SANDISK CORPORATION
and
XXXXXX TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of April 18, 1997
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions........................................................................... 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent................................................................... 5
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates................................................................... 6
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.................................................................... 7
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration............................................................. 8
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.................................................. 8
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights................................. 9
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates............................................ 10
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares.............................................................. 10
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date.................................................................. 12
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights............................ 12
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.................................... 20
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.......................... 21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares....................................................... 22
Section 15. Rights of Action.............................................................................. 24
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders.................................................................... 24
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder............................................. 25
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent................................................................... 25
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent..................................... 25
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent........................................................................ 26
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent........................................................................ 28
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates............................................................ 29
Section 23. Redemption.................................................................................... 30
Section 24. Exchange...................................................................................... 31
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events...................................................................... 33
Section 26. Notices....................................................................................... 33
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.................................................................... 34
Section 28. Successors.................................................................................... 35
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.......................................... 35
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.................................................................... 35
Section 31. Severability.................................................................................. 35
Section 32. Governing Law................................................................................. 36
Section 33. Counterparts.................................................................................. 36
Section 34. Descriptive Headings.......................................................................... 36
Exhibit A - Form of Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock of SanDisk Corporation
Exhibit B - Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C - Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Rights Agreement, dated as of April 18, 1997, between SanDisk
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Xxxxxx Trust and
Savings Bank, a national banking association (the "Rights Agent").
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 as of the Close
of Business (as hereinafter defined) on April 28, 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 or the Final
Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions1. Certain Definitions. For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates
(as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial
Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the Common Shares
of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include (1) the Company, any
Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or (2)
Seagate Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Permitted Investor"), or
any of its Affiliates or Associates (collectively with the Permitted Investor,
the "Investor Group") to the extent that the members of the Investor Group shall
beneficially own in the aggregate up to, but not exceeding, 25% of the Total
Combined Voting Power (as such term is defined in the Series F Preferred Stock
Purchase Agreement dated January 15, 1993 between the Company and the Permitted
Investor (the "Seagate Agreement")) of the Voting Securities (as such term is
defined in the Seagate Agreement) then outstanding in a manner not in
contravention of the terms of the Seagate Agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing:
(i) The exception set forth in clause (2) of this
paragraph (a) shall not apply to any acquisition by the members of the
Investor Group of Voting Securities if such acquisition shall cause the
Investor Group to become the Beneficial Owner of more than 25% of the
Total Combined Voting Power of the Voting Securities in the aggregate,
except as provided below;
1.
(ii) no Person shall become an "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 15% or more of
the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding (or, in the case of
the Investor Group, more than 25% of the Total Combined Voting Power of
the Voting Securities then outstanding); provided, however, that if a
Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common
Shares of the Company then outstanding (or, in the case of the Investor
Group, more than 25% of the Total Combined Voting Power of the Voting
Securities 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
(or, in the case of the members of the Investor Group, become the
Beneficial Owner of any additional Voting Securities), then such Person
shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person". Notwithstanding any
provision to the contrary in this Agreement, (A) the members of the
Investor Group may increase their beneficial ownership in excess of 25%
of the Total Combined Voting Power of the Voting Securities in the
aggregate if and to the extent that such increase has been approved by
a majority of the Continuing Directors, in which case the members of
the Investor Group shall not be deemed an "Acquiring Person" hereunder,
and (B) no amendment shall be made to this definition without the
consent of the Permitted Investor if the effect of such amendment would
be to reduce the aggregate percentage ownership of the Total Combined
Voting Power of the Voting Securities that the Investor Group would be
permitted to beneficially own at any time without being deemed an
"Acquiring Person" hereunder;
(iii) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines
(upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors (as such term
is hereinafter defined)) in good faith that a Person who would
otherwise be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a), is eligible to file and did file a
Schedule 13G, 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 purpose of this Agreement; and
(iv) no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" if the
transaction or series of related transactions in which such Person
(together with all Affiliates or Associates of such Person) became the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company
then outstanding had received prior approval of a majority of the
Continuing Directors; provided, that in the event a Person is not an
Acquiring Person by reason of this clause (iii) of this Section 1(a),
such Person shall become an Acquiring Person in the event such Person
thereafter acquires Beneficial Ownership of any additional Common
Shares, unless such acquisition of such additional Common Shares would
not result in such Person becoming an Acquiring Person by reason by any
provision of this Agreement, including, without limitation, this clause
(iii) of this Section 1(a).
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to
2.
such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
Act (as such term is hereinafter defined).
(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;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to
any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary
agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with
respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the
Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however that a
Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially
own, (1) 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 (2) securities which a Person or any Person's Affiliates
or Associates may be deemed to have the right to acquire pursuant to
any merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and such
Person (or one or more of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) if
such agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the
Company, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Continuing
Directors, prior to there being an Acquiring Person; 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 agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide
public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section
1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of 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
3.
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 the State of California or the
state in which the principal office of the Rights Agent is located are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Company" shall have the meaning set forth in the first
paragraph at the beginning of this Agreement.
(f) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., San Francisco, California time, on such date; provided, however, that if
such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., San Francisco,
California time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company
shall mean the shares of common stock, $.001 par value, of the Company. "Common
Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean
the capital stock (or other equity interest) with the greatest voting power of
such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person,
the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(h) "common stock equivalents" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iv) hereof.
(i) "Continuing Director" shall mean (i) any person who is a
member of the Board of Directors of the Company, while such person is a member
of the Board of Directors, who is not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative or agent of an Acquiring
Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate, and who was a member of the Board
of Directors prior to the date of this Agreement, or (ii) any person who
subsequently becomes a member of the Board of Directors and who, while such
person is a member of the Board of Directors, is not an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative or agent of
an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate, if such Person's
nomination for election or such Person's election to the Board of Directors is
recommended or approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors then on the
Board of Directors.
(j) "current per share market price" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(k) "Current Value" shall have the respective meanings set
forth in Section 11(a)(iv) hereof and Section 24 hereof.
(l) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(m) "equivalent preferred shares" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
4.
(n) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(o) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 24 hereof.
(p) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7 hereof.
(q) "issuer" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13
hereof.
(r) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or
other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such
entity.
(s) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Shares, $0.001 par value, of the Company having the
rights and preferences set forth in the Form of Certificate of Designations
attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A.
(t) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4 hereof.
(u) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
second paragraph at the beginning of this Agreement.
(v) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(w) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23 hereof.
(x) "Right" shall have the meaning set forth in the second
paragraph at the beginning of this Agreement.
(y) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(z) "Rights Agent" shall have the meaning set forth in the
first paragraph at the beginning of this Agreement.
(aa) "Securities Act" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 9 hereof.
(bb) "Security" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
(cc) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange
Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become
such.
(dd) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iv) hereof.
5.
(ee) "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.
(ff) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iv) hereof.
(gg) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(hh) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent2. Appointment of Rights
Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the
Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent
hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such
co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates3. Issue of Right
Certificates. (a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares
Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth business day (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors (upon approval by a majority of
the Continuing 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 15% 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 shall also be
deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y)
the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection
with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Company will notify the Rights Agent thereof and the
Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested,
send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of
Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate,
in substantially the form of Exhibit 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.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter,
the Company will
6.
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. 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, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Shares represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding
(including, without limitation, 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 SanDisk Corporation and
Xxxxxx Trust and Savings Bank, dated as of April 18,
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
SanDisk Corporation. Under certain circumstances, as
set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be
evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer
be evidenced by this certificate. SanDisk Corporation
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 shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In
the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the
Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall
not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which
are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates4. 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 the same as Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of
identification or
7.
designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the
Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of
this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with
any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of
any stock exchange or transaction reporting system 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-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 Registration5.Countersignature
and Registration. The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President, any of its Vice Presidents,
or its Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer, 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 its office designated for such purpose, books for
registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books
shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right
Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right
Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of
Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates6.
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 (or other
securities or property) 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
8.
writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate
or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the
office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Right
Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The
Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental
charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up,
combination or exchange of Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights. (a)
Except as provided in Section 23(c), 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
and certification on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent
at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with
payment of the 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 April 28, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at
which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption
Date"), (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section
24 hereof, or (iv) the consummation of any merger or other acquisition involving
the Company pursuant to an agreement described in Section 1(c)(ii)(A)(2) hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $65.00,
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and
13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America
in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the 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
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 a depositary agent
properly appointed by the Company 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
9.
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.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares
or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares
that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights
in accordance with this Section 7.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form
of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right
Certificates8.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 cancelled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such
case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares9. Availability of
Preferred Shares. (a) The company covenants and agrees that it will use its best
efforts to cause to be reserved and kept available out of and to the extent of
its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another
purpose (and, following the occurrence of an event described in Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a), out of its
10.
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities), the
number of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of any such event,
Common Stock and/or other securities) that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) If the Preferred Shares (or, following the occurrence of
an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a), the Common Shares
and/or other securities) are at any time listed on a national securities
exchange or included for quotation on any transaction reporting system, then so
long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of any such event,
Common Shares and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon exercise of
the Rights may be listed on such exchange or included for quotation on any such
transaction reporting system, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause,
from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the
extent that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all
shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange or included for
quotation on any such transaction reporting system upon official notice of
issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as
soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of an
event described in Section 11(a)(ii) in which the consideration to be delivered
by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance
with Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the
Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii)
cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no
longer exercisable for such securities or (B) the date of expiration of the
Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period not to exceed ninety
(90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this
Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such
registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating, and notify
the Rights Agent, that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement and notification to the Rights Agent
at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company will also
take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the
securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the
exercisability of the Rights. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to
the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction, unless
the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained, or an
exemption therefrom shall be available and until a registration statement has
been declared effective.
(d) 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.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay
when due and
11.
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 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 Date10. 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 Rights11. 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 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, such holder would have
owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such
dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that
in no event
12.
shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than
the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon exercise of one Right. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment
under both Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for
in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the
event 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 dividing (x)
the product obtained by multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable, by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the
Company's Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the
date of the occurrence of such event. Except as provided in Section 23(c), 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.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of an event in which any Person shall become
an Acquiring Person, any Rights beneficially owned by (A) an Acquiring Person or
an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (B) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (C) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (1) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (2) a transfer which the Board of Directors, upon approval by a
majority of the Continuing Directors, has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 11(a)(ii), shall become null and void without any
further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever
with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. 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 cancelled. The Company
shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section
11(a)(ii) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Right
Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure to make any
determinations with respect to an Acquiring person or its Affiliates, Associates
or transferees hereunder.
13.
(iii) The right to buy Common Shares of the Company
pursuant to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (a) shall not arise if the event
causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person (A) is a consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer or similar transaction subject to Section 13 hereof, or
(B) is an acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or an
exchange offer for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms
determined by at least a majority of the Continuing Directors, and after
receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms, to be (1) at a price
which is fair to stockholders (taking into account all factors which such
members of the Board of Directors deem relevant including, without limitation,
prices which could reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold
in an orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (2) otherwise in the
best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
(iv) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if the Board of Directors of the
Company, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, determines
that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the interest of
holders of Rights (and, in the event that the number of Common Shares which are
authorized by the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the
Rights, or if any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance has not been
obtained by the Company, the Company shall): (A) determine the excess of (1) the
value of the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current
Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess being referred to as the
"Spread") and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to
substitute for such Common Shares, upon exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares or units of shares of any series of
preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company, upon approval by a
majority of the Continuing Directors, has deemed to have the same value as
Common Shares (such shares or units of shares of preferred stock are herein
called "common stock equivalents")), except to the extent that the Company has
not obtained any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance, (4) debt
securities of the Company, except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance, (5) other assets
or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the
Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of
Directors of the Company, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors, based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking
firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company, upon approval by a
majority of the Continuing Directors; provided, however, if the Company shall
not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above
within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of an event described in
Section 11(a)(ii), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the
surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase
Price, Common Shares (to the extent available), except to the extent that the
Company has not obtained any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance,
and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value
equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors, upon approval by a majority of
the Continuing Directors, shall determine in good faith that it is likely that
sufficient additional Common Shares could be
14.
authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights or that any
necessary regulatory approval for such issuance will be obtained, the thirty
(30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not
more than ninety (90) days after the occurrence of an event described in Section
11(a)(ii), in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the
authorization of such additional shares or take action to obtain such regulatory
approval (such period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the
extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to
the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iv), the Company (x)
shall provide that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights
held by holders entitled to receive Common Shares or other securities or
property upon exercise of such Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of
the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional shares, to take any action to obtain any required
regulatory approval and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the
event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect and shall promptly notify the Rights Agent of such suspension. For
purposes of this Section 11(a)(iv), the value of the Common Shares shall be the
current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
of the Common Shares at the Close of Business on the date of the occurrence of
one of the events described in Section 11(a)(ii) and the value of any "common
stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on
such date.
(b) In the event that the Company shall fix a record date for
the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record
date) 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). In case such
subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be
in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, upon approval
by a majority of the Continuing Directors, whose determination shall be
described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the
Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or
15.
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, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors, 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. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be
the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d) (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 be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (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 thirty (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 Nasdaq
National Market ("Nasdaq") or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to
trading on the Nasdaq, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices
16.
in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the 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, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the
Security, the "current per share market price" of such Security on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company as provided
for above shall be used. 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, upon
approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, 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 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, 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, 13 and 14 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.
17.
(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 dividing (i) the product
obtained by multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a 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 by, (ii) 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, subject
to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall
cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued,
executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be
registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the
record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-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
18.
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 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
stockholders.
(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 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 Shares12.Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever
an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the Company
shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a
brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the
Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the Preferred
Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary
19.
thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25
hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure by the Company to
make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of or
the force or effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent
shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such
adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets
or Earning Power. (a) Except as provided in Section 13(b) hereof, in the event,
directly or indirectly, (1) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person, (2) 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 consolidation or merger and, in connection with
such consolidation or 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 (3) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one or more transactions, directly or indirectly, 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 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 dividing (A) the product
obtained by multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, by
(B) 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.
20.
The supplemental agreement referred to above in this Section
13(a) to be entered into by the Company and the Rights Agent shall also provide
that, as soon as practicable after the date of any of the events described in
this Section 13(a), such issuer shall:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause
such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after
such filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Final Expiration Date, and similarly comply with
applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the
listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on a national securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements
for quotation on Nasdaq; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical
financial statements for such issuer which comply in all respects with the
requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act.
(b) In the event of any merger or other acquisition
transaction involving the Company pursuant to an agreement described in Section
1(c)(ii)(A)(2), the provisions of Section 13(a) hereof shall not be applicable
to such transaction and this Agreement and the rights of holders of Rights
hereunder shall be terminated in accordance with Section 7(a) hereof.
(c) The term "issuer," for purposes of this Section 13, shall
refer to the Person (or Affiliate or Associate) referred to in Section 13(a);
provided, however, that (i) if such Person (or Affiliate or Associate) is a
direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person, the term "issuer" shall refer
to such other Person, and (ii) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, of more than one Person, the term "issuer" shall refer to whichever
of such Persons is the issuer of such Common Shares having the greatest
aggregate value.
(d) If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for
Common Shares of such issuer as provided in Section 13(a), then each holder of
Rights shall have the right to exchange its Rights for cash from such issuer in
an amount equal to the number of Common Shares that it would otherwise be
entitled to purchase multiplied by 50% of the current per share market price, as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof, of such Common Shares of such
issuer. If, for any reason, the foregoing provision cannot be applied to
determine the cash amount into which the Rights are exchangeable, then the Board
of Directors of the Company, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms, shall determine such amount reasonably and with good faith to the
holders of Rights. Any such determination shall be final and binding on the
Rights Agent and the holders of Rights.
21.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares14.
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 Nasdaq or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
the Nasdaq, 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, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors. 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, upon approval by a majority of the
Continuing Directors, shall be used.
(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, however, 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 the second sentence of 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).
22.
Section 15. Rights of Action15. Rights of Action. All rights
of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to
the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective
registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of
any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common
Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other
Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares),
may, in such holder's own behalf and for such holder's own benefit, enforce, and
may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to
enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder's 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 hereunder, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders16. 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 office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) subject to Sections 6 and 7(f) hereof, the Company and the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate)
is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates
or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the
Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
23.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder17.Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder, as
such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or
be deemed for any purpose the holder of the 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 stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in 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 Agent18. 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 gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for any action taken,
suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the execution,
acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance
hereunder of its duties, including the costs and expenses of defending against
and appealing any claim of liability in the premises. The indemnity provided
herein shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the expiration of the
Rights.
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 and the exercise and
performance of its duties hereunder 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 Agent19. 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 business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent,
shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto, provided that such 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
24.
predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned;
and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates
shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this
Agreement.
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 Agent20. 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 of its
choice (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of
such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the
Rights Agent as to any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and
in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the administration, exercise and 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, suffering or omitting 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 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, suffered or omitted in good faith by
it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company
and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to
verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to
have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any liability or
responsibility in respect of the legality, validity or enforceability of this
Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof
by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the legality, validity or
25.
enforceability or the execution of any Right Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be liable or 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 receipt of the certificate described in
Section 12 hereof); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or 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 administration, exercise and 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 responsible or
liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith in
accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting
while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for
written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent,
set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights
Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action
shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not
be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in
accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date
specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five (5)
Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually received such
application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an
earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in
the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written
instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken
or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers
26.
hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through
its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability
in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its
rights if the Rights Agent in good faith believes that repayment of such funds
or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to
the Rights Agent for exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange, the
certification on the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the
case may be, that the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate are not owned by
an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate thereof, has either not been
completed or in any manner indicates any other response thereto, the Rights
Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange, without first consulting with the
Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent21. Change of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from
its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed
to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred
Shares (as to which the Rights Agent has received prior written notice) by
registered or certified mail, and the Company shall mail notice thereof to the
holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove
the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (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 (as to
which the Rights Agent has received prior written notice) 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 thirty
(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 such holder's 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
of any state of the United States, in good standing, authorized under such laws
to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers, and 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
27.
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 Certificates22. 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, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or
class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the
Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the
Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to
the exercise of stock options or under any employee benefit plan or arrangement
or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities of the Company
currently outstanding or issued at any time in the future by the Company and (b)
may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of
Directors of the Company, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of
Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no
such Right Certificate shall be issued and this sentence shall be null and void
ab initio if, and to the extent that, such issuance or this sentence would
create a significant risk of or result in material adverse tax consequences to
the Company or the Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued or
would create a significant risk of or result in such options' or employee plans'
or arrangements' failing to qualify for otherwise available special tax
treatment and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the
extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of
the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption23. Redemption. (a) The Company may, at
its option, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, at any time
prior to the earlier of (i) the tenth business day following the Shares
Acquisition Date, or (ii) such date or dates on or after the tenth business day
following the Shares Acquisition Date to which such option may be extended by a
majority of the Continuing Directors (for one or more successive 10 day periods)
by vote(s) first taken or written consent(s) first given prior to the tenth
business day following the Shares Acquisition Date and, thereafter, prior to the
completion of any such 10 day extension or extensions (or, if the Shares
Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, prior to (A) the
tenth business day following the Record Date or (B) such date or dates on or
after the tenth business day after the Record Date to which such option may be
extended by a majority of the Continuing Directors (for one or more successive
10 day periods) by vote(s) first taken or written consent(s) first given prior
to the tenth business day following the Record Date and, thereafter, prior to
the completion of any such 10 day extension or extensions), redeem all but not
less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per
Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
28.
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption
price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"), and the Company
may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price either in cash, Common Shares
(based on the current per share market price thereof (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) at the time of redemption), or any other form of
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors. 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, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors.
(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 give notice of such
redemption to the Rights Agent and 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.
(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to
the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable pursuant to Section 7(a) at
any time when the Rights are redeemable hereunder.
Section 24. Exchange24. Exchange. (a) The Company, at its
option, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, at any time
after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, may exchange all or part of the
then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for
Common 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.
29.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of
the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of
this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to
the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided,
however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice
which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or
not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the
method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected
and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be
exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number
of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions
of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company,
at its option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or equivalent preferred shares,
as such term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for Common Shares exchangeable
for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or
equivalent preferred share) for each Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to
reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Shares pursuant to the
terms thereof, so that the fraction of a Preferred Share delivered in lieu of
each Common Share shall have the same voting rights as one Common Share.
(d) 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 Section
24(a), the Company shall either take such action as may be necessary to
authorize additional Common Shares or Preferred Shares for issuance upon
exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option of the Board of
Directors, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, with respect
to each Right (i) pay cash in an amount equal to the Purchase Price, in lieu of
issuing Common Shares or Preferred Shares in exchange therefor, or (ii) issue
debt or equity securities, or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the
Current Value (as hereinafter defined) of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares
exchangeable for each such Right, where the value of such securities shall be
determined by a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the
Board of Directors, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, or
(iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, Common Shares, Preferred Shares
and/or other securities having a value equal to the Current Value in exchange
for each Right. The term "Current Value", for the purposes of this Section 24,
shall mean the product of the current per share market price of Common Shares
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) on the date of the occurrence of the event
described above in subparagraph (a)) multiplied by the number of Common Shares
for which the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient
shares available. To the extent that the Company determines that some action
need be taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 24(d), the
Board of Directors, upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors, may
temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a
30.
period of up to sixty (60) days following the date on which the event described
in Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any authorization of
additional Common Shares or Preferred Shares and/or to decide the appropriate
form of distribution to be made pursuant to the above provision and to determine
the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue
a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended.
(e) 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 (e), 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 Events25. Notice of Certain
Events. (a) In case the Company shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in
stock 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 stock 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 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 ten (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
ten (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 any of the events 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
31.
describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights
under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof. In the event any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, the Company will promptly notify the Rights Agent thereof.
Section 26. Notices26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of
any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
SanDisk Corporation
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Chief Financial Officer
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:
Xxxxxx Trust and Savings Bank
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
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 Amendments27. Supplements and
Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company may supplement or amend
this Agreement in any respect, without the approval of any holders of Rights, by
action of its Board of Directors upon approval by a majority of the Continuing
Directors, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, execute such
supplement or amendment. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company may
from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Rights, by action of its Board of Directors, upon approval by a
majority of the Continuing Directors, 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 and
which shall be consistent with, and for the purpose of fulfilling, the
objectives of the Board of Directors in adopting this Agreement, including,
without limitation, to change the Purchase Price, the Redemption Price, any time
periods
32.
herein specified, and any other term hereof, 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
affect the interests of the holders of Rights. Upon receipt of a certificate
from an appropriate officer of the Company that the proposed supplement or
amendment is consistent with this Section 27 and, after such time as any Person
has become an Acquiring Person, that the proposed supplement or amendment does
not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights, the Rights Agent
shall execute such supplement or amendment. Without limiting the foregoing, the
Company may at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, by action of its Board of Directors, upon approval by a majority of the
Continuing Directors, amend this Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in
Sections 1(a) and 3(a) to not less than the greater of (i) any percentage
greater than 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. Successors28. 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. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. For all
purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is
the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The
Board of Directors of the Company (and, where specifically provided for herein,
only upon approval by a majority of the Continuing Directors) shall have the
exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all
rights and powers specifically granted to the Board, or the Company, or as may
be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing), which are done or made by the
Board (or, where specifically provided for herein, upon approval by a majority
of the Continuing Directors) in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and
binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Right Certificates
and all other parties and (y) not subject the Board or the Continuing Directors
to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Benefits of this
Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any person or
corporation other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders
of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common
Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but
this Agreement
33.
shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
Section 31. Severability31. Severability. If any term,
provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of
competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable,
the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in
this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or
restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company, upon approval by a
majority of the Continuing Directors, determines in its good faith judgment that
severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the
purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in
Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the tenth
business day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors
of the Company.
Section 32. Governing Law32. Governing Law. This Agreement and
each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to
contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts33. Counterparts. This Agreement may
be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall
for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall
together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings34. Descriptive Headings.
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted or
convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of
any of the provisions hereof.
34.
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: SANDISK CORPORATION
By By
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary Title: Chief Financial Officer
ATTEST: XXXXXX TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK,
as Rights Agent
By By
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
35.
Exhibit A
FORM
of
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
SANDISK CORPORATION
(Pursuant to Section 151 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law)
----------------------------------
SanDisk Corporation, a corporation organized and existing
under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called
the "Corporation"), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted
by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on April 18, 1997;
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested
in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (hereinafter called the "Board of
Directors" or the "Board") in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate
of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred
Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Corporation and
hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative
rights, preferences, and limitations thereof as follows:
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" (the
"Series A Preferred Stock") and the number of shares constituting the Series A
Preferred Stock shall be Four Hundred Thousand (400,000). Such number of shares
may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided,
that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
to a
A-1
number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares
reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or
warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the
Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any
series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and
superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the
holders of the Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Common
Stock"), 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 the 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 share
of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the
nearest cent) equal to, 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 shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise),
declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a
share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall
at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common
Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock 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 shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this
Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the
Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock 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
A-2
begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the
date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after
the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before
such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in
an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time
accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The
Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock 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.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder
thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at
any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common
Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately
prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding
immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other
Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any
similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock 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
stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by
law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting
rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent
they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on
A-3
the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred
Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall
not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either
as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except
dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all
such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears
in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all
such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to
the Series A Preferred Stock, 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 Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any
shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A
Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board
of Directors) to all holders of 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.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under
paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such
shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred
Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition
thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but
unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series
of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set
forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate
of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as
otherwise required by law.
A-4
Section 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 stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock 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 shares of Series A
Preferred Stock 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 shares of
Common Stock, or (2) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series A
Preferred Stock 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 the Corporation shall at any time
declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock 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 shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share
of Series A Preferred Stock 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 stock,
securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may
be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on
the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall not be redeemable.
A-5
Section 9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with
respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to
all series of any other class of the Corporation's Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or
change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock
so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at
least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting
together as a single class.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is
executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chief Financial Officer and its
corporate seal attested by its Assistant Secretary this 18th day of April, 1997.
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Attest:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Assistant Secretary
A-6
Exhibit B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER APRIL 28, 2007 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION
OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT
THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON
THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING
PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS
SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY
SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING
PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS
SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY,
THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY
BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SUCH
AGREEMENT.]*/
Right Certificate
SANDISK CORPORATION
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 April 18, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), between SanDisk
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Xxxxxx Trust and
Savings 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., New York, New York time, on April 28, 2007 at the office
of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its
successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable
---------------- */The portion of the legend in bracket shall be inserted only
if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
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share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per
share (the "Preferred Shares") of the Company, at a purchase price of $65.00 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 April 28, 1997 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.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right
Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of 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 be exercised in part, the
holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right
Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption
price of $.01 per Right.
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, as such, 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 stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
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This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of __________________.
ATTEST: SANDISK CORPORATION
By
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary Title: Chief Financial Officer
Countersigned:
XXXXXX TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK,
as Rights Agent
By
Authorized Signatory
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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
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(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within
Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
substitution.
Dated: ,
----------------------- ----
Signature
------------------------------
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Securities
Transfer Association Inc. recognized signature guarantee medallion program.
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CERTIFICATION
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
Signature
------------------------------
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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 the Right Certificate.)
To SANDISK CORPORATION
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:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
Dated: ,
------------------ ----
Signature
-----------------------------------
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in a Securities
Transfer Association Inc. recognized signature guarantee medallion program.
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Form of Reverse Side of Right
Certificate -- continued
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CERTIFICATION
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
Signature
-----------------------------
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NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election
to Purchase must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of
the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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Exhibit C
SANDISK CORPORATION
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On April 18, 1997, the Board of Directors of SanDisk
Corporation (the "Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase
right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of Common Stock (the "Common
Stock"), par value $.001 per share (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The
dividend is payable on April 28, 1997 (the "Record Date") to the stockholders of
record on that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from
the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Preferred Shares"), of the
Company at a price of $65.00 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 dated as of April 18, 1997 (the
"Rights Agreement") between the Company and Xxxxxx Trust and Savings 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 15% 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
becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of
an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which
would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of
such outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being called the
"Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the
Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common
Share certificate with a copy of this Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution
Date, the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until
the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares, outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation 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
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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 at the close of business on April 28, 2007 (the "Final
Expiration Date"), unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the
Rights are earlier redeemed by the Company, in each case as described below.
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 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 an
aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per Common Share. Each Preferred
Share will have 100 votes, voting 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, after the Rights become exercisable, the
Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction with
an Acquiring Person or an affiliate thereof, or 50% or more of its consolidated
assets or earning power are sold to an Acquiring Person or an affiliate thereof,
proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter
have
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the right to receive, upon 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 the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares (except pursuant to a tender offer for all of the
Common Shares at a price and on terms determined by a majority of the Continuing
Directors to be fair to and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and
its stockholders) 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 thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise
that number of Common Shares (or cash, other securities or property) having a
market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares 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 have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common
Share (or a fraction of a Preferred Share having equivalent market value) 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 on the last trading day prior to the date
of exercise.
At any time within ten (10) business days after a person or
group of affiliated or associated persons acquire beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares (unless the Board of Directors extends
such ten-day period), 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"), upon the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors. The
redemption of the rights may be made effective at such time on such basis and
with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to
receive the Redemption Price. The Rights are also redeemable under other
circumstances as specified in the Rights Agreement.
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 upon
the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors, including an amendment
to lower certain thresholds described above to not less than the
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greater of (i) any percentage greater than 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) 15%, except
that from and after a Distribution Date 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 stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on
Form 8-A. 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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