AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.1
AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 4 (the “Amendment”), dated as of September 27, 2009, to the Rights
Agreement, dated November 29, 2004, by and between ASPECT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), and COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. (formerly EquiServe
Trust Company, N.A.), a national banking association, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”),
as amended on May 23, 2005, November 1, 2007 and June 2, 2008 (the “Rights Agreement”) is
being executed at the direction of the Company. Capitalized terms used in this Amendment and not
otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given them in the Rights Agreement.
WHEREAS, Section 27 of the Rights Agreement provides that, except as specifically set forth
therein, the Company may, in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the
Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of the Rights Agreement in any respect
without the approval of any holders of Rights, by action of its Board of Directors;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the Rights Agreement, the Company has delivered to the
Rights Agent a certificate signed by an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the
proposed amendment of the Rights Agreement is in compliance with the terms of Section 27 of the
Rights Agreement;
WHEREAS, United States Surgical Corporation (“Parent”), Transformer Delaware Corp.
(“Purchaser”) and the Company contemplate entering into an Agreement and Plan of Merger
(the “Merger Agreement”) providing for, among other things, the (i) a cash tender offer
(the “Offer”) by Purchaser to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of the
Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share the (the “Company Common Stock”), (ii)
the grant by the Company to Purchaser of the Top-Up Option (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and
(iii) following the consummation of the Offer, the merger of Purchaser with and into the Company
(the “Merger”), in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the
Merger Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Rights Agreement, as set forth herein, to facilitate
the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with the procedures for amendment of the Rights Agreement set
forth in Section 27 thereof, and in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual agreements herein
set forth, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 1.
(a) The definition of “Acquiring Person” in Section 1(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended by adding the following sentence to the end of said Section 1(a):
“Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, none of Parent, Purchaser or
any of their respective Affiliates or Associates shall be or become an Acquiring Person
solely by reason of, and the term “Acquiring Person” shall not include any of Parent,
Purchaser or any of their respective Affiliates or Associates, solely by reason of, (i) the
approval, execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement
(including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii) the
commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the
consummation or public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery,
performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements.”
(b) The definition of “Beneficial Owner” in Section 1(e) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended to add the following sentence at the end thereof:
“Notwithstanding anything in Section 1(e) to the contrary, none of Parent, Purchaser,
or any of their Affiliates or Associates, individually or collectively, shall be deemed the
“Beneficial Owner” or shall be deemed to “beneficially own” any shares of Common Stock
solely by reason of (i) the approval, execution, delivery, performance or public
announcement of the Merger Agreement (including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public
announcement of the Offer, (iii) the commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common
Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the consummation or public announcement of the Merger and
other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the
approval, execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting
Agreements.”
(c) The definition of “Distribution Date” in Section 1(n) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended to add the following at the end thereof immediately prior to the period:
“; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
a Distribution Date shall be deemed not to have occurred solely as a result of (i) the
approval, execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement
(including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii) the
commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the
consummation or public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery,
performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements”
(d) The definition of “Permitted Offer” in Section 1(u) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended by adding the following sentence to the end of said Section 1(u):
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Offer and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement shall constitute a “Permitted Offer” hereunder.”
(e) The definition of “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” in Section 1(ff) of the Rights Agreement is
hereby amended to add the following at the end thereof immediately prior to the period:
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“; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall be deemed not to have occurred, and the provisions of such
section shall not be made or given effect, solely as a result of (i) the approval,
execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement (including
any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii) the commencement
of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the consummation or
public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery, performance or
public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements”
(f) The definition of “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” in Section 1(gg) of the Rights
Agreement is hereby amended to add the following at the end thereof immediately prior to the
period:
“; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
a Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date shall be deemed not to have occurred solely as a result of
(i) the approval, execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger
Agreement (including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer,
(iii) the commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer,
(iv) the consummation or public announcement of the Merger and other transactions
contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval,
execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements”
(g) The definition of “Section 13 Event” in Section 1(hh) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended to add the following at the end thereof immediately prior to the period:
“; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
a Section 13 Event shall be deemed not to have occurred, and the provisions of such section
shall not be made or given effect, solely as a result of (i) the approval, execution,
delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement (including any
amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii) the commencement of
the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the consummation or
public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery, performance or
public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements”
(h) The definition of “Stock Acquisition Date” in Section 1(jj) of the Rights Agreement is
hereby amended to add the following sentence at the end thereof:
“Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Stock Acquisition Date
shall be deemed to have occurred solely as a result of (i) the approval, execution,
delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement
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(including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii)
the commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv)
the consummation or public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by
the Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery,
performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements.”
(i) The definition of “Triggering Event” in Section 1(oo) of the Rights Agreement is hereby
amended to add the following at the end thereof immediately prior to the period:
“; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, a
Triggering Event shall not be deemed to have occurred, solely as a result of (i) the
approval, execution, delivery, performance or public announcement of the Merger Agreement
(including any amendments thereto), (ii) the public announcement of the Offer, (iii) the
commencement of the Offer or the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to the Offer, (iv) the
consummation or public announcement of the Merger and other transactions contemplated by the
Merger Agreement, (v) the Top Up Option, or (vi) the approval, execution, delivery,
performance or public announcement of the Tender and Voting Agreements”
(j) Section 1 of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following definitions to
the end of Xxxxxxx 0 xx xxx xxxxxxxxxx (xx), (xx), (xx), (xx), (xx), (xx) and (vv):
(pp) “Merger” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Merger Agreement.
(qq) “Merger Agreement” shall mean that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among
Parent, Purchaser and the Company, dated as of September 27, 2009 (as such agreement may be
amended from time to time).
(rr) “Offer” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Merger Agreement.
(ss) “Parent” means United States Surgical Corporation, a company formed under the laws of
Delaware.
(uu) “Tender and Voting Agreements” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the
Merger Agreement.
(vv) “Top-Up Option” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Merger Agreement.
2. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 2. Section 2 of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to delete the
following language from the first sentence thereof: “and the holders of the
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Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be
the holders of the Common Stock)”.
3. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 5. Section 5(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to delete
the term “manually” from the second sentence thereof.
4. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7. Section 7(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended and restated
in its entirety to read as follows:
“(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may
exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including,
without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section
11(a)(iii) and Section 23 hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution
Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of
the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate
Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as
to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earliest of (i)
the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights expire as provided in Section
13(d) hereof, (iii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23
hereof (the “Redemption Date”), (iv) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided
in Section 24 hereof and (v) the time immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in
the Merger Agreement), but only if the Effective Time shall occur (the earliest of (i),
(ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) being herein referred to as the “Expiration Date”). The Company
shall notify the Rights Agent promptly after the occurrence of the Expiration Date.”
5. AMENDMENT TO SECTION 21. The first sentence of Section 21 of the Rights Agreement is
hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
“The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties
under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company, and, in
the event that the Rights Agent or one of the Rights Agent’s Affiliates is not also the
transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred
Stock, by registered or certified mail.”
6. AMENDMENT OF SECTION 26. Section 26 of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to delete
the Rights Agent notice address in its entirety and replace it with the following:
“Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Services”
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Services”
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7. AMENDMENTS TO SUMMARY OF RIGHTS. Exhibit C (“Summary of Right to Purchase Preferred
Stock”) of the Rights Agreement shall be deemed amended in a manner consistent with this Amendment.
8. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. All the covenants and provisions of this Amendment 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.
9. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Amendment 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 Amendment shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything in this Amendment 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 determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid
language from this Amendment would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Amendment and the
right of redemption set forth in Section 23 of the Rights Agreement shall have expired, such right
shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the tenth Business Day following the date of such
determination by the Board.
10. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within
Delaware.
11. EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFECT OF AMENDMENT.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 27, this Amendment shall
become effective as of the date first written above, but such effectiveness is contingent upon the
execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement by the parties thereto. The Company shall notify
the Rights Agent via electronic mail of such execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement
promptly thereafter.
(b) Except as specifically modified herein, the Rights Agreement shall not otherwise be
supplemented or amended by virtue of this Amendment, but shall remain in full force and effect.
The execution, delivery and effectiveness of this Amendment 4 shall not, except as expressly
provided herein, constitute a waiver or amendment of any provision of the Rights Agreement. Upon
and after the effectiveness of this Amendment, each reference in the Rights Agreement to “this
Agreement”, “hereunder”, “hereof” or words of like import referring to the Rights Agreement, and
each reference in any other document to “the Rights Agreement”, “thereunder”, “thereof” or words of
like import referring to the Rights Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Rights
Agreement as modified hereby.
12. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Amendment are
inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of
the provisions hereof.
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13. COUNTERPARTS. This Amendment 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. A signature to this Agreement
transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect, and enforceability as an original
signature.
14. CERTIFICATION. The officer of the Company executing this Amendment, being an
appropriate officer of the Company and authorized to do so by resolution of the Board of Directors
of the Company duly adopted and approved at a meeting held on September 27, 2009, hereby certifies
to the Rights Agent that the supplements and amendments to the Rights Agreement set forth in this
Amendment are in compliance with the terms of Section 27 of the Rights Agreement.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| ASPECT MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. | COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, | |||||||
| N.A., as Rights Agent | ||||||||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||
Title:
|
President and Chief Executive Officer | Title: | Manager, Contract Administration | |||||
SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT
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