Preferred Share
shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per
share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to
100 times the aggregate amount of shares, securities, cash and/or any other
property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each
Common Share is changed or exchanged. In the event that the Corporation shall at
any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common
Shares, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the
outstanding Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a
dividend in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares,
then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with
respect to the exchange or change of Series A Preferred Shares shall be adjusted
by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number
of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(8) NO REDEMPTION. The Series A Preferred Shares shall not be
redeemable.
(9) RANK. The Series A Preferred Shares shall rank, with respect to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, on a parity with any other
series of Serial Preferred
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Shares and shall rank junior to any series of any other class of preferred
shares of the Corporation which by its terms is senior to the Serial Preferred
Shares.
(10) AMENDMENT. Subject to the provisions of Article FOURTH of the
Amended Articles of Incorporation, the Amended Articles of Incorporation and the
Code of Regulations of the Corporation shall not be amended, altered or repealed
in any manner which would affect adversely the voting powers or any other rights
or preferences of the holders of the Series A Preferred Shares so as to affect
them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a
majority of the outstanding Series A Preferred Shares, voting together as a
single class.
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Exhibit B
---------
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R-_____ __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JULY 23, 2007 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION
OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND
TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
This certifies that ____________________, or registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each
of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of July 23, 1997 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between Corrpro Companies, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the
"Company"), and National City Bank (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on July 23, 2007
at the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor
as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid nonassessable Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Share, without par value, of the Company (the "Preferred
Shares"), at a purchase price of $75.00 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right
Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth
above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price
as of _____________, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of
the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and
conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof
and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of
the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder
of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of
the Company and the above mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right
Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be
exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and
date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number
of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Right Certificate shall
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be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender
hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole
Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a
redemption price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part
for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company's Common Shares, without par
value.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred
Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of ____________________.
ATTEST: CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
By: By:
------------------------------ ----------------------------
Name: Name:
------------------- ----------------------
Title: Title:
------------------ ---------------------
Countersigned:
NATIONAL CITY BANK
By:
-----------------------------
Name:
--------------------
Title:
-------------------
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[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _____________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto
-------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ____________________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated:
-------------------
Signature Guaranteed: ----------------------------------
Signature
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered
national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States.
................................................................................
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
----------------------------------
Signature
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
To: CORRPRO COMPANIES, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable
upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such
Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
-------------------------------------------------------
Address:
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
Please insert social security or other identifying
number:
-------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
-------------------------------------------------------
Address:
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
Please insert social security or other identifying
number:
-------------------------------------------------------
Dated:
-----------------------
--------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered
national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or
correspondent in the United States.
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60
Form of Reverse Side of Certificate -- continued
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
----------------------------------------
Signature
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to
Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face
of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, then the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner
of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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61
EXHIBIT C
---------
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED SHARES
On July 23, 1997, the Board of Directors of Corrpro Companies,
Inc. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right
(a "Right") for each outstanding common share, without par value (the "Common
Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable on August 7, 1997 (the "Record
Date") to the shareholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Share, without par value (the "Preferred
Shares"), of the Company at a price of $75 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description and terms
of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement")
between the Company and National City Bank, as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") have acquired beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person
or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the
commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or
exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person or group of 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares
(the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights
will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates
outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate with a copy
of this Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution
Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be
transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date
(or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share
certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of
Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of
the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation or a copy of this
Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the transfer of
the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As
soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates
evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record
of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and
such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date.
The Rights will expire on July 23, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless
the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed
or exchanged by the Company, in each case, as described below.
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The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares
or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Preferred Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of
certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a
price, or securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price,
less than the then current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon
the distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or
retained earnings or dividends payable in Preferred Shares) or of subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are
also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or
a stock dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will
not be redeemable. Each Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum
preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1 per share but will be entitled to
an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per Common Share. In
the event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled
to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $100 per share but will be
entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per Common Share.
Each Preferred Share will have one vote and will vote together with the Common
Shares. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction
in which Common Shares are exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to
receive 100 times the amount received per Common Share. These rights are
protected by customary antidilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares' dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a
Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the
value of one Common Share.
In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other
business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or
earning power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person,
proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter
have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current
exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the
acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a market value
of two times the exercise price of the Right. In the event that any person or
group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, (unless
such person first acquires 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares by a
purchase pursuant to a tender offer for all of the Common Shares for cash, which
purchase increases such person's beneficial ownership to 80% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares), proper provision shall be made so that each holder
of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which
will thereafter be void), will
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63
thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise that number of Common Shares
having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring
Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of
the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will
have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common
Share, or one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share or of a share of a class or
series of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences
and privileges (or, if there are not sufficient Common Shares and Preferred
Shares available, such amount of debt or equity securities or other assets
having a fair value, as determined by the Board of Directors, equal to the
current per share market price of one Common Share), per Right (subject to
adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price
will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least
1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other
than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preferred Shares as determined under the Rights Agreement.
At any time prior to the acquisition by a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the
Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption
Price"). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time on such
basis with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to
receive the Redemption Price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of
Directors of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights,
including an amendment to lower certain thresholds described above to not less
than the greater of (i) the sum of .001% and the largest percentage of the
outstanding Common Shares then known to the Company to be beneficially owned by
any person or group of affiliated or associated persons and (ii) 10%, except
that from and after such time as any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person no such amendment may adversely affect the
interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on
Form 8-A to be dated August 7, 1997. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available
free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not
purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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