EXHIBIT 4.1
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Courier Corporation
and
State Street Bank and Trust Company
as Rights Agent
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Shareholder Rights Agreement
Dated as of March 18, 1999
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
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1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS..............................................................2
2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT......................................................7
3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES......................................................8
4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES......................................................10
5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION...............................................11
6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES;
MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.........................11
7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; EXERCISE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS...................12
8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES..............................15
9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED STOCK.................................15
10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE.....................................................16
11. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR
NUMBER OF RIGHTS................................................................17
12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED EXERCISE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES......................26
13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER............26
14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.........................................29
15. RIGHTS OF ACTION................................................................30
16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS......................................................30
17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER...............................31
18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.....................................................31
19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.......................32
(i)
20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT..........................................................33
21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT..........................................................35
22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES..............................................36
23. REDEMPTION......................................................................36
24. EXCHANGE........................................................................37
25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS........................................................39
26. NOTICES.........................................................................40
27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS......................................................41
28. SUCCESSORS......................................................................42
29. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS............................42
30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT......................................................42
31. SEVERABILITY....................................................................42
32. GOVERNING LAW...................................................................43
33. COUNTERPARTS....................................................................43
34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS............................................................43
Exhibit A -- Certificate of Designation of
Series B Junior Participating
Cumulative Preferred Stock
Exhibit B -- Form of Right Certificate
(ii)
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Agreement, dated as of March 18, 1999, between Courier Corporation, a
Massachusetts corporation (the "Company"), and State Street Bank and Trust
Company, a Massachusetts chartered trust company (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company desires to provide
shareholders of the Company with the opportunity to benefit from the long-term
prospects and value of the Company and to ensure that shareholders of the
Company receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover
of the Company; and
WHEREAS, on October 25, 1988 the Board of Directors of the Company
authorized the Shareholder Rights Agreement dated as of October 25, 1988 between
the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the "1988
Rights Agreement"), declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as such term
is defined in the 1988 Rights Agreement) for each outstanding share of Common
Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock")
outstanding as of the close of business on November 4, 1988 (the "1988 Record
Date"), and authorized the issuance of one Right for each share of Common Stock
of the Company issued between the 1988 Record Date and the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such terms are defined in the 1988
Rights Agreement), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one
one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred
Stock of the Company upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in
the 1988 Rights Agreement; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 1999, the Board of Directors of the Company
determined it desirable and in the best interests of the Company and its
shareholders for the Company to extend the benefits afforded by the 1988 Rights
Agreement and to implement such extension by executing this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 1999, the Board of Directors of the Company
authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as such term is
hereinafter defined) for each outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company
outstanding as of March 19, 1999 (the "Record Date"), and authorized the
issuance of one Right for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued
(whether or not originally issued or sold from the Company's treasury, except in
the case of treasury shares having associated Rights) between the Record Date
and the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such terms
are hereinafter defined), each Right initially representing the right to
purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating
Cumulative Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth on EXHIBIT A hereto, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth (the "Rights"); and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to appoint the Rights Agent to act as rights
agent hereunder, in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "ACQUIRING PERSON" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates (as such term is
hereinafter defined) and Associates (as such term is hereinafter defined) of
such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined)
of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding,
but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan or
compensation arrangement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or (iv)
any Person holding shares of Common Stock of the Company organized, appointed or
established by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such employee benefit plan or compensation arrangement (the
Persons described in clauses (i) through (iv) above are referred to herein as
"Exempt Persons"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the term "Acquiring Person" shall not
include any Grandfathered Person, unless such Grandfathered Person at any time
after the Grandfathered Time becomes the Beneficial Owner of more than the
Grandfathered Percentage of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding. Any Grandfathered Person who after the Grandfathered Time becomes
the Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the shares of Common Stock of the
Company then outstanding shall cease to be a Grandfathered Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person"
as the result of an acquisition by the Company of Common Stock of the Company
which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate
number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15% (or in the case of a
Grandfathered Person, the Grandfathered Percentage applicable to such
Grandfathered Person) or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial
Owner of 15% (or in the case of a Grandfathered Person, the Grandfathered
Percentage applicable to such Grandfathered Person) or more of the shares of
Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the
Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the
Beneficial Owner of any additional shares (other than pursuant to a stock split,
stock dividend or similar transaction) of Common Stock of the Company and
immediately thereafter be the Beneficial Owner of 15% (or in the case of a
Grandfathered Person, the Grandfathered Percentage applicable to such
Grandfathered Person) or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding, then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person."
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In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, a Person shall not be an
"Acquiring Person" if (i) the Board of Directors of the Company determines that
a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person," has become such without
intending to become an "Acquiring Person," and such Person divests as promptly
as practicable (or within such period of time as the Board of Directors of the
Company determines is reasonable) a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock
of the Company so that such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," as
defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a).
(b) "ADJUSTMENT SHARES" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(c) "ADVERSE PERSON" shall mean any Person declared to be an Adverse
Person by the Board of Directors upon a determination of the Board of Directors
that the criteria set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) apply to such Person.
(d) "AFFILIATE" and "ASSOCIATE" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations (the
"Rules") under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), as in effect on the date of this Agreement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no
Person who is a director or officer of the Company shall be deemed an Affiliate
or an Associate of any other director or officer of the Company solely as a
result of his or her position as director or officer of the Company.
(e) "ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION" when used in reference to the Company
shall mean the Articles of Organization, as amended of the Company.
(f) A Person shall be deemed the "BENEFICIAL OWNER" of, and shall be
deemed to "BENEFICIALLY OWN" and have "BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP" of, any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns (as determined
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the Rules under the Exchange Act, as in effect on
the date of this Agreement);
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has:
(A) the right to acquire (whether or not such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or upon the
satisfaction of any conditions or both) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) (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" or have "Beneficial Ownership" of, (1)
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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; (2) securities issuable upon exercise of these Rights at any
time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event; or (3) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date
or pursuant to Sections 3(a), 11(i) or 22 hereof; or
(B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own" or have "Beneficial Ownership" of, any security
under this clause (B) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding
to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy given
in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant
to, and in accordance with, the Rules of the Exchange Act and (2) is
not also then reportable by such person on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(C) the right to dispose of pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) (other than
customary arrangements with and between underwriters and selling group
members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) (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 pursuant to a revocable proxy
as described in clause (B) of Section 1(d)(ii) hereof) or disposing of any
securities of the Company;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (1) no Person engaged in business as an underwriter of
securities shall be deemed the Beneficial Owner of any securities acquired
through such Person's participation as an underwriter in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date
of such acquisition, and (2) no Person who is a director or an officer of the
Company shall be deemed, as a result of his or her position as director or
officer of the Company, the Beneficial Owner of any securities of the Company
that are beneficially owned by any other director or officer of the Company.
(g) "BUSINESS DAY" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday,
or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
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(h) "CLOSE OF BUSINESS" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Boston, Massachusetts time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date
is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Boston, Massachusetts time, on
the next succeeding Business Day.
(i) "COMMON STOCK" when used in reference to the Company shall mean
the common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company or any other shares
of capital stock of the Company into which such stock shall be reclassified or
changed. "Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person other than the
Company organized in corporate form shall mean (i) the capital stock or other
equity interest of such Person with the greatest voting power, (ii) the equity
securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the
management of such Person or (iii) if such Person is a Subsidiary of another
Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned
Person and which have issued any such outstanding capital stock, equity
securities or equity interest. "Common Stock" when used with reference to any
Person not organized in corporate form shall mean units of beneficial interest
which (x) shall represent the right to participate generally in the profits and
losses of such Person (including without limitation any flow-through tax
benefits resulting from an ownership interest in such Person) and (y) shall be
entitled to exercise the greatest voting power of such Person or, in the case of
a limited partnership, shall have the power to remove or otherwise replace the
general partner or partners.
(j) "CURRENT VALUE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "DEPOSITARY AGENT" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(c) hereof.
(l) "DISTRIBUTION DATE" shall have the meaning defined in Section 3(a)
hereof.
(m) "EXERCISE PRICE" shall have the meaning defined in Section 4(a)
hereof.
(n) "EXPIRATION DATE" and "FINAL EXPIRATION DATE" shall have the
meanings set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(o) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" of any securities or other property shall be
as determined in accordance with Section 11(d) hereof.
(p) "GRANDFATHERED PERCENTAGE" shall mean, with respect to any
Grandfathered Person, the percentage of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
that such Grandfathered Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of
such Grandfathered Person, beneficially owns as of the Grandfathered Time plus
an additional 1/2%; provided, however, that, in the event any Grandfathered
Person shall sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any outstanding shares of
Common Stock after the Grandfathered Time, the Grandfathered Percentage shall,
subsequent to such sale, transfer or disposition, mean, with respect to such
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Grandfathered Person, the lesser of (i) the Grandfathered Percentage as in
effect immediately prior to such sale, transfer or disposition or (ii) the
percentage of outstanding shares of Common Stock that such Grandfathered Person
beneficially owns immediately following such sale, transfer or disposition plus
an additional 1/2%.
(q) "GRANDFATHERED PERSON" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is, as of the
Grandfathered Time, the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding.
(r) "GRANDFATHERED TIME" shall mean 5:00 P.M., Boston, Massachusetts
time, on Thursday, March 18, 1999.
(s) "GROUP" shall have the meaning set forth in clause (b) of the
definition of "Person."
(t) "PERSON" shall mean (a) an individual, a corporation, a
partnership, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a business trust, a
government or political subdivision, any unincorporated organization, or any
other association or entity, and (b) a "group" as that term is used for purposes
of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(u) "PREFERRED STOCK" shall mean shares of Series B Junior
Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the
Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate
of Designation attached hereto as EXHIBIT A.
(v) "PREFERRED STOCK EQUIVALENTS" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b) hereof.
(w) "PRINCIPAL PARTY" shall have the meaning defined in Section 13(b)
hereof.
(x) "REDEMPTION PRICE" shall have the meaning defined in Section 23
hereof.
(y) "REGISTERED COMMON STOCK" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(z) "RIGHT CERTIFICATE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(a) hereof.
(aa) "SECTION 11(A)(II) EVENT" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(bb) "SECTION 11(A)(II) TRIGGER DATE" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
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(cc) "SECTION 13 EVENT" shall mean any event described in clauses (x),
(y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(dd) "SECTION 24(A)(I) EXCHANGE RATIO" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 24(a)(i) hereof.
(ee) "SECTION 24(A)(II) EXCHANGE RATIO" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 24(a)(ii) hereof.
(ff) "SPREAD" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(gg) "STOCK ACQUISITION DATE" shall mean the date of the first public
announcement (which for purposes of this definition shall include, without
limitation, the issuance of a press release or the filing of a
publicly-available report or other document with the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any other governmental agency) by the Company, acting pursuant to
a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, or an Acquiring
Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(hh) "SUBSIDIARY" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests
having ordinary voting power sufficient, in the absence of contingencies, to
elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar
functions of such corporation or other entity are at the time directly or
indirectly beneficially owned or otherwise controlled by such Person either
alone or together with one or more Affiliates of such Person.
(ii) "SUBSTITUTION PERIOD" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(jj) "TRIGGERING EVENT" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any
Section 13 Event.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who,
in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date (as
hereinafter defined in Section 3(a)) also be the holders of the Common Stock of
the Company) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights
Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint
such Co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. In the event the
Company appoints one or more Co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the
Rights Agent and any Co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine.
The Company shall give ten (10) days' prior written notice to the Rights Agent
of the appointment of one or more Co-Rights Agents and the respective duties of
the Rights Agent and any such Co-Rights Agents. The Rights Agent shall have no
duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of
any such Co-Rights Agent.
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Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) From the date hereof until the earliest of (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date, (ii) the
Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or such later calendar day, if any,
as the Board of Directors of the Company may determine in its sole discretion)
after the date a tender or exchange offer by any Person, other than an Exempt
Person, is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a)
of the Exchange Act, or any successor rule, if, upon consummation thereof, such
Person could become the Beneficial Owner of 15% (or in the case of a
Grandfathered Person, the Grandfathered Percentage applicable to such
Grandfathered Person) or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding or (iii) the determination by the Board of Directors of the Company,
pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) hereof, that a Person
is an Adverse Person (including any such date which is after the date of this
Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights) (the earliest 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 the Common Stock of the Company registered in the names of the holders of
the Common Stock of the Company (which certificates for Common Stock of the
Company shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate
certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock of the Company. As soon as
practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, at the Company's
expense send, by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record
holder of the Common Stock of the Company as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company, one or more certificates, in substantially the form of EXHIBIT B hereto
(the "Right Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock
of the Company so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event
that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock of the
Company has been made pursuant to Section 11(o) hereof, the Company may make the
necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a)
hereof) at the time of distribution of the Right Certificates, so that Right
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Close of Business
on the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) With respect to certificates for the Common Stock of the Company
issued prior to the Close of Business on the Record Date, the Rights will be
evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock of the Company on or until
the Distribution Date (or the earlier redemption, expiration or termination of
the Rights), and the registered holders of the Common Stock of the Company also
shall be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the Distribution
Date (or the earlier redemption, expiration or termination of the Rights), the
transfer of any of the certificates for the Common Stock of the Company
outstanding prior to the date of this Agreement shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company
represented by such certificate.
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(c) Certificates for the Common Stock of the Company issued after the
Record Date, but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
redemption, expiration or termination of the Rights, shall be deemed also to be
certificates for Rights, and shall bear a legend, substantially in the form set
forth below:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Shareholder Rights Agreement between
Courier Corporation and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Rights
Agent, dated as of March 18, 1999, as amended, restated, renewed or
extended from time to time (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which
is on file at the principal offices of Courier Corporation and the
stock transfer administration office of the Rights Agent. 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. Courier Corporation may redeem the
Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, subject to
adjustment, under the terms of the Rights Agreement. Courier
Corporation will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge
promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances, Rights issued to or held by Acquiring Persons, Adverse
Persons or any Affiliates or Associates thereof (as defined in the
Rights Agreement), and any subsequent holder of such Rights, may
become null and void. The Rights shall not be exercisable, and shall
be void so long as held, by a holder in any jurisdiction where the
requisite qualification, if any, to the issuance to such holder, or
the exercise by such holder, of the Rights in such jurisdiction shall
not have been obtained or be obtainable.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented by such certificates
shall be evidenced by such certificates alone until the Distribution Date (or
the earlier redemption, expiration or termination of the Rights), and the
transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with the Common Stock of the Company represented by such
certificates. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any shares of
Common Stock of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution
Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock of the Company shall be
deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to
exercise any Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock of the Company
which are no longer outstanding. The failure to print the foregoing legend on
any such certificate representing Common Stock of the Company or any defect
therein shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the application or
interpretation of the
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provisions of Section 7(e) hereof.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
shares and of assignment and certificate to be printed on the reverse thereof)
shall each be substantially in the form of EXHIBIT B hereto and may have such
marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation or with any rule or
regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be
listed, or to conform to customary usage. The Right Certificates shall be in a
machine-printable format and in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Rights
Agent. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Right
Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date, shall
show the date of countersignature, and on their face shall entitle the holders
thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (the
"Exercise Price"), but the number of such shares and the Exercise Price shall be
subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section
22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person,
an Adverse Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an
Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person
(or of any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person)
who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes
such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of
any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights,
the shares of Common Stock of the Company associated with such Rights or the
Company or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a
primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Right
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6, Section 11 or Section 22 upon
transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Right Certificate
referred to in this sentence, shall have deleted therefrom the second sentence
of the existing legend on such Right Certificate and in substitution therefor
shall contain the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Right Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person,
an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an
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Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (as such terms are defined in
the Rights Agreement). This Right Certificate and the Rights
represented hereby may become null and void under certain
circumstances as specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.
The Company shall give notice to the Rights Agent promptly after it becomes
aware of the existence and identity of any Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or
any Associate or Affiliate thereof. The Company shall instruct the Rights Agent
in writing of the Rights which should be so legended. The failure to print the
foregoing legend on any such Right Certificate or any defect therein shall not
affect in any manner whatsoever the application or interpretation of the
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, or its President or any Vice
President and by its Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, or by its Clerk or
any Assistant Clerk, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have
affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be
attested to by the Clerk or any Assistant Clerk of the Company, either manually
or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent and shall not be
valid for any purpose unless so countersigned, and such countersignature upon
any Right Certificate shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that
such Right Certificate has been duly countersigned as required hereunder. 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 an authorized
signatory of 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 Certificates 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.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at one of its offices designated as the appropriate place for
surrender of Right Certificates upon exercise or transfer, 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.
11
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and
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 Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged
for another Right Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder
to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or following a Triggering Event, preferred stock, cash, property, debt
securities, Common Stock of the Company or any combination thereof) as the Right
Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase
and at the same Exercise Price. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate shall make such request in
writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate
or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged, with the
form of assignment and certificate duly executed, at the office or offices of
the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the
Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the
transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder
shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate and shall have 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. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b),
Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person
entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested. The Company may require payment by the registered holder of a Right
Certificate, of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that
may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or
exchange of Right Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security satisfactory to them, and 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 execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the
Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu
of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; EXERCISE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, 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 the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
12
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Exercise Price for the total
number of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercised, at or prior to the earlier of (i) the
Close of Business on the tenth anniversary of the date of this agreement (the
"Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof or (iii) the time at which such Rights are
exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof (the earlier of (i), (ii) or (iii)
being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date"). Except as set forth in
Section 7(e) hereof and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement,
any Person who prior to the Distribution Date becomes a record holder of shares
of Common Stock of the Company may exercise all of the rights of a registered
holder of a Right Certificate with respect to the Rights associated with such
shares of Common Stock of the Company in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement, as of the date such Person becomes a record holder of shares of
Common Stock of the Company.
(b) The Exercise Price for each one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $100.00,
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 and
Section 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of
America in accordance with Section 7(c) below.
(c) As promptly as practicable following the Distribution Date, the
Company shall deposit with a corporation, trust, bank or similar institution in
good standing organized under the laws of the United States or any State of the
United States, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust
or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by a
federal or state authority (such institution is hereinafter referred to as the
"Depositary Agent"), certificates representing the shares of Preferred Stock
that may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights and the Company shall cause
such Depositary Agent to enter into an agreement pursuant to which the
Depositary Agent shall issue receipts representing interests in the shares of
Preferred Stock so deposited. Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on
the reverse side thereof duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Exercise
Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable
transfer tax (as determined by the Rights Agent) by certified check or bank
draft payable to the order of the Company or by money order, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) requisition from
the Depositary Agent (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the Depositary
Agent) depositary receipts or certificates for the number of one one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably
authorizes the Depositary Agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when
appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid
in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause
the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt promptly deliver such cash to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. In the event
that the
13
Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock)
of the Company, pay cash or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other
securities, cash or other property are available for distribution by the Rights
Agent, if and when appropriate. The payment of the Exercise Price may be made by
certified or bank check payable to the order of the Company, or by money order
or wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Company
(provided that notice of such wire transfer shall be given by the holder of the
related Right to the Rights Agent).
(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 and delivered to the registered holder of such Right
Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from
and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or Section 13 Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, (ii) a
transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of any Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person) who becomes a transferee
after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of any Associate or Affiliate of
an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement
or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, the shares of Common Stock of
the Company associated with such Rights or the Company, or (B) a transfer which
the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall be null and void without any further
action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with
respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the
provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but
shall have no liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a
result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person or any Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person
or an Adverse Person or any transferee of any of them hereunder.
(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 of Rights 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
14
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 CERTIFICATES. All Right
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Right Certificates to the Company.
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved
and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock
or any authorized and issued shares of Preferred Stock held in its treasury, the
number of shares of Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding and exercisable Rights. Upon the occurrence
of any events resulting in an increase in the aggregate number of shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of all outstanding Rights in excess of
the number then reserved, the Company shall make appropriate increases in the
number of shares so reserved.
(b) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after
such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares of Preferred Stock issued
or reserved for issuance to be listed, upon official notice of issuance, upon
the principal national securities exchange, if any, upon which the Common Stock
of the Company is listed or, if the principal market for the Common Stock of the
Company is not on any national securities exchange, to be eligible for quotation
on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
("NASDAQ") or any successor thereto or other comparable quotation system.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, or as soon as 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 that at
all times meets the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A)
the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such
15
securities or (B) the Expiration Date. The Company will also take such action as
may be appropriate under, and which will ensure compliance with, the securities
or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability
of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to
exceed ninety (90) days after the date determined in accordance with the
provisions 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 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, in each case with prompt written notice to the Rights Agent.
Notwithstanding any such 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.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock delivered upon
the exercise of the Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates or
depositary receipts for such shares (subject to payment of the Exercise Price),
be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due
and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may
be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or
of any certificates for shares of Preferred Stock upon the exercise of Rights.
The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person
other than, or in respect of the issuance or delivery of securities in a name
other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificates evidencing
Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for
securities in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise
of any Rights until 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 satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for Preferred Stock (including any fraction of a share of Preferred
Stock) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to
have become the holder of record of the shares of Preferred Stock represented
thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right
Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the
Exercise 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 Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock
transfer books of the Company are open; and further PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if
delivery of shares of Preferred Stock is delayed pursuant to Section 9(c), such
Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares of
Preferred Stock only when such shares first become deliverable. Prior to the
exercise of the Right evidenced thereby, the
16
holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a
shareholder of the Company with respect to 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 EXERCISE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR
NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Exercise Price, the number and kind of 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 Stock payable in
shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock,
(C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares
or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the
Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and
Section 7(e) hereof, the Exercise 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 Stock transfer books of the Company were open, such
holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by
virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon
the exercise of a Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares
of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of a Right. If an
event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section 11(a)(i)
and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, 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) hereof.
(ii) Subject to the provisions of Section 24 hereof, in the event
(A) any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and
Associates, shall become an Acquiring Person, or
(B) the Board of Directors of the Company, by majority vote,
shall declare any Person to be an Adverse Person, after (x) a
determination that such Person, alone or together with its
Affiliates and Associates, has become the Beneficial Owner of 10%
or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company
and (y) a determination by the Board of Directors, after
17
reasonable inquiry and investigation, including such
consultation, if any, with such persons as such directors shall
deem appropriate, that (a) such Beneficial Ownership by such
Person is intended to cause, is reasonably likely to cause or
will cause the Company to repurchase the Common Stock of the
Company beneficially owned by such Person or to cause pressure on
the Company to take action or enter into a transaction or series
of transactions which would provide such Person with short-term
financial gain under circumstances where the Board of Directors
determines that the best long-term interests of the Company and
its shareholders, but for the actions and possible actions of
such Person, would not be served by taking such action or
entering into such transactions or series of transactions at that
time or (b) such Beneficial Ownership is causing or reasonably
likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not
limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or
impairment of the Company's ability to maintain its competitive
position) on the business or prospects of the Company. No delay
or failure by the Board of Directors to declare a Person to be an
Adverse Person shall in any way waive or otherwise affect the
power of the Board of Directors subsequently to declare a Person
to be an Adverse Person. In the event that the Board of Directors
should at any time determine, upon reasonable inquiry and
investigation, including consultation with such Persons as the
Board of Directors shall deem appropriate, that such Person has
not met or complied with any condition specified by the Board of
Directors, the Board of Directors may at any time thereafter
declare such Person to be an Adverse Person pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii)(B),
then, and in each such case, promptly following any such occurrence (a
"Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), proper provision shall be made so that each
holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then
current Exercise Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of shares of Preferred Stock of the Company as shall equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Exercise Price by the
then number of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which
a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, whether or not such Right was then exercisable,
and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the Fair Market Value per one
one-thousandth of a share of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)) on the date of the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
(such number of shares being referred to as the "Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In lieu of issuing any shares of Preferred Stock in
accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company, acting by or
pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company,
may, and in the event that the number of shares of Preferred Stock
which are authorized by the Company's Articles of Organization but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii)
18
of this Section 11(a), the Company, acting by or pursuant to a
resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company, shall: (A)
determine the excess of (X) the Fair Market Value of the Adjustment
Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value")
over (Y) the Exercise Price attributable to each Right (such excess
being referred to as the "Spread") and (B) with respect to all or a
portion of each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate
provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the
applicable Exercise Price, (1) Common Stock of the Company, (2) cash,
(3) a reduction in the Exercise Price, (4) Preferred Stock Equivalents
which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have the
same value as shares of Common Stock of the Company, (5) debt
securities of the Company, (6) other assets or securities of the
Company or (7) any combination of the foregoing which, when added to
any shares of Preferred Stock issued upon such exercise, has an
aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value
has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based
upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver
value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following
the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and
(y) the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to
Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to
herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company
shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a
Right and without requiring payment of the Exercise Price, shares of
Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary,
cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the
Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in
good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Preferred Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full
of the Rights, the 30-day period set forth above may be extended to
the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the
Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares
(such period, as it may be extended, being referred to herein as the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that
some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second
sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide,
subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly
to all outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of
the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to
seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such 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 and a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the
Preferred Stock shall be the
19
Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of the Preferred Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and
the value of any Preferred Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to have
the same value as the Preferred Stock on such date.
(b) If the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights,
options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a
period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or securities having the same or more
favorable rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock
("Preferred Stock Equivalents")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock
or Preferred Stock Equivalents at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per
share of Preferred Stock Equivalents (or having a conversion price per share, if
a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock Equivalents) less
than the Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Exercise Price to be in effect
after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in
effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate
offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or Preferred
Stock Equivalents to be offered (and the aggregate initial conversion price of
the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Fair Market
Value and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of
Preferred Stock and Preferred Stock Equivalents to be offered for subscription
or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are
initially convertible); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of a Right be less than the aggregate
par value of the shares of stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of a
Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or
all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be the Fair Market Value thereof determined in accordance with Section
11(d) hereof. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the
Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.
Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is
fixed; and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the
Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would then be in
effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) If the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution
made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
continuing or surviving corporation), of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other
than a regular periodic cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings
of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but
including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or
convertible securities, subscription rights or warrants (excluding those
referred to in Section 11(b)), the Exercise Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of
20
which shall be the Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock on such record
date, less the Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such convertible securities, subscription rights or warrants
applicable to one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock and the
denominator of which shall be the Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of a Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of stock
of the Company issuable upon exercise of a Right. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be
the Exercise Price which would be in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(d) For the purpose of this Agreement, the "Fair Market Value" of any
share of Preferred Stock, Common Stock or any other stock or any Right or other
security or any other property shall be determined as provided in this Section
11(d).
(i) In the case of a publicly-traded stock or other security, the
Fair Market Value on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the
daily closing prices per share of such stock or per unit of such other
security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is
hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that in the event that the Fair Market Value per share of any
share of stock is determined during a period following the
announcement by the issuer of such stock of (x) a dividend or
distribution on such stock payable in shares of such stock or
securities convertible into shares of such stock or (y) any
subdivision, combination or reclassification of such stock, and prior
to the expiration of the 30 Trading Day period 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 Fair Market Value shall be properly adjusted to take into
account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular
way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the
securities are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal
national securities exchange on which such security is listed or
admitted to trading; or, if not listed or admitted to trading on any
national securities exchange, the last quoted price (or, if not so
quoted, the average of the last quoted 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 no bids for such security
are quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices as furnished by a professional
21
market maker making a market in such security selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is
making a market in such security, the Fair Market Value of such
security on such date shall be determined reasonably and with utmost
good faith to the holders of the Rights by the Board of Directors of
the Company, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if at the time of such
determination there is an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, the
Fair Market Value of such security on such date shall be determined by
a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company, which 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. The term "Trading Day"
shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange
on which such security is listed or admitted to trading is open for
the transaction of business or, if such security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business
Day.
(ii) If a security is not publicly held or not so listed or
traded, "Fair Market Value" shall mean the fair value per share of
stock or per other unit of such security, determined reasonably and
with utmost good faith to the holders of the Rights by the Board of
Directors of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if at the time of
such determination there is an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person,
the Fair Market Value of such security on such date shall be
determined by a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected
by the Board of Directors of the Company, which 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; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that for the purposes of making any adjustment provided for
by Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Fair Market Value of a share of
Preferred Stock shall not be less than the product of the then Fair
Market Value of a share of Common Stock multiplied by the higher of
the then Dividend Multiple or Vote Multiple (as both of such terms are
defined in the Certificate of Designation attached as Exhibit A
hereto) applicable to the Preferred Stock and shall not exceed 105% of
the product of the then Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock
multiplied by the higher of the then Dividend Multiple or Vote
Multiple applicable to the Preferred Stock.
(iii) In the case of property other than securities, the Fair
Market Value thereof shall be determined reasonably and with utmost
good faith to the holders of Rights by the Board of Directors of the
Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if at the time of such determination
there is an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, the Fair Market
Value of such property on such date shall be determined by a
nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of
Directors of the Company, which determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding upon the
Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
22
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in
the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Exercise 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 hundred-thousandth of a share of Common Stock of the
Company or ten- millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be, or
to such other figure as the Board of Directors of the Company may deem
appropriate. 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 (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such
adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of any provision of Section 11(a) or Section 13(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 Stock,
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 Stock contained in Section 11(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g) through (k)
and (m), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof
with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other
shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or amount of cash or combination
thereof) purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights,
all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided
in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price as a result of the
calculations made in Section 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately
prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, that number of one one-thousandths of
a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest ten- millionth) as the
Board of Directors of the Company determines is appropriate to preserve the
economic value of the Rights, including, by way of example, that number obtained
by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right may be exercisable immediately prior to this adjustment
by (y) the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the
Exercise Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Exercise Price
in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Exercise Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Exercise Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any
adjustment in the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the
number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of
23
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of
Rights (calculated to the nearest hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Exercise Price
by the Exercise Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Exercise
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 Exercise Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but,
if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (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 may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Exercise Price) 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 Exercise Price or
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Exercise Price per share and the number of
shares which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder
without prejudice to any adjustment or change.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Exercise Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock at such adjusted
Exercise Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Exercise 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
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and
above the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company
24
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 Exercise Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that in its good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company
shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision
of the Preferred Stock, issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred
Stock at less than the Fair Market Value, issuance wholly for cash of shares of
Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or
exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, stock dividends or issuance of
rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11,
hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock, shall not be
taxable to such shareholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date and so long as the Rights have not been redeemed
pursuant to Section 23 hereof or exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof, (i)
consolidate with (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that
complies with the proviso at the end of this sentence), (ii) merge with or into,
or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with the proviso at the end of this sentence) if (x) at the time of or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights,
warrants or other instruments outstanding or agreements or arrangements in
effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights, or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale the shareholders of a
Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for the
purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this Section 11(n) shall not affect the ability of any
Subsidiary of the Company to consolidate with, or merge with or into, or sell or
transfer assets or earning power to, any other Subsidiary of the Company. The
Company further covenants and agrees that after the Distribution Date it will
not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any
Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
reasonably foreseeable that such action will substantially diminish or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the
event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior
to the Distribution Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on the outstanding
Common Stock of the Company payable in shares of Common Stock of the Company or
(ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock of the Company (by
25
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in shares of Common
Stock of the Company) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock
of the Company, then in any such case (A) the number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of
each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one- thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock so purchasable immediately prior to such event by
a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock of
the Company outstanding immediately prior to such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding
immediately after such event, and (B) each share of Common Stock of the Company
outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it
that number of Rights which each share of Common Stock of the Company
outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The
adjustments provided for in this Section 11(o) shall be made successively
whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination
or consolidation is effected.
(p) The exercise of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) shall only result
in the loss of rights under Section 11(a)(ii) to the extent so exercised and
shall not otherwise affect the rights of holders of Right Certificates under
this Rights Agreement, including rights to purchase securities of the Principal
Party following a Section 13 Event which has occurred or may thereafter occur,
as set forth in Section 13 hereof. Upon exercise of a Right Certificate under
Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights Agent shall return such Right Certificate duly
marked to indicate that such exercise has occurred.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED EXERCISE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section 13 hereof,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock and the Common Stock of the Company a copy of such certificate
and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate (or,
if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing
shares of Common Stock of the Company) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. 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
any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly
or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into,
any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
is not prohibited by Section 11(n) hereof), and the Company shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which is not
prohibited by the proviso at the end of the first sentence of Section 11(n)
hereof) shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company
and
26
the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and,
in connection with such merger, all or part of the shares of Common Stock of the
Company shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any
other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell,
mortgage or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell,
mortgage or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company
in one or more transactions, each of which is not prohibited by the proviso at
the end of the first sentence of Section 11(n) hereof), then, and in each such
case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except
as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall have the right to receive, upon the
exercise thereof at the then current Exercise Price in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
nonassessable shares of freely tradeable Common Stock of the Principal Party (as
hereinafter defined in Section 13(b)), free and clear of rights of call or first
refusal, liens, encumbrances, transfer restrictions or other adverse claims, as
shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current
Exercise Price by the number of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence
of a Section 13 Event, and dividing that product by (2) 50% of the Fair Market
Value (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the Common
Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable
for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale, mortgage
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
Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section
11 hereof shall apply to such Principal Party; and (iv) such Principal Party
shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock to permit exercise of all
outstanding Rights in accordance with this Section 13(a) and the making of
payments in cash and/or other securities in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii)
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 its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon
the exercise of the Rights.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y)
of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of
any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are
converted in such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one
such issuer, the issuer of Common Stock that has the highest aggregate Fair
Market Value (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)), and if no securities
are so issued, the Person that is the other party to the merger or
consolidation, or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the
Common Stock of which has the highest aggregate Fair Market Value
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)); and
27
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving
the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to
such transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party to
such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or
earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions or
if the Person receiving the largest portion of the assets or earning power
cannot be determined, whichever Person the Common Stock of which has the
highest aggregate Fair Market Value (determined pursuant to Section 11(d));
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month
period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act ("Registered Common
Stock") or such Person is not a corporation, and such Person is a direct or
indirect Subsidiary or Affiliate of another Person who has Registered Common
Stock outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person; (2) if
the Common Stock of such Person is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is
not a corporation, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another
Person but is not a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person which has
Registered Common Stock outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to the
ultimate parent entity of such first-mentioned Person; (3) if the Common Stock
of such Person is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a
corporation, and such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by more than
one Person, and one or more of such other Persons has Registered Common Stock
outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such other Persons is
the issuer of the Registered Common Stock having the highest aggregate Fair
Market Value (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)); and (4) if the Common Stock
of such Person is not Registered Common Stock or such Person is not a
corporation, and such Person is directly or indirectly controlled by more than
one Person, and none of such other Persons has Registered Common Stock
outstanding, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever ultimate parent entity
is the corporation having the greatest shareholders' equity or, if no such
ultimate parent entity is a corporation, "Principal Party" shall refer to
whichever ultimate parent entity is the entity having the greatest net assets.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer unless prior thereto (x) the Principal Party shall have a
sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock, which have not been
issued or reserved for issuance, to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with this Section 13, and (y) the Company and each Principal Party
and each other Person who may become a Principal Party as a result of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer shall have executed and delivered to the
Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in
Section 13(a) and (b) and further providing that, as soon as practicable after
the date of any consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets mentioned in
Section 13(a), the Principal Party at its own expense will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable
upon exercise of the Rights on
28
an appropriate form, cause such registration statement to become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing and cause such registration
statement to remain effective (with a prospectus that at all times meets
the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date;
(ii) qualify or register the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the blue sky laws of such
jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate;
(iii) 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
(iv) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply
in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the
Exchange Act.
(d) In case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a
transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in any of its
authorized securities or in its certificate of incorporation or By-laws or other
instrument governing its affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i)
causing such Principal Party to issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant
to this Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of, the
consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common
Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then current Fair Market Value
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) or securities exercisable for, or
convertible into, Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than such Fair
Market Value, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar
provisions in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 13, then, in such event, the
Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the
Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights
Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such
Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the
authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will
have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of
the proposed transaction.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers.
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights,
except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(o) hereof, or to
distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. If the Company
elects not to issue such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay, in lieu of
such fractional Rights, to the registered
29
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
Fair Market Value of a whole Right, as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may 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 Fair Market Value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred
Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the Fair Market Value of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to
Sections 18 and 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of
the Right Certificates (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Stock of the Company); and any registered holder of any
Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock of
the Company), 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 Stock
of the Company), may, in such registered holder's own behalf and for such
registered 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, his right to exercise the Right 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 shall be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or
threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this
Agreement. Holders of Rights shall be entitled to recover the reasonable costs
and expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by them in any action to
enforce the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
30
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, each Right will be transferable
only simultaneously and together with the transfer of shares of Common Stock of
the Company;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;
(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f), the Company and the Rights
Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Right Certificate (or, prior
to the Distribution Date, the associated certificate representing Common Stock
of the Company) 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 certificate representing Common Stock of
the Company made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all
purposes whatsoever, and, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e), neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and
(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 the 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 obligations; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company must use
its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise
overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER. No holder,
as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the shares of Preferred Stock or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent such compensation as
shall be agreed to in writing between the Company and the Rights Agent for all
services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the
Rights Agent, its
31
reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements
incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise
and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify
the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or
expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on
the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent
in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement,
including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability
arising therefrom, directly or indirectly. The provisions of this Section 18(a)
shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the termination of this
Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate
or certificate representing Common Stock of the Company, Preferred Stock, or
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 in good faith
and without negligence to be genuine and to be signed and executed by the proper
Person or Persons.
(c) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for consequential damages
under any provision of this Agreement or for any consequential damages arising
out of any act or failure to act hereunder.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the corporate trust or shareholder services 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 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 or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, the
32
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver
Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign
such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in
all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the
Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations expressly 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 selected by it
(who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as
to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person and the determination of "Fair Market Value") be proved or established by
the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof shall be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by a person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman
of the Board of Directors, a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the
President, a Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Clerk
or an Assistant Clerk of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent. Any such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken
or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect
of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or any adjustment required
under the
33
provisions of Sections 11, 13 or 23(c) hereof or responsible for the
manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a
certificate describing any such adjustment furnished in accordance with Section
12 hereof), nor shall it be responsible for any determination by the Board of
Directors of the Company of the Fair Market Value of the Rights or Preferred
Stock pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 hereof; nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or
Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate
or as to whether or not any shares of Common Stock of the Company or Preferred
Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder and
certificates delivered pursuant to any provision hereof from any person believed
by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors, any Vice
Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, a Vice President, the Clerk,
an Assistant Clerk, the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and
is authorized to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection
with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to
be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such
officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the
Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action
proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the
date on 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 such
application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall
not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the Company
actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented
in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the
effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received
written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be
taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights
Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from
acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
34
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause (1) or clause (2)
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company by first class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
(with or without cause), effective immediately or on a specified date, by
written notice given to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case
may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock of the Company and
Preferred Stock, and by giving notice to the holders of the Right Certificates
by any means reasonably determined by the Company to inform such holders of such
removal (including without limitation, by including such information in one or
more of the Company's reports to shareholders or reports or filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission). 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 his Right Certificate for
inspection by the Company), then the incumbent Rights Agent or the registered
holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction
for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation
organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the State of New York (or of any other state of
the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business as a
banking institution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the State of New
York), in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise stock
transfer or corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination
by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as
Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 or (b) an
Affiliate of a corporation described in clause (a) of this sentence. After
appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers,
rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights
Agent
35
without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall
deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held
by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act
or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the
predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock of the
Company and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any
adjustment or change in the Exercise Price per share and the number or kind or
class of shares of stock 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 shares of Common Stock of
the Company following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or
expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of
Common Stock of the Company so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities hereafter issued by the Company, and (b)
may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of
Directors of the Company, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate
number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right
Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustments
shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, redeem
all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price
of $0.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any dividend declared or
paid on the Common Stock of the Company in shares of Common Stock of the Company
or any subdivision or combination of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of
the Company or similar event occurring after the date of this Agreement (such
redemption price, as adjusted from time to time, being hereinafter referred to
as the "Redemption Price"). The Rights may be redeemed only until the earliest
to occur of (i) the time at which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, (ii)
the declaration by the Board of Directors that any Person is an Adverse Person
or (iii) the Final Expiration Date.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights in accordance with Section 23
hereof, and without any
36
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 for each Right so held. Promptly after the action
of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights
in accordance with Section 23 hereof, the Company shall give notice of such
redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by
mailing such notice to the Rights Agent and to all such holders at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior
to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the
Common Stock of the Company. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein
provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.
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 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 Section
24 hereof or in connection with the purchase of shares of Common Stock of the
Company prior to the Distribution Date.
(c) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
shares of Common Stock of the Company (based on the Fair Market Value of the
Common Stock of the Company as of the time of redemption) or any other form of
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company.
Section 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) (i) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at
any time on or after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights
(which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common Stock of the
Company at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock of the
Company 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 "Section
24(a)(i) Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such
exchange at any time after any Person (other than an Exempt Person),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes
the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Stock of the
Company.
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the
Company may, at its option, at any time on or after the occurrence of
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights
that have become void pursuant to the
37
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common Stock of the
Company at an exchange ratio specified in the following sentence, as
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date of this Agreement.
Subject to the adjustment described in the foregoing sentence, each
Right may be exchanged for that number of shares of Common Stock of
the Company obtained by dividing the Spread (as defined in Section
11(a)(iii)) by the then Fair Market Value per one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock on the earlier of (x) the date on which any
person becomes an Acquiring Person or (y) the date on which a tender
or exchange offer by any Person (other than an Exempt Person) is first
published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-4(a) of the
Exchange Act or any successor rule, if upon consummation thereof such
Person could become an Acquiring Person (such exchange ratio being
referred to herein as the "Section 24(a)(ii) Exchange Ratio").
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company
shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any
Person (other than an Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more
of the Common Stock of the Company.
(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 shares of Common Stock of the
Company equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Section 24(a)(i) Exchange Ratio or the Section 24(a)(ii) Exchange Ratio, as
applicable. The Company shall promptly give notice of any such exchange in
accordance with Section 26 hereof and shall promptly 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; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of
such exchange. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common
Stock of the Company for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof)
held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its
option, may substitute Preferred Stock (or Preferred Stock Equivalent, as such
term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for Common Stock of the Company
exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Preferred Stock Equivalent) for each share of Common Stock
of the Company, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting
rights of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the
38
fraction of a share of Preferred Stock delivered in lieu of each share of Common
Stock of the Company shall have the same voting rights as one share of Common
Stock of the Company.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common
Stock of the Company or Preferred Stock (or Preferred Stock Equivalents) issued
but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights
as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all
such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock
of the Company or Preferred Stock (or Preferred Stock Equivalent) for issuance
upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Stock of the Company or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock of the Company. If the Company elects not to issue such
fractional shares of Common Stock of the Company, the Company shall pay, in lieu
of such fractional shares of Common Stock of the Company, to the registered
holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of
Common Stock of the Company would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal
to the same fraction of the Fair Market Value of a whole share of Common Stock
of the Company. For the purposes of this paragraph (e), the Fair Market Value of
a whole share of Common Stock of the Company shall be the closing price of a
share of Common Stock of the Company (as determined pursuant to the second
sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to
the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with, or to effect any sale, mortgage or other transfer (or to
permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale, mortgage or other
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related 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 (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in one
or more transactions each of which is not prohibited by the proviso at the end
of the first sentence of Section 11(n) hereof), (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend
on the Common Stock of the Company payable in Common Stock of the Company or to
effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock of the
Company (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common
Stock of the Company) then in each such case, the Company shall give to each
holder of a Right Certificate and to the Rights Agent, in accordance with
Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which
39
shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend,
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
shares of Common Stock of the Company and/or Preferred Stock, if any such date
is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least
twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the
date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Common Stock of
the Company and/or Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, no such notice shall be required pursuant to this Section 25 as a
result of any Subsidiary of the Company effecting a consolidation or merger with
or into, or effecting a sale or other transfer of assets or earnings power to,
any other Subsidiary of the Company in a manner not inconsistent with the
provisions of this Agreement.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any such
case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
registered holder of a Right Certificate and to the Rights Agent, in accordance
with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall
specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to
or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, by facsimile transmission or by nationally-recognized
overnight courier addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Rights Agent) as follows:
Courier Corporation
00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, 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, by facsimile transmission or by
nationally-recognized overnight courier addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
State Street Bank and Trust Company
c/o EquiServe Limited Partnership
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Administration
40
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 (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, to the holder of any certificate representing shares of
Common Stock of the Company) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Prior to the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Board of
Directors of the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this
Agreement as the Board of Directors of the Company may deem necessary or
desirable without the approval of any holders of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock of the Company. From and after the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Board of
Directors of the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without
the approval of any holder of Right Certificates in order (i) to cure any
ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which
may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement
the provisions hereof in any manner which the Board of Directors of the Company
may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Right Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person,
Adverse Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that from and after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen,
pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when
the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable or
(B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of
protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and the benefits to, the
holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person, Adverse Person or any
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person). Without
limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any time prior to the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event amend this Agreement to lower the threshold set forth in
Section 1(a) to not less than the greater of (i) the sum of .001% and the
largest percentage of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company 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 Stock of the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) and (ii) 10%. Upon the delivery of
such certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that
the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this
Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior
to the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the interests of the holders of
Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common
Stock of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Rights
Agent's consent must be obtained regarding any amendment or supplement pursuant
to this Section 27 which alters the Rights Agent's rights or duties.
41
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement
by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to
the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. For all
purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common
Stock of the Company outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes
of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common
Stock of the Company 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 Rules under
the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof. The Board of Directors of the
Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this
Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the
Board of Directors or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the
administration of this Agreement, including without limitation, the right and
power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including 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 of Directors in
good faith shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights
Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject any
member of the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights
or to any other person.
Section 30. 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 Stock of the Company) any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the
sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date,
registered holders of the Common Stock of the Company).
Section 31. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
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 determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from the Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect
of the Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall
be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day
following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.
42
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement, each Right and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and for all purposes shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of such Commonwealth applicable to
contracts to be made and to be performed entirely within such Commonwealth. The
courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and of the United States of America
located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the "Massachusetts Courts") shall
have exclusive jurisdiction over any litigation arising out of or relating to
this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and any Person
commencing or otherwise involved in any such litigation shall waive any
objection to the laying of venue of such litigation in the Massachusetts Courts
and shall not plead or claim in any Massachusetts Court that such litigation
brought therein has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
Section 33. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
43
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as an instrument under seal and attested, all as of the day and
year first above written.
ATTEST: COURIER CORPORATION
By: /s/ XXXXXX X. STORY, JR By: /s/ XXXXX X. XXXXXX, III
-------------------------- -------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, III
Title: President
ATTEST: STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Rights Agent
By: /S/ XXXXXXX X. XXXX By: /s/ XXXXXXX X. XXXXX
-------------------------- -------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Authorized Officer
EXHIBIT A
VOTE OF DIRECTORS ESTABLISHING
SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CUMULATIVE
PREFERRED STOCK
of
COURIER CORPORATION
Pursuant to Section 26 of Chapter 156B of the General Laws of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
VOTED, that pursuant to authority conferred upon and vested in the Board of
Directors by the Articles of Organization, as amended (the "Articles"), of
Courier Corporation (the "Corporation"), the Board of Directors hereby
establishes and designates a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation, and
hereby fixes and determines the relative rights and preferences of the shares of
such series, in addition to those set forth in the Articles, as follows:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series B Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock" (the
"Series B Preferred Stock"), and the number of shares initially constituting
such series shall be 50,000.
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) (i) 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
B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of common stock 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 B Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent)
equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provisions for
adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and 1,000 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 B Preferred Stock. The multiple of
cash and non-cash dividends declared on the common stock to which holders of the
Series B Preferred Stock are entitled, which shall be 1,000 initially but which
shall
be adjusted from time to time as hereinafter provided, is hereinafter referred
to as the "Dividend Multiple." In the event the Corporation shall at any time
after March 18, 1999 (the "Rights Declaration Date") (i) declare or pay any
dividend on common stock payable in shares of common stock, or (ii) 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 Dividend Multiple thereafter applicable to the
determination of the amount of dividends which holders of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive shall be the Dividend Multiple
applicable immediately prior to such event multiplied 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.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything else contained in this paragraph (A),
the Corporation shall, out of funds legally available for that purpose, declare
a dividend or distribution on the Series B Preferred Stock as provided in this
paragraph (A) immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the
common stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of common stock); provided
that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the
common stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and
the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1.00 per
share on the Series B Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(B) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares
of Series B Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock, unless
the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall
begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of
issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date
for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled
to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date,
in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative
from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall
not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series B 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 in
accordance with applicable law a record date for the determination of holders of
shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than such
number of days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof as may be allowed
by applicable law.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. In addition to any other voting rights required
by law, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have the
following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000
votes on all matters submitted to a vote
2
of the shareholders of the Corporation. The number of votes which a holder of a
share of Series B Preferred Stock is entitled to cast, which shall initially be
1,000 but which may be adjusted from time to time as hereinafter provided, is
hereinafter referred to as the "Vote Multiple." In the event the Corporation
shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any
dividend on common stock payable in shares of common stock, or (ii) 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 Vote Multiple thereafter applicable to the determination
of the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series B
Preferred Stock shall be entitled shall be the Vote Multiple immediately prior
to such event multiplied 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 or by law, the holders of shares of
Series B Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of common stock and the
holders of shares of any other capital stock of this Corporation having general
voting rights, shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a
vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as otherwise required by applicable law or as set forth herein,
holders of Series B 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 dividends or distributions payable on the Series B 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 B Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or
redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares
of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any
shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred
Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B 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;
3
(iii) except as permitted in subsection 4(A)(iv) below, redeem, purchase
or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking
on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution
or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, provided that the
Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire
shares of any such parity 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 B Preferred
Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series
B Preferred Stock, or any shares of any stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up) with the Series B 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 subsection (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 B Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
preferred stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of preferred stock
to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to
the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
Section 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. Upon any liquidation
(voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no
distribution shall be made (x) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series B Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series
B Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of
such payment, plus an amount equal to the greater of (1) $1,000.00 per share or
(2) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be
distributed per share to holders of common stock, or (y) to the holders of stock
ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably
on the Series B Preferred Stock and all other 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 after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on
common stock payable in shares
4
of common stock, or (ii) 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 per share
to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately
prior to such event under clause (x) 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.
Neither the consolidation of nor merging of the Corporation with or into
any other corporation or corporations, nor the sale or other transfer of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, shall be deemed to be a
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of
this Section 6.
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 the shares of
Series B Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 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,
plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, payable with respect to the Series B
Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on common stock payable in
shares of common stock, or (ii) 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 B 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. REDEMPTION. The shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall not be
redeemable.
Section 9. RANKING. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Articles or
a Certificate of Vote of Directors Establishing a Class of Stock relating to any
other series of preferred stock of the Corporation, the Series B Preferred Stock
shall rank junior to every other series of the Corporation's preferred stock
previously or hereafter authorized, as to the payment of dividends and the
distribution of assets on liquidation, dissolution or winding up and shall rank
senior to the common stock.
Section 10. AMENDMENT. The Articles and this Certificate of Vote of
Directors Establishing a Class of Stock shall not be amended in any manner which
would materially alter
5
or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series B Preferred
Stock so as to affect them adversely (within the meaning of Section 77 of
Chapter 156B of the Massachusetts General Laws) without the affirmative vote of
the holders of two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series B
Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series B Preferred Stock may be issued in
whole shares or in any fraction of a share that is one one-thousandth
(1/1,000th) of a share or any integral multiple of such fraction, which shall
entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to
exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to
have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series B Preferred Stock. In
lieu of fractional shares, the Corporation may elect to make a cash payment as
provided in the Rights Agreement for fractions of a share other than one
one-thousandth (1/1,000th) of a share or any integral multiple thereof.
6
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ______ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MARCH 18, 2009 OR EARLIER IF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION IS
GIVEN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF COURIER
CORPORATION, AT $0.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS
AGREEMENT BETWEEN COURIER CORPORATION AND STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY,
AS RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF MARCH 18, 1999 (THE "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"). UNDER
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON, AN ADVERSE PERSON OR AN ASSOCIATE OR
AFFILIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN ADVERSE PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED
IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME
NULL AND VOID.
Right Certificate
COURIER 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
Shareholder Rights Agreement dated as of March 18, 1999 (the "Rights
Agreement") between Courier Corporation (the "Company") and State Street Bank
and Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement) and prior to the close of business on March 18, 2009 at
the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its
successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid,
non-assessable share of the Series B Junior Participating Cumulative
Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price
of $___ per one one-thousandth of a share (the "Exercise Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of
Election to Purchase and the related Certificate duly executed. The number of
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of shares which
may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Exercise
Price per share set forth above, are the number and Exercise Price as
of , based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Adverse Person,
Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement, a transferee of a Person who, after such transfer, became an
Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, such Rights shall become null and void
and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and
after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Exercise Price and the number of
shares of Preferred Stock or other securities 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, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the
Company and the designated office of the Rights Agent and are also available
upon written request to the Company or the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Certificates of like
tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the
Right Certificate or 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
Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised. If this Right
Certificate shall be exercised in whole or in part pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)
of the Rights Agreement, the holder shall be entitled to receive this Right
Certificate duly marked to indicate that such exercise has occurred as set forth
in the Rights Agreement.
Under certain circumstances, subject to the provisions of the Rights
Agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company at its option may exchange all
or any part of the Rights evidenced by this Certificate for shares of the
Company's Common Stock or Preferred Stock at an exchange ratio (subject to
adjustment) specified in the Rights Agreement.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be redeemed by the Board of Directors of the Company at its
option at a
2
redemption price of $0.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors).
The Company is not obligated to issue fractional shares of stock upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which
may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts). If
the Company elects not to issue such fractional shares, 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 shares of Preferred
Stock, Common Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by an authorized signatory of the Rights
Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company as a
document under corporate seal.
Attested: COURIER CORPORATION
By: By:
------------------------------- ----------------------------------
[Clerk or Assistant Clerk] Name:
Title: [Chairman, Vice Chairman,
President or Vice President]
Countersigned:
[RIGHTS AGENT]
By:
-------------------------------
Name:
Title:
3
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________ hereby sells, assigns and
transfers unto ____________________________________ (Please print name and
address of transferee) ____________________________________ this Right
Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does
hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ___________________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated: ,
------------- ----
-------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
------------
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate ______ are ______ are
not being transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the
undersigned ____ did ____ did not directly or indirectly acquire the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an
Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such
Person.
Dated: ,
-------------- ----
----------------------------------
Signature
4
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond
to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
5
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate.)
To COURIER CORPORATION:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _______ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the
Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or other identifying taxpayer number: __________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate or if the Rights are being exercised pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement, a new Right Certificate for the balance of
such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying taxpayer number: _____________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: ,
------------ ------ --------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
--------------------
6
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate ____ are ____ are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person,
an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms
are defined in the Rights Agreement); and
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the
undersigned ____ did ____ did not directly or indirectly acquire the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an
Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such
Person.
Dated: ,
------------- ----
----------------------------
Signature
7
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
