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EXHIBIT 1
VIB CORP
AND
U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION
RIGHTS AGENT
PREFERRED SHARES RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF AUGUST 14, 2001
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
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Section 1. Certain Definitions...........................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent...................................................7
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates...............................................7
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates...................................................8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.............................................9
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.......10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Exercise Price; Expiration Date of Rights ...............11
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates..........................13
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.............................13
Section 10. Record Date..................................................................14
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights...........15
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares...................21
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.........21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares......................................25
Section 15. Rights of Action.............................................................26
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders..................................................26
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder...........................26
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent..................................................27
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent ...................27
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent ......................................................28
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.......................................................30
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates..........................................31
Section 23. Redemption...................................................................31
Section 24. Exchange.....................................................................32
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.....................................................34
Section 26. Notices......................................................................34
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments...................................................35
Section 28. Successors...................................................................35
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc....................35
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement...................................................36
Section 31. Severability.................................................................36
Section 32. Governing Law................................................................36
Section 33. Counterparts.................................................................37
Section 34. Descriptive Headings.........................................................37
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Form of Certificate of Determination
Exhibit B Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C Summary of Rights
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Agreement, dated as of August 14, 2001, is made between VIB Corp, a
California corporation, 0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000 (the
"COMPANY"), and U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation, a California corporation, 0000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000 (the "RIGHTS AGENT"),
with reference to the following:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company desires to provide all
shareholders of the Company with the opportunity to benefit from the long-term
prospects and value of the Company and to ensure that all shareholders of the
Company receive fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover
of the Company; and
WHEREAS, on August 14, 2001 (the "RIGHTS DIVIDEND DECLARATION DATE"),
the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one
Preferred Share Purchase Right (a "RIGHT") for each Common Share (as hereinafter
defined) of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as hereinafter
defined) on August 31, 2001 (the "RECORD DATE"), each Right representing the
right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement), having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the
form of Certificate of Determination attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and further authorized and
directed the issuance of one Right (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to
the provisions of this Agreement) with respect to each Common Share that shall
become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution
Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), and
incertain circumstances after the Distribution Date;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises 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 who or which, together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of
15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as the result of an acquisition
of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares
outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by
such Person to 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share
purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company,
become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company
(other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company
on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or pursuant to a split or
subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), then such Person shall be deemed
to be an
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Acquiring Person unless upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional
Common Shares of the Company such Person does not beneficially own 15% or more
of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, (i) if the Company's Board of Directors determines in good faith that
a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to
the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently
(including, without limitation, because (A) such Person was unaware that it
beneficially owned a percentage of the Common Shares that would otherwise cause
such Person to be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a), or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of
the Common Shares it beneficially owned but had no actual knowledge of the
consequences of such beneficial ownership under this Agreement) and without any
intention of changing or influencing control of the Company, but in no event if
such Person beneficially owned or owns in excess of 16% of the Common Shares of
the Company then outstanding, and if such Person divested or divests as promptly
as practicable a sufficient number of Common shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have
become an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement; and (ii) if, as
of the date hereof, any Person is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the
Common Shares outstanding, such Person shall not be or become an "Acquiring
Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a),
unless and until such time as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of
additional Common Shares (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid
or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or
pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), unless,
upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares, such Person
is not then the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares then
outstanding.
(b) "ADJUSTMENT FRACTION" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(i) hereof.
(c) "AFFILIATE" and "ASSOCIATE" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "BENEFICIAL OWNER" of and shall be
deemed to "BENEFICIALLY OWN" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of Section
13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or
successor law or regulation);
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed pursuant to this Section
1(d)(ii)(A) to be the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, (1)
securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf
of such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such
tendered
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securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (2) securities which a
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to have
the right to acquire pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement
between the Company and such Person (or one Associates) if such agreement has
been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to there being an
Acquiring Person; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security under this
Section 1(d)(ii)(B) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such
Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to,
and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act
and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or
any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any
other Person (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 to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(d)(ii)(B)) or
disposing of any securities of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no case
shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (x) the Beneficial Owner
of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity
as officers or directors of the Company or (y) the Beneficial Owner of
securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, other than the officer or director, by
reason of any influence that such officer or director may have over the voting
of the securities held in the plan.
(e) "BUSINESS DAY" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a
day on which banking institutions in California are authorized or obligated by
law or executive order to close.
(f) "CLOSE OF BUSINESS" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Pacific
Time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a Business Day
it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Pacific Time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "COMMON SHARES" when used with reference to the Company shall mean
the shares of Common Stock of the Company. Common Shares when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or
equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such
other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(h) "COMMON STOCK EQUIVALENTS" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "COMPANY" shall mean VIB Corp, a California corporation, subject to
the terms of Section 13(a)(iii)(C) hereof.
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(j) "CURRENT PER SHARE MARKET PRICE" of any security (a "Security" for
purposes of this definition), for all computations other than those made
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall mean the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive
Trading Days immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations
made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Per Share Market Price
of any Security on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such Security for the ten (10) consecutive Trading
Days immediately prior to such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that
the Current Per Share Market Price of the Security is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (i) a dividend or
distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities
convertible into such shares or (ii) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of the applicable
thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) 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 Current Per
Share Market Price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market
price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day
shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in
either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last sale price or, if such last sale price is not reported, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as
reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the
Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in
the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such
date no market maker is making a market in the Security, the fair value of such
shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company shall be used. If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the
Current Per Share Market Price of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively
deemed to be the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Shares as
determined pursuant to this Section 1(j), as appropriately adjusted to reflect
any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof, multiplied by 1000. If the Security is not publicly held or so listed or
traded, Current Per Share Market Price shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(k) "CURRENT VALUE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(l) "DISTRIBUTION DATE" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth
day after the Shares Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close
of Business on the Record Date) or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Company's
Board of Directors) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established
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by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published
or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if, assuming the successful consummation
thereof, such Person would be an Acquiring Person.
(m) "EQUIVALENT SHARES" shall mean Preferred Shares and any other class
or series of capital stock of the Company which is entitled to the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares.
(n) "EXCHANGE ACT" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
(o) "EXCHANGE RATIO" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a)
hereof.
(p) "EXERCISE PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a)
hereof.
(q) "EXPIRATION DATE" shall mean the earliest to occur of: (i) the Close
of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the Redemption Date, or (iii) the
time at which the Board of Directors orders the exchange of the Rights as
provided in Section 24 hereof.
(r) "FINAL EXPIRATION DATE" shall mean August 14, 2011.
(s) "INTERESTED PERSON" with respect to a Transaction shall mean any
Person who (i) is or will become an Acquiring Person if the Transaction were to
be consummated or an Affiliate or Associate of such a Person, and (ii) is, or
directly or indirectly proposed, nominated or financially supported a director
of the Company in office at the time of consideration of the Transaction in
question who was elected by written consent of shareholders.
(t) "NASDAQ" shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc. Automated Quotations System.
(u) "PERSON" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other
entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(v) "POST-EVENT TRANSFEREE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(e) hereof.
(w) "PREFERRED SHARES" shall mean shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock of the Company.
(x) "PRE-EVENT TRANSFEREE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(e) hereof.
(y) "PRINCIPAL PARTY" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b)
hereof.
(z) "RECORD DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at
the beginning of this Agreement.
(aa) "REDEMPTION DATE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a)
hereof.
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(bb) "REDEMPTION PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
23(a) hereof.
(cc) "RIGHTS AGENT" shall mean U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation or its
successor or replacement as provided in Sections 19 and 21 hereof.
(dd) "RIGHTS CERTIFICATE" shall mean a certificate substantially in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
(ee) "RIGHTS DIVIDEND DECLARATION DATE" shall have the meaning set forth
in the recitals at the beginning of this Agreement.
(ff) "SECTION 11(a)(ii) TRIGGER DATE" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(gg) "SECTION 13 EVENT" shall mean any event described in clause (i),
(ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(hh) "SECURITIES ACT" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(ii) "SHARES ACQUISITION DATE" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such;
PROVIDED THAT, if such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring
Person pursuant to Section 1(a) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be
deemed to have occurred.
(jj) "SPREAD" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(kk) "SUBSIDIARY" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect a majority of
the directors or Persons having similar authority of such corporation or other
entity is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or any
corporation or other entity otherwise controlled by such Person.
(ll) "SUBSTITUTION PERIOD" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(mm) "SUMMARY OF RIGHTS" shall mean a summary of this Agreement
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.
(nn) "TOTAL EXERCISE PRICE" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) hereof.
(oo) "TRADING DAY" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which a referenced security is listed or admitted to
trading is open for the transaction of business or, if a referenced security is
not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a
Business Day.
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(pp) "TRANSACTION" shall mean any merger, consolidation or sale of
assets described in Section 13(a) hereof or any acquisition of Common Shares
which would result in a Person becoming an Acquiring Person.
(qq) A "TRIGGERING EVENT" shall be deemed to have occurred upon any
Person becoming an Acquiring Person.
SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the
Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof,
shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares)
in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby
accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such
co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. The Rights Agent shall
have no liability for or duty to supervise any such co-Rights Agent.
SECTION 3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of Sections 3(b) and 3(c) hereof) by the certificates
for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which
certificates shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate
Rights Certificates and (ii) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for
transfer of certificates for Common Shares shall also constitute the surrender
for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented
thereby. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will
prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will
send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by
first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of
the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate evidencing one Right
for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the
event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made
pursuant to Section 11 hereof, then at the time of distribution of the Rights
Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates and may be
transferred by the transfer of the Rights Certificates as permitted hereby,
separately and apart from any transfer of Common Shares, and the holders of such
Rights Certificates as listed in the records of the Company or any transfer
agent or registrar for the Rights shall be the record holders thereof.
(b) On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company
will send a copy of the Summary of Rights by first-class, postage-prepaid mail,
to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Record
Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company's
transfer agent and registrar. With respect to certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will
be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof
together with the Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if
earlier, the Expiration Date), the
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surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the
Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby.
(c) Unless the Board of Directors by resolution adopted at or before the
time of the issuance of any Common Shares specifies to the contrary, Rights
shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares that are issued after the Record
Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date
or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the
Distribution Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall also be
deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:
THIS CERTIFICATE ALSO EVIDENCES AND ENTITLES THE HOLDER HEREOF TO
CERTAIN RIGHTS AS SET FORTH IN A RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN VIB CORP AND
U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION, AS THE RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF AUGUST
14, 2001 (THE "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE HEREBY
INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AND A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE AT THE
PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF VIB CORP. 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. VIB CORP WILL MAIL TO THE HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFICATE A COPY
OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE AFTER RECEIPT OF A WRITTEN
REQUEST THEREFOR. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT, RIGHTS ISSUED TO, OR HELD BY, ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR
BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE THEREOF (AS
SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), WHETHER CURRENTLY HELD
BY OR ON BEHALF OF SUCH PERSON OR BY ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER, MAY BECOME
NULL AND VOID.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until
the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such
certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented thereby.
(d) In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common
shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights
associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that
the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the
Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the form of Election to Purchase the
Preferred Shares and the form of Assignment to be printed on the reverse
thereof) shall 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
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as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be
required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made
pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or
automated quotation system, on which the Rights may from time to time be listed
or included, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and
Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated
as of the Record Date (or in the case of Rights issued with respect to Common
Shares issued by the Company after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance
of such Common Shares) and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to
purchase such number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set
forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share being hereinafter referred to as the
"EXERCISE PRICE" and the aggregate Exercise Price of all Preferred Shares
issuable upon exercise of one Right being hereinafter referred to as the "TOTAL
EXERCISE PRICE"), but the number and type of securities purchasable upon the
exercise of each Right and the Exercise Price shall be subject to adjustment as
provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Company's Board of Directors has determined
is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose
or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued
pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement
or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence,
shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR
AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial
Officer, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either
manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's
seal (if any) or a facsimile thereof. The Rights Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless
countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of
the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights
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Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates,
nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered
by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed
such Rights Certificates on behalf of the Company had not ceased to be such
officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of
the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such
Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights
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 its office designated for such purposes, books for registration
and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show
the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates,
the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates
and the date of each of the Rights Certificates. In case any authorized
signatory of the Rights Agent who shall have countersigned any of the Rights
Certificates shall cease to be such signatory before delivery of the Rights
Certificates by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the
person who countersigned such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such
signatory; and any Rights Certificate may be countersigned on behalf of the
Rights Agent by any person who, at the actual date of the countersignature of
such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper signatory of the Rights Agent to
countersign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of
this Agreement any such person was not such a signatory.
SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES;
MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 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 Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to
purchase a like number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a
Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as
the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled such
holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up,
combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates shall make
such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined
or exchanged at the principal office of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights
Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with
respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the
registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in
the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights 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 Sections
7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.
The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split
up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
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(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 Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated.
SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; EXERCISE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.
(a) Subject to Sections 7(e), 23(b), 23(c), 24(b), 24(g), 27(a) and
27(b) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the
Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Close of Business
on the Expiration Date by surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of
Election to Purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the principal office of the Rights Agent, together with payment of the
Exercise Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or, following a
Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) as
to which the Rights are exercised.
(b) The Exercise Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be FORTY DOLLARS
($40.00), shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United
States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of Election to Purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Exercise Price for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets
as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable
transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in
accordance with Section 9(e) hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer
agent for the Preferred Shares) a certificate or certificates for the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) to be purchased and the
Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such
requests or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) issuable upon exercise of
the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary
agent depositary receipts representing such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or
other assets as the case may be) as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the Preferred Shares (or, following a Triggering Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) represented by such
receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and
the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request,
(ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be
paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14
hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause
the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Rights Certificate,
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registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv)
when appropriate, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order
of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Exercise
Price (as such amount may be reduced (including to zero) pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof) and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required
to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in accordance with Section
9(e) hereof, may be made in cash or by certified bank check, cashier's check or
bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is
obligated to issue securities of the Company other than Preferred Shares, pay
cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the
Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash
and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and
when appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to
his or her 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 Triggering Event, any Rights beneficially owned
by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person,
(ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate)
who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such (a "POST-EVENT
TRANSFEREE"), (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either
(A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to
holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom
the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Company's Board of
Directors 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) (a
"PRE-EVENT TRANSFEREE") or (iv) any subsequent transferee receiving transferred
Rights from a Post-Event Transferee or a Pre-Event Transferee, either directly
or through one or more intermediate transferees, shall become null and void
without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights
whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this
Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to 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 Rights Certificates or to any
other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect
to an Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring Person's Affiliates, Associates
or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither
the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with
respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as
set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall, in addition to
having complied with the requirements of Section 7(a), have (i) completed and
signed the certificate contained in the form of Election to Purchase set forth
on the reverse side of the Rights 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.
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SECTION 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company
or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in
canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it,
and no Rights 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 Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such
case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED SHARES.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will use its best efforts
to cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued
Preferred Shares not reserved for another purpose (and, following the occurrence
of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued Common Shares and/or
other securities), the number of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence
of the Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) that will be
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights. The Company
covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to
ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights (and,
following the date on which a person becomes an Acquiring Person, out of its
authorized and unissued Common Shares and/or other securities or out of its
authorized and issued shares held in the treasury) shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares or Common Shares (subject
to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly authorized, validly issued and fully
paid and nonassessable shares.
(b) If the Company shall hereafter list any of its Preferred Shares on a
national securities exchange, then so long as the Preferred Shares (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon exercise of the Rights may be listed
on such exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and
after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it
is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for
such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance
upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights is described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section
11(a)(iii)hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution
Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act with
respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as
soon as practicable after such filing and (iii) cause such registration
statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of
which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and (B) the date
of expiration of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period
not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the
first sentence of this Section 9 (c) the exercisability of the Rights in order
to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective. Upon any such suspension, the
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Company shall issue a public announcement stating, and notify the Rights Agent,
that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as
a public announcement and notification to the Rights Agent at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. The Company will also take such action as may
be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky"
laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction, unless the requisite qualification
in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained, or an exemption therefrom shall
be available, and until a registration statement has been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or other securities of
the Company) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of
the certificates for such securities (subject to payment of the Exercise Price),
be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable
shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due
and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may
be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights
Certificates or of any Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company)
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
Rights Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of
certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares (or other
securities of the Company) in a name other than that of, the registered holder
of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue
or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares (or
other securities of the Company) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such
tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights 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. RECORD DATE.
Each Person in whose name any certificate fora number of one-thousandths
of a Preferred Share (or other securities of the Company) is issued upon the
exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of
record of the Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company) represented
thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights
Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the
Exercise Price with respect to which the Rights have been exercised (and any
applicable transfer taxes) was made; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the date of such
surrender and payment is a date upon which the 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 transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of
the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be
entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares (or other securities of
the Company) 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.
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SECTION 11. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS.
The Exercise Price, the number and kind of shares or other property
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) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A)
declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B)
subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding
Preferred Shares (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of
Preferred Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
or surviving corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11 and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) 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 shall be adjusted so that
the Exercise Price thereafter shall equal the result obtained by dividing the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such time by a fraction (the
"ADJUSTMENT FRACTION"), the numerator of which shall be the total number of
Preferred Shares (or shares of capital stock issued in such reclassification of
the Preferred Shares) outstanding immediately following such time and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of Preferred Shares outstanding
immediately prior to such time; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon
exercise of such Right; and (2) the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or share of such other capital stock) issuable upon the exercise of each
Right shall equal the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or share
of such other capital stock) as was issuable upon exercise of a Right
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses(A)-(D) of
this Section 11(a)(i), multiplied by the Adjustment Fraction; provided, however,
that, no such adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i) to the
extent that there shall have simultaneously occurred an event described in
clause (A), (B), (C) or (D) of Section 11(n) with a proportionate adjustment
being made thereunder. Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an
adjustment has been made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i) shall have associated
with it the number of Rights, exercisable at the Exercise Price and for the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) as one Common Share has associated with it immediately following the
adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(I).
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event a
Triggering Event shall have occurred, then promptly following such Triggering
Event each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement and payment of the Exercise Price in
effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event, in lieu of a
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares of
the Company as shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the Exercise Price
in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event by the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
(or would have been exercisable if the Distribution Date had occurred)
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering Event, and dividing
that product by 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price for Common Shares on
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the date of occurrence of the Triggering Event; provided, however, that the
Exercise Price and the number of Common Shares of the Company so receivable upon
exercise of a Right shall be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in
accordance with Section 11(e) hereof to reflect any events occurring in respect
of the Common Shares of the Company after the occurrence of the Triggering
Event.
(iii) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if the Company's Board of Directors
determines that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the
interest of holders of Rights and, in the event that the number of Common Shares
which are authorized by the Company's Articles of Incorporation but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of
the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights, or
if any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance has not been obtained by
the Company, the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the
Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "CURRENT VALUE") over
(2) the Exercise Price (such excess, the "SPREAD") and (B) with respect to each
Right, make adequate provision to substitute for such Common Shares, upon
exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Exercise Price, (3)
other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or
units of shares of any series of preferred stock which the Company's Board of
Directors has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares (such shares or
units of shares of preferred stock are herein called "COMMON STOCK
EQUIVALENTS"), except to the extent that the Company has not obtained any
necessary shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, (4) debt
securities of the Company, except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance,(5)
other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value
equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by
the Company's Board of Directors based upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Company's Board of Directors;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to
deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the
later of (x) the first occurrence of a Triggering 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, Common
Shares (to the extent available), except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, and
then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal
to the Spread. If the Company's Board of Directors shall determine in good faith
that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized
for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights or that any necessary
regulatory approval for such issuance will be obtained, the thirty (30) day
period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more
than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that
the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such
additional shares or take action to obtain such regulatory approval (such
period, as it may be extended, the "SUBSTITUTION PERIOD"). To the extent that
the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first
and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(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, to take any action to obtain any required
regulatory approval and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof,
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including payments on a pro rata basis as funds and/or securities become
available. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the
Common Shares shall be the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Shares
on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any Common Stock
Equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such
date.
(iv) The failure by the Board of Directors of the Company to declare
a Person to be an Adverse Person following such Person becoming the Beneficial
Owner or Record Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares shall not
imply that such Person is not an Adverse Person or limit the Board of Directors'
right at any time in the future to declare such Person to be an Adverse Person.
(v) In the event that the Rights become exercisable or exchangeable
under the provisions of this Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees to use
its best efforts to (A) cause a registration statement under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or, if the Securities Act is not
applicable, under the comparable federal or state securities laws applicable to
the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, as in effect on the date in question,
and under the applicable Rules and Regulations thereunder, on an appropriate
form, with respect to the shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights or
exchangeable for such Rights, to remain effective (with a prospectus or offering
circular at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or any
other applicable federal or state law) until the Final Expiration Date; (B)
qualify or register the Common Shares or Preferred Shares purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights under the blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as may be
necessary or appropriate; and (C) list the shares purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights on each national securities exchange on which shares of the same
class or series were listed prior to exercisability of the Rights or, if such
shares are not listed or admitted to the trading on any national securities
exchange, with NASDAQ or such other system then in use. The Company covenants
and agrees to bear the full cost of any registration, qualification or listing
required under this Section 11(a)(v).
(b) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to
all holders of Preferred Shares entitling such holders (for a period expiring
within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or
purchase Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares or securities convertible into
Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares at a price per share (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or
Equivalent Shares) less than the then Current Per Share Market Price of the
Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares on such record date, then, in each such
case, 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
Preferred Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such record date,
plus the number of Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be,
which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares or
Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, to be offered or issued (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities to be offered
or issued) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of Preferred Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any)
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred Shares
or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, to be offered for subscription or
purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are
initially convertible);
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PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such
subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be
in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
determined in good faith by the Company's Board of Directors, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred
Shares and Equivalent Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company
shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the
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) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of
the Preferred Shares or of any class or series of Equivalent Shares (including
any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which
the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend, if any,
ora dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights, options or
warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), then, in each
such case, 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 Current Per Share
Market Price of a Preferred Share or an Equivalent Share on such record date,
less the fair market value per Preferred Share or Equivalent Share (as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of
the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a Preferred
Share or Equivalent Share, as the case may be, and the denominator of which
shall be such Current Per Share Market Price of a Preferred Share or Equivalent
Share on such record date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon
exercise of one Right. 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 be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would have
been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) 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(d) are not required to
be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent
adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest
cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one
hundred thousandth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the
first sentence of this Section 11(d), 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 requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(e) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)or
13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled
to receive any shares of capital
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stock other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so
receivable upon exercise of any Right and, if required, the Exercise Price
thereof, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on
terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the
Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(d), 11(g), 11(h),
11(i), 11(j), 11(k) and 11(l) hereof, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10,
13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms
to any such other shares.
(f) 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-thousandths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(g) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in
Section 11(h) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price as a result of
the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, 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 Preferred
Shares (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share) obtained by
(i) multiplying (x) the number of Preferred Shares covered by a Right
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.
(h) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Exercise Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) or (c)
hereof to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the
number of Preferred Shares purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the
Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be
exercisable for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of
record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number
of Rights (calculated to the nearest one 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 Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least
ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights
Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights
pursuant to this Section 11(h), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable,
cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such
record date Rights 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 Rights
Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon
surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights 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 Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
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(i) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or
the number of Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the Exercise Price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share and the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Rights
Certificates issued hereunder.
(j) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Exercise Price below the par or stated value, if any, of the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 as
fully paid and nonassessable shares such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share at such adjusted Exercise Price.
(k) 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 of
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 shall deliver to such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment. The Company shall give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of its
election to defer the issuance of Preferred Shares.
(l) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, prior
to the Distribution Date, 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 it in its sole discretion shall
determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of
the Preferred or Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred
or Common Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash of Preferred or Common Shares or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred or Common Shares, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred or Common
Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(m) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date,
it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or
permit to be taken) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(n) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this
Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares,
(B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Common
Shares (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of Common
Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in are classification of
the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise provided in this
Section 11(a) and
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Section 7(e) hereof: (1) each Common Share (or shares of capital stock issued in
such reclassification of the Common Shares) outstanding immediately following
such time shall have associated with it the number of Rights as were associated
with one Common Share immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described
in clauses (A)-(D) above; (2) 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 shall be adjusted so that the Exercise Price
thereafter shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the Exercise Price in
effect immediately prior to such time by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the
event described in clauses (A)-(D) above, and the denominator of which shall be
the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of such Right; and (3) the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) issuable upon the exercise of each Right outstanding after such event
shall equal the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of
such other capital stock) as were issuable with respect to one Right immediately
prior to such event. Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an
adjustment has been made pursuant to this Section 11(n) shall have associated
with it the number of Rights, exercisable at the Exercise Price and for the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) as one Common Share has associated with it immediately following the
adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(n). If an event occurs which would
require an adjustment under both this Section 11(n) and Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be in addition
to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED EXERCISE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof,
the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred
Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each
holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such
certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such
adjustment or the force or effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The
Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on
any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of
such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER.
(a) In the event that, following a Triggering Event, directly or
indirectly:
(i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any
other Person (other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the state of
incorporation of the Company and which complies with Section 11(m) hereof);
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(ii) any Person shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with
and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such merger,
all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or
other securities of any other person (or the Company); or
(iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more
of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person or Persons (other than the Company or one or more of its wholly
owned Subsidiaries in one or more transactions, each of which individually (and
together) complies with Section 11(m) hereof), then, concurrent with and in each
such case,
(A) each holder of a Right (except as provided in Section 7(e)
hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at
a price equal to the Total Exercise Price applicable immediately prior to the
occurrence of the Section 13 Event in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as
hereinafter defined),free of any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or
other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing such
Total Exercise Price by 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common
Shares of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13
Event, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Exercise Price and the number of Common
Shares of such Principal Party so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be
subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(e)
hereof;
(B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and
shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties
of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to
such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of
Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
(D) such Principal Party shall take such steps(including, but
not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares) in
connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to
ensure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as
reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon
the exercise of the Rights; and
(E) upon the subsequent occurrence of any consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary transaction in respect of such
Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive,
upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Total Exercise Price as provided in
this Section 13(a), such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property which
such holder would have been entitled to receive had such holder, at the time of
such transaction, owned the Common Shares of the Principal Party receivable upon
the exercise of such Right pursuant to this Section 13(a), and such Principal
Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, reservation of
shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the
Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights,
warrants and other property.
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(F) For purposes hereof, the "earning power" of the Company and
its Subsidiaries shall be determined in good faith by the Company's Board of
Directors on the basis of the operating earnings of each business operated by
the Company and its Subsidiaries during the three fiscal years preceding the
date of such determination (or, in the case of any business not operated by the
Company or any Subsidiary during three full fiscal years preceding such date,
during the period such business was operated by the Company or any Subsidiary).
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, the term "PRINCIPAL PARTY" shall
mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (i) or (ii)
of Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of the securities
into which the Common Shares are converted in such merger or consolidation, or,
if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the Common Shares of which
have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, or (B) if no
securities are so issued, (x) the Person that is the other party to the merger,
if such Person survives said merger, or, if there is more than one such Person,
the Person the Common Shares of which have the greatest aggregate market value
of shares outstanding or (y) if the Person that is the other party to the merger
does not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the merger (including
the Company if it survives) or (z) the Person resulting from the consolidation;
and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (iii) of
Section 13(a) hereof, 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 more than one Person that is a party to such transaction
or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so
transferred and each such portion would, were it not for the other equal
portions, constitute the greatest portion of the assets or earning power so
transferred, or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or
earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any such case described in the foregoing clause
(b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time or
have not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so
registered, the term "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or
(2)if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one
Person, the Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, the term
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding,
or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture
formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly by the
same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to
each of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the Person owned by
the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and
the Principal Party in each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in
this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the
total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless the
Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized Common Shares that
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of
the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the
Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement confirming that such Principal Party shall, upon
consummation of such Section 13 Event, assume this Agreement in accordance with
Sections
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13(a) and 13(b) hereof, that all rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in
respect of the issuance of Common Shares of such Principal Party upon exercise
of outstanding Rights have been waived, that there are no rights, warrants,
instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which,
as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or
substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights and
that such transaction shall not result in a default by such Principal Party
under this Agreement, and further providing that, as soon as practicable after
the date of such Section 13 Event, such Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities
Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such
filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Expiration Date, and similarly comply with applicable
state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the
Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a national
securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for quotation on
Nasdaq and list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on Nasdaq; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for such Principal Party which comply in all respects with the
requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act.
In the event that at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering Event
some or all of the Rights shall not have been exercised at the time of a
transaction described in this Section 13, the Rights which have not theretofore
been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable in the manner described in
Section 13(a) (without taking into account any prior adjustment required by
Section 11(a)(ii)).
(d) In case the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof
has provision in any of its authorized securities or in its certificate of
incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs,
which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to
issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to Section 13 hereof), in
connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a Section 13 Event,
Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at less than the then
Current Per Share Market Price thereof or securities exercisable for, or
convertible into, Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at
less than such then Current Per Share Market Price, or (ii) providing for any
special payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the
Common Shares of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13
hereof, then, in such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of
Rights that it 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.
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(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date, effect or permit to occur any Section 13 Event, if
(i) at the time or immediately after such Section 13 Event there are any rights,
warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect
which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended
to be afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such Section 13 Event, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or
would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof
shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or
any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization
of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights.
(f) 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 or to
distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such
fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable, as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 1(j) hereof.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Interests
infractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a
depositary selected by it; PROVIDED, that such agreement shall provide that the
holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and
preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred
Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred
Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at
the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a Preferred Share. For purposes
of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be
one thousand times the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant
to the second sentence of Section 1(j) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares
upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such fractional Common
Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates
at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal
to the same fraction of the current market value of a Common Share. For purposes
of this Section 14(c), the current market value of a Common Share shall be the
closing price of a
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Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 1(j)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of a Right.
SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION.
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights
of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the
respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any
registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date,
of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder
of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the
Common Shares), may, in his or her own behalf and for his or her own benefit,
enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against
the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his or her right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided
in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
SECTION 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS.
Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with
the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only
in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates
fully executed; and
(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights
Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate(or,
prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights
Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other
than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the
contrary.
SECTION 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote,
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of the Preferred
Shares or any other securities of the
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Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights
Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights 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 Rights 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 reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability in the premises. In no event will the Rights Agent be liable for
special, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind
whatsoever, even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the possibility of such
loss or damage.
(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 Rights
Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for
other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to
be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of
counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
SECTION 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(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 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, HOWEVER, 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 Rights 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 Rights
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent;
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and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Rights 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 Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned
but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its
prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that
time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name
or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall
have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
SECTION 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this
Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company
and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be
bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the written advice or 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
written advice or 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 and the
determination of Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by the
Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter
(unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed)
maybe deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed
by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the
President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken
or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
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 Rights 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 Rights Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights or any
adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount
thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11,13,
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23 or 24, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any
such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of a
certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 hereof describing such change or
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from anyone
of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any
Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of
any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from
the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any
action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such
omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action
taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five (5) Business Days after the
date any officer of the Company actually 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 Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that
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repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights 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 and/or 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.
(l) The Company agrees to give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of
any event or ownership that comes to the Company's attention that would prohibit
the exercise or transfer of the Rights Certificates.
SECTION 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent or any success or Rights Agent may resign and be
discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in
writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Preferred Shares
and the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed
to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each
transfer agent of the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become
incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.
If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty
(30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in
writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated
Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such
notice, submit his or her Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor
Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
of any state of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust or shareholder services 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 $10 million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if
it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but
the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights 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.
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SECTION 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights
to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price and the number or kind or
class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the
Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the
Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to
the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement or upon
the exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities of the Company
outstanding at the date hereof or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue
Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection
with such issuance or sale; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (i) no such Rights
Certificate shall be issued and this sentence shall be null and void AB INITIO
if, and to the extent that, such issuance or this sentence would create a
significant risk of or result in material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued or would
create a significant risk of or result in such options' or employee plans' or
arrangements' failing to qualify for otherwise available special tax treatment
and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance
thereof.
SECTION 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Company may, at its option and with the approval of the Board of
Directors, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii)
the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than
all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being herein
referred to as the "REDEMPTION PRICE") and the Company may, at its option, pay
the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the Current Per Share
Market Price thereof at the time of redemption) or cash. Such redemption of the
rights by the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with
such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
The date on which the Board of Directors elects to make the redemption effective
shall be referred to as the "REDEMPTION DATE."
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed
with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice,
the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of
the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company
shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that the failure to give or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the
validity of such redemption. Within ten (10) days after the action of the Board
of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give
notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then
outstanding Rights by mailing such notice 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 Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the
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holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method
by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company
nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for
value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set
forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection
with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23(a) hereof, in the event
that a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by
shareholder action by written consent, then until the earlier to occur of (i)
180th day following the effectiveness of such election or (ii) the next regular
annual meeting of shareholders of the Company following the effectiveness of
such election (including any postponement or adjournment thereof), the Rights
shall not be redeemed if such redemption is reasonably likely to have the
purpose or effect of facilitating a Transaction with an Interested Person.
SECTION 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to
Section 24(c) below, the Company may, at its option, by action of the Board of
Directors, at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering 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 Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "EXCHANGE RATIO"). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any
time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner
of more than 60% of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) and without any further action
and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and
the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that
number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder
multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall give public notice of any
such exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in,
such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company shall
mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their
last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any
notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be
effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which
will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the
number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued
but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights
as contemplated in accordance with Section 24(a), the Company shall either take
such action as may be necessary to
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authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or,
alternatively, at the option of a majority of the Board of Directors, with
respect to each Right (i) pay cash in an amount equal to the Current Value (as
hereinafter defined) in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange therefor, or
(ii) issue debt or equity securities or a combination thereof, having a value
equal to the Current Value, in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange for
each such Right, where the value of such securities shall be determined by a
nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by majority vote of the
Board of Directors, or (iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, Common
Shares and/or other securities having a value equal to the Current Value in
exchange for each Right. To the extent that any legal or contractual
restrictions prevent the Company from paying the full amount of cash payable in
accordance with the foregoing sentence, the Company may pay to holders of the
Rights as to which such payments are being made all amounts that are not then
restricted on a pro rata basis. The Company may continue to make payments on a
pro rata basis as funds become available until such payments have been paid in
full. The Company shall provide the Rights Agent with written notice of any
election made pursuant to this Section 24(c). For purposes of this Section 24(c)
only, the Current Value shall mean the product of the Current Per Share Market
Price of Common Shares on the date of the occurrence of the event described
above in subparagraph (a), multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which
the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient shares
available. To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be
taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 24(c), the Board of
Directors may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period
of up to sixty (60) days following the date on which the event described in
Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any authorization of
additional Common Shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution
to be made pursuant to the above provision and to determine the value thereof.
In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In
lieu of such fractional Common Shares, there shall be paid to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common
Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction
of the current market value of a whole Common Share (as determined pursuant to
the second sentence of Section 1(j) hereof).
(e) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of
Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially
equivalent value, as determined reasonably and with good faith by the Board of
Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms.
(f) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(e) hereof 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 rights in exchange therefor as has been determined by the Board
of Directors in accordance with Section 24(e) hereof. The Company shall give
public notice of any such exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give,
or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.
The Company 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 transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company.
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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 Rights will be effected.
(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 24, in the event that
a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by shareholder
action by written consent, then until the earlier to occur of (i) the 180th day
following the effectiveness of such election or (ii) the next regular annual
meeting of shareholders of the Company following the effectiveness of such
election (including any postponement or adjournment thereof), this Rights shall
not be exchanged pursuant hereto if such exchange would be reasonably likely to
have the purpose or effect of facilitating a Transaction with an Interested
Person.
SECTION 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall propose to effect or permit to occur any
Triggering Event or Section 13 Event, the Company shall give notice thereof to
each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof at least twenty (20)
days prior to occurrence of such Triggering Event or such Section 13 Event.
(b) In case any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event shall occur, then,
in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Rights Certificate, 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 Sections 11(a)(ii) and 13
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 Rights Certificate to or on the Company
shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights
Agent) as follows:
VIB Corp
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: President
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder
of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given
or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by
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first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
SECTION 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS.
(a) Prior to the occurrence of a Distribution Date, the Company may
supplement or amend this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any
holders of Rights and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, execute
such supplement or amendment. From and after the occurrence of a Distribution
Date, the Company and the Rights Agent may from time to time supplement or amend
this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights in order to (i)
cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained herein
which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii)
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement
the provisions hereunder in any manner that the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and that shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person); PROVIDED, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended
to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period
relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not
then redeemable or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the
purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the
benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that 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
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 27(a) hereof, in the event
that a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by
shareholder action by written consent, then until the earlier to occur of (i)
the 180th day following the effectiveness of such election or (ii) the next
regular annual meeting of shareholders of the Company following the
effectiveness of such election (including any postponement or adjournment
thereof), this Rights Agreement shall not be supplemented or amended in any
manner reasonably likely to have the purpose or effect of facilitating a
Transaction with an Interested Person.
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, ETC.
(a) For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of
Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which
any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last
sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive
power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
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powers specifically granted to the Board, or the Company, or as may be necessary
or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other parties and
(y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
(b) In taking any action referred to in Section 29(a), the Board of
Directors shall be entitled to consider, without limitation, the financial and
managerial resources and future prospects of an Acquiring Person, the possible
effects of the action on the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and on
the employees, customers, suppliers and creditors of the Company and its
Subsidiaries and the effects on the communities in which the Company's and its
Subsidiaries' facilities are located.
SECTION 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other
than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal
or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement
shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and
the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
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
this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement,
the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and
shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the date
of such determination by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 32. GOVERNING LAW.
This Agreement and each Right and each Rights Certificate issued
hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of
California and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed
entirely within such State.
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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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
"COMPANY" VIB CORP
By: ______________________________________
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title: President
By: ______________________________________
Name: Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: Secretary
"RIGHTS AGENT" U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION
By: ______________________________________
Name: Xxxx Xxxx
Title: Senior Vice President
By: ______________________________________
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Assistant Vice President
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EXHIBIT A
VIB CORP
CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION
The undersigned, Xxxxxx X. Xxxx and Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, do hereby certify:
1. That they are the duly elected and acting President and Secretary,
respectively, of VIB Corp, a California corporation (the "Corporation").
2. That the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation authorize the
issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock.
3. That, pursuant to the resolutions set forth in Paragraph 5 hereof,
the Board of Directors of the Corporation has authorized the issuance of, and
designated the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of 200,000
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
4. That none of the shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
have been issued by the Corporation.
5. That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors
by the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation and Section 401 of the
Corporations Code, the Board of Directors at a meeting duly held on August 14,
2001 adopted the following resolutions creating a series of 200,000 shares of
Preferred Stock designated as Series A Participating Preferred Stock:
"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the
Board of Directors of the Corporation by its Articles of Incorporation and
Section 401 of the Corporations Code, the Board of Directors does hereby provide
for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation and does hereby
fix and herein state and express the designations, powers, preferences and
relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and
restrictions of such series of Preferred Stock as follows:
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT.
The shares of such series shall be designated as "SERIES A PARTICIPATING
PREFERRED STOCK." The number of shares constituting such series shall be
200,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of
the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock to a number less than the
number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for
issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon
the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation
convertible into Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
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SECTION 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(a) Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any shares
of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred 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 last day
of January, April, July and October in each year (each such date being referred
to herein as a "QUARTERLY DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE"), commencing on the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction
of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share
(rounded to the nearest cent) equal to 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 A Participating Preferred
Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any
dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or effect a
subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then
in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
(b) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue on outstanding shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Participating 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 A Participating
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 from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid
dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A
Participating 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
prorata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.
The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of
a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
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SECTION 3. VOTING RIGHTS.
The holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall
have the following voting rights:
(a) Each share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle
the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
shareholders of the Corporation.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of
Determination creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by
law, the holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock and the
holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all
matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(c) Except as required by law, holders of Series A Participating
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) The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any
distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it
shall declare a dividend on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as
required by Section 2 hereof.
(b) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Participating
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 A Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on, 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 Series A Participating Preferred
Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Participating Preferred
Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Participating
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 A Participating Preferred
Stock;
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(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a
parity with the Series A Participating 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.
(c) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation
to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (a) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
SECTION 5. REACQUIRED SHARES.
Any shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock purchased or
otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired
and canceled promptly after the acquisition there of. 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, in the Articles of Incorporation,
as then amended, or in any other Certificate of Determination creating a series
of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
SECTION 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP.
Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the
assets of the Corporation available for distribution shall be distributed as
follows: First, the holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
shall be entitled to receive, prior and in preference to any payment to holders
of Common Stock, an aggregate amount per share equal to $1,000.00 plus an amount
equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock. Following such payment, the holders of shares of
Common Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share equal to
$1.00 plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends on such shares of
Common Stock. Following the payment of the aforesaid preferential amounts, the
remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution shall be
distributed to the holders of Common Stock and Series A Participating Preferred
Stock, with the holders of Series A Participating Preferred Stock entitled to
receive for each such share 1000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed
per share to holders of shares of Common Stock. In the event the Corporation
shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation
of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than
by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser
number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to
which holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock were entitled
immediately prior to such event 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.
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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 A Participating 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. In the event the Corporation
shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation
of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than
by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser
number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in
the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
SECTION 8. NO REDEMPTION.
The shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall not be
redeemable.
SECTION 9. RANKING.
The Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all
other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends
and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall
provide otherwise.
SECTION 10. FRACTIONAL SHARES.
Series A Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a
share 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 A
Participating Preferred Stock.
SECTION 11. AMENDMENT.
The Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further
amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers,
preference or special rights of the Series A Participating Preferred Stock so as
to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock,
voting separately as a class.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President or any Vice President and the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of this Corporation be, and they hereby
are, authorized and directed to prepare and file a Certificate of Determination
in accordance with the foregoing
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resolution and the provisions of California law and to take such actions as they
may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of the foregoing
resolution."
6. That the foregoing Certificate of Determination has been duly
approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
We further declare under penalty of perjury that the matters set forth
in the foregoing Certificate of Determination are true and correct of our own
knowledge.
Executed at El Centro, California, on August 14, 2001.
------------------------------------
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, President
------------------------------------
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Secretary
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EXHIBIT B
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R- _____ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EARLIER OF: (i) AUGUST 14, 2011, (ii) THE DATE
TERMINATED BY THE COMPANY, OR (iii) THE DATE THE COMPANY EXCHANGES THE
RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER RIGHT ON THE
TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES,
RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME
NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR
WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING
PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH
TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT).ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS
CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH RIGHTS
AGREEMENT.]*
(*) The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable
and shall replace the preceding sentence.
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
VIB CORP
This certifies that ______________________________, or registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each
of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement dated as of August 14, 2001, (the "RIGHTS
AGREEMENT"), between VIB Corp, a California corporation (the "COMPANY"), and
U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation ( the "RIGHTS AGENT"), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Pacific Time, on August 14, 2011 at
the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as
Rights Agent, one one-thousandth (1/1,000) of a fully paid nonassessable share
of Series A Participating Preferred Stock (the "PREFERRED SHARES"), of the
Company, at an Exercise Price of FORTY DOLLARS ($40.00) per one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share (the "EXERCISE PRICE"), upon presentation and surrender of this
Rights Certificate with the form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate
duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon
exercise hereof)
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set forth above are the number and Exercise Price as of August 14, 2001 based on
the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights
Agreement, the Exercise Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or
other securities which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment
upon the happening of certain events.
This Rights 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 Rights 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 executive offices of
the Company and the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company, at its option, at
a redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in
whole or in part for Common Shares, substantially equivalent rights or other
consideration as determined by the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate amount of
securities as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
No fractional portion of less than one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby
but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred
Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a 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 Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
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WITNESS the facsimile signatures of the duly authorized officers of the
Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of _______________, 20____.
[SEAL]
ATTEST: VIB CORP
___________________________________ By: ________________________________
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Secretary Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, President
Countersigned:
U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION
as Rights Agent
By: ________________________________
Its: _______________________________
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FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the
Rights Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _____________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto
________________________________________________________ (please print name and
address of transferee) this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title
and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
____________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the
books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring 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, it [
] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: ________________, 20____
------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
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ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate)
To: ___________________________
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to
exercise_________________________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate
to purchase the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring 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, it [
] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: ___________________ , 20____ _________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
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NOTICE
Signatures in the foregoing Assignment or Election to Purchase must
conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
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EXHIBIT C
VIB CORP
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS
DISTRIBUTION AND The Board of Directors has declared a dividend
TRANSFER OF RIGHTS; of one Right for each share of VIB Corp Common
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE: Stock outstanding. Prior to the Distribution
Date referred to below, the Rights will be
evidenced by and trade with the certificates
for the Common Stock. After the Distribution
Date, VIB Corp (the "COMPANY") will mail Rights
Certificates to the Company's shareholders and
the Rights will become transferable apart from
the Common Stock.
DISTRIBUTION DATE: Rights will separate from the Common Stock and
become exercisable following (a) the tenth day
after a person or group acquires beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the Company's
Common Stock or (b) the tenth business day (or
such later date as may be determined by the
Company's Board of Directors) after a person or
group announces a tender or exchange offer, the
consummation of which would result in ownership
by a person or group of 15% or more of the
Company's Common Stock.
PREFERRED STOCK After the Distribution Date, each Right will
PURCHASABLE UPON entitle the holder to purchase for $40.00 (the
EXERCISE OF RIGHTS: "EXERCISE PRICE"), a fraction of a share of the
Company's Preferred Stock with economic terms
similar to that of one share of the Company's
Common Stock.
FLIP-IN: If an acquiror (an "ACQUIRING PERSON") obtains
15% or more of the Company's Common Stock THEN
each Right (other than Rights owned by an
Acquiring Person or its affiliates) will
entitle the holder thereof to purchase, for the
Exercise Price, a number of shares of the
Company's Common Stock having a then current
market value of twice the Exercise Price.
FLIP-OVER: If, after an Acquiring Person obtains 15% or
more of the Company's Common Stock, (a) the
Company merges into another entity, (b) an
acquiring entity merges into the Company or (c)
the Company sells more than 50% of the
Company's assets or earning power, THEN each
Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring
Person or its affiliates) will entitle the
holder thereof to purchase, for the
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Exercise Price, a number of shares of Common
Stock of the person engaging in the transaction
having a then current market value of twice the
Exercise Price.
EXCHANGE PROVISION: At any time after the date an Acquiring Person
obtains 15% or more of the Company's Common
Stock and prior to the acquisition by the
Acquiring Person of 60% of the outstanding
Common Stock, the Company's Board of Directors
may exchange the Rights (other than Rights
owned by the Acquiring Person or its
affiliates), in whole or in part, for shares of
Common Stock of the Company at an exchange
ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right
(subject to adjustment). However, if a majority
of the Company's Board of Directors is elected
by shareholder action by written consent, then
for a period of 180 days following such
election the Rights cannot be exchanged if such
exchange is reasonably likely to have the
purpose or effect of facilitating an
acquisition of the Company by a person or
entity who proposed, nominated or supported a
director of the Company so elected by written
consent (an "INTERESTED PERSON").
REDEMPTION OF Rights will be redeemable at the Company's
THE RIGHTS: option for $0.01 per Right at any time on or
prior to public announcement that a Person has
acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of
the Company's Common Stock (the "SHARES
ACQUISITION DATE"). However, if a majority of
the Company's Board of Directors is elected by
shareholder action by written consent, then for
a period of 180 days following such election
the Rights cannot be redeemed if such
redemption is reasonably likely to have the
purpose or effect of facilitating an
acquisition of the Company by an Interested
Person.
EXPIRATION OF The Rights expire on the earliest of (a) August
THE RIGHTS: 14, 2011, or (b) exchange or redemption of the
Rights as described above.
AMENDMENT OF The terms of the Rights and the Rights
TERMS OF RIGHTS: Agreement may be amended in any respect without
the consent of the Rights holders on or prior
to the Distribution Date; thereafter, the terms
of the Rights and the Rights Agreement may be
amended without the consent of the Rights
holders in order to cure any ambiguities or to
make changes which do not adversely affect the
interests of Rights holders (other than the
Acquiring Person). However, if a majority of
the Company's Board of Directors is elected by
shareholder action by written consent, then for
a period of 180 days following such election
the Rights Agreement cannot be
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amended in any manner reasonably likely to have
the purpose or effect of facilitating an
acquisition of the Company by an Interested
Person.
VOTING RIGHTS: Rights will not have any voting rights.
ANTI-DILUTION Rights will have the benefit of certain
PROVISIONS: customary anti-dilution provisions.
TAXES: The Rights distribution should not be taxable
for federal income tax purposes. However,
following an event which renders the Rights
exercisable or upon redemption of the Rights,
shareholders may recognize taxable income.
The foregoing is a summary of certain principal terms of the Shareholder
Rights Plan only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed
terms of the Rights Agreement dated as of August 14, 2001, between the Company
and the Rights Agent.
THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN VIB CORP
AND U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION DATED AS OF AUGUST 14, 2001.
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