RIGHTS AGREEMENT
dated
November 3, 1999
between
GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION
and
AMERICAN SECURITIES TRANSFER & TRUST, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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..............................................................9
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.......................................................10
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 Common 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 .............................20
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. .....................................................................25
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. ..........................................................26
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder......................................26
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.............................................................26
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. .............................27
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent..................................................................27
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Section 21. Change of Rights Agent..................................................................29
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. ..................................................30
Section 23. Redemption .............................................................................31
Section 24. Exchange................................................................................32
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events ...............................................................33
Section 26. Notices.................................................................................34
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments ............................................................34
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............................................................................36
Section 34. Descriptive Headings....................................................................36
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement (the "Agreement") is dated as of November 3,
1999, between GREKA Energy Corporation, a Colorado corporation (the "Company"),
and American Securities Transfer & Trust, Inc. (the "Rights Agent").
On November 3, 1999 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the Board
of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one Common
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 November 3, 1999 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to
purchase one share (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement) of the Company's common stock, no par value per share (the
"Common Stock"), 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 in certain 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 33% 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 33% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial
Owner of 33% 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 Acquiring Person unless upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of
such additional Common Shares of the Company such Person does not beneficially
own 33% 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),
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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, 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 33% 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 33% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) "Adjustment Fraction" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a) 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 l(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 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
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merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and such
Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) which 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 l(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 l(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 New York 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., New York time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(g) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company
shall mean the shares of Common Stock, no par value per share. 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)(ii) hereof.
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(i) "Company" shall mean GREKA Energy Corporation, a Colorado
corporation, subject to the terms of Section 13(a)(iii)(C) hereof.
(j) "Current Per Share Market Price" on any security (a
"Security" for purposes of this definition), for all computations other than
those made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) 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)(ii) 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 as 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 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)(ii) 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
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Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized,
appointed or established 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 Common Shares and any other
class or series of capital stock of the Company which is entitled to the same
rights as the Common 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 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 November 3, 2004.
(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 or
who was elected at a special meeting of shareholders (a meeting other than a
regularly scheduled annual meeting).
(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) "Pre-Event Transferee" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7(e) hereof.
(x) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
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(y) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
recitals at the beginning of this Agreement.
(z) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(aa) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(bb) "Rights Agent" shall mean American Securities Transfer
& Trust, Inc. or its successor or replacement as provided in Sections 19 and 21
hereof.
(cc) "Rights Certificate" shall mean a certificate
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
(dd) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(ee) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
(ff) "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 l(a) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition
Date shall be deemed to have occurred.
(gg) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(hh) "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 over 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.
(ii) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(jj) "Summary of Rights" shall mean a summary of this
Agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
(kk) "Total Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 4(a) hereof.
(ll) "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal
national securities exchange or market system 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 or market system, a Business Day.
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(mm) "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.
(nn) 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 upon ten (10) days prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The
Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable
for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
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 such 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. 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 surrender for transfer of any
certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date, with or without
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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 of the Company 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 GREKA ENERGY
CORPORATION AND AMERICAN SECURITIES TRANSFER & TRUST, INC. AS THE
RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF NOVEMBER 3, 1999, (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 GREKA
ENERGY CORPORATION. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, SUCH RIGHTS WILL BE EVIDENCED BY SEPARATE
CERTIFICATES AND WILL NO LONGER BE EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE.
GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION WILL MAIL TO THE HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFICATE A
COPY OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE AFTER RECEIPT OF A WRITTEN
REQUEST THEREFOR. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES 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.
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Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase Common Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof)
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange or a national market 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 Common
Shares as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such
exercise price per Common Share being hereinafter referred to as the "Exercise
Price" and the aggregate Exercise Price of all Common Shares issuable upon
exercise of the number of Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate 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 a majority of 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.
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Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President, or its Chief Financial
Officer, 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 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.
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 Common Shares (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 office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither
the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered 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
10
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.
(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 and 24 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 office of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Exercise
Price for each Common 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 the Common Share issuable pursuant
to the exercise of a Right shall initially be sixty dollars ($60.00), 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 Common Shares
(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 Common
Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the
Common Shares) a certificate or certificates for the number of Common Shares
(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 Common Shares (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 Common Shares
(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 Common
11
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, 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)(ii) 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 Common Shares, pay cash
and/or distribute other property pursuant to Sections 11(a) or 14 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 a majority of 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.
12
(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) above, 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.
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 Common 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 Common 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 Common Shares (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) that
will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) If the Company shall hereafter list any of its Common
Shares on a national securities exchange, then so long as the Common 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) 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
13
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such
filing and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until
the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for
such securities or (B) the date of expiration of the Rights. The Company may
temporarily suspend, for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date
set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the
exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration
statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating, and notify the Rights Agent,
that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as
a public announcement and notification to the Rights Agent at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. The Company will also take such action as may
be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky"
laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction, unless the requisite qualification
in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained, or an exemption therefrom shall
be available, and until a registration statement has been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all
such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Common 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 Common 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 Common 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 Common 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 for
a number of Common Shares (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 Common 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 Total 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
14
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 Common 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.
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) 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 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 a
reclassification 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 and 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; and (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 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 Common Shares (or shares of capital stock issued in such
reclassification of the 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, if any, of the
shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of such Right.
Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an adjustment has been
made pursuant to this Section 11(a) shall have associated with it the number of
Rights, exercisable at the Exercise Price and for the number of Common Shares
(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) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the
event a Triggering Event shall have occurred, then promptly following
such Triggering Event the Exercise Price for each Right, except as
provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall be adjusted to thereafter equal
the product of 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price for Common
Shares on the date of occurrence of the Triggering Event; provided,
15
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.
(ii) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance
with Section 11(a) hereof, the Company may, if a majority of 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, securities which a majority of the Company's Board of
Directors has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares (such
securities 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 a majority of the Company's Board of Directors
based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking
firm selected by a majority of 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 or (y) the date on which the Company's right of
redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) or (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 a majority of 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
16
second sentences of this Section 11(a)(ii), 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. 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)(ii), 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.
(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 Common Shares entitling such holders (for a period
expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Common Shares or securities convertible into Common
Shares at a price per share (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Common Shares) less than the then Current Per Share
Market Price of the Common 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 Common Shares
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Common Shares which the
aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares 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 Common Shares outstanding on
such record date, plus the number of additional Common Shares to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value 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 a majority of 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. Common 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 Common Shares or of any class (including any such distribution
17
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, or a dividend payable in
Common Shares) or subscription rights, options or warrants (excluding those
referred to in Section 11(b)), 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 Common Share
on such record date, less the fair market value per Common 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 Common Share, and the
denominator of which shall be such Current Per Share Market Price of a Common
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 whole Common Share or other 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 stock other than Common 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 Common 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), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the
Common 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 Common Shares
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), upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price as a
result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding
18
immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the
right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, that number of Common Shares
(calculated to the nearest whole share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the
number of Common 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 Section
11(b) or (c) to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment
in the number of Common 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 whole Common Shares 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 whole number) 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.
(i) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise
Price or the number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights,
the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to
express the Exercise Price per Common Share and the number of Common Shares
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 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take
any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in
19
order that the Company may validly and legally issue as fully paid and
nonassessable shares such number of Common Shares 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 Common Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of Common Shares
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 upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(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 Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Common
Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of
Common Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or
exchangeable for 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 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.
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 Common 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:
20
(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
Sections 11(a) and 11(m) hereof);
(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 of 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
21
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.
(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 such 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
22
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
provisions 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 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 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
23
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)) .
(d) In case the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(b) hereof has a provision in any of its authorized securities or in its
Articles or 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 of such Principal Party at
less than the then Current Per Share Market Price thereof or securities
exercisable for, or convertible into, Common 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.
(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.
24
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
Common Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which
evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of 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(b), the current market value of a Common Share shall be 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 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 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;
25
(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 or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, 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 Common Shares or
any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any 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 gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability 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 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
26
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 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; 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 opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action
taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or
matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and
the determination of Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by
the Company prior to taking or suffering of any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
27
certificate signed by any one of the Chief Executive Officer, the 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 gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
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, 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 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 Common Shares to be issued pursuant to this
Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares will,
when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by
the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
any one of Chief Executive Officer, the 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 or omitted by the Rights Agent in accordance with a
proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
28
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 the Rights
Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from
acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(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 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.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of 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 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
29
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 at
the time of its appointment as Rights Agent has sufficient combined capital and
surplus as may be required by law. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if
it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but
the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Shares, 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.
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 Close of Business on the
earlier of (i) the tenth day following the Shares Acquisition Date (or such
30
later date as may be determined by action of a majority of the Company's Board
of Directors and publicly announced by the Company) and (ii) the Final
Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights
at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any
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) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23(a), in the
event that a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by
shareholder action by written consent or at a special meeting of shareholders (a
meeting other than a regularly scheduled annual meeting), 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), 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.
(c) 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 holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other
than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and
other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the
Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) 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
31
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 50% or more 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 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.
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 Section 24(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
32
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 in 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) 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) above. 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. 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.
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 the 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)(i) and 13 hereof.
33
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:
GREKA Energy Corporation
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attn: Xx. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
with a copy to:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Ingersoll, LLP
0000 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attn: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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:
American Securities Transfer & Trust, Inc.
----------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
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 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
34
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), in the
event that a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by
shareholder action by written consent or at a special meeting of shareholders (a
meeting other than a regularly scheduled annual meeting), 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.
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 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.
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).
35
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 Colorado and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts, with signature pages deliverable by facsimile transmission, 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.
36
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
COMPANY:
GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION,
a Colorado corporation
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
--------------------------------
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
RIGHTS AGENT:
AMERICAN SECURITIES TRANSFER
& TRUST, INC.
By:_______________________________
Name:_____________________________
Title:____________________________
37
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R-_______ ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE EARLIER OF (i) NOVEMBER 3, 2004, (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 bracket shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION
This certifies that ________________________________ or registered
assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each
of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement dated as of November 3, 1999 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between GREKA Energy Corporation, a Colorado corporation (the
"Company"), and American Securities Transfer & Trust, Inc. (the "Rights Agent"),
to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m., New York time,
on November 3, 2004 at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one fully paid
non-assessable share of Common Stock, no par value, (a "Common Share"), of the
Company, at an Exercise Price of sixty dollars ($60.00) per Common Share (the
A-1
"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 Common
Shares which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above are the
number and Exercise Price as of November 3, 1999, based on the Common Shares as
constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Exercise
Price and the number and kind of Common 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
the 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 office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
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 a Common 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 Common
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.
A-2
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of November 3, 1999.
ATTEST: GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION,
a Colorado corporation
__________________________ By: __________________________
_____________, Secretary Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
Countersigned:
AMERICAN SECURITIES TRANSFER & TRUST, INC.,
as Rights Agent
By: ________________________
____________________________
Its: _______________________
A-3
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate
FORM OF 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.
Dated: ___________________, _________
-----------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (a
bank, stockbroker, savings and loan association or credit union with membership
in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
A-4
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- Continued
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);
(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: _______________, _________
Signature ______________________________
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (a
bank, stockbroker, savings and loan association or credit union with membership
in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
A-5
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- Continued
FORM OF 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 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such number of Common Shares be issued in the
name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
--------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
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)
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Dated: ________________, ________
Signature __________________________________
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (a
bank, stockbroker, savings and loan association or credit union with membership
in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
A-6
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- Continued
CERTIFICATE
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate 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);
(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: _________________, __________
Signature ___________________________________________
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (a
bank, stockbroker, savings and loan association or credit union with membership
in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election 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.
A-7
EXHIBIT B
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
GREKA ENERGY CORPORATION
Summary of Rights
Distribution and The Board of Directors has declared
Transfer of Rights; a dividend of one Right for each share
Rights Certificate: of GREKA Energy Corporation Common 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, GREKA Energy Corporation
(the "Company") will mail Rights certificates to the
Company's stockholders 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
33% or more of the Company's Common Stock or
(b) the tenth business day (or such later date as may
be determined by a majority of the 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 33% or more of the Company's Common
Stock.
Common Stock After the Distribution Date, each Right
Purchasable Upon will entitle the holder to purchase one share
Exercise of Rights: of the Company's Common Stock for an initial
Exercise Price of $60.00,
subject to adjustment.
Flip-In: If an acquirer (an "Acquiring Person") obtains 40%
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 one share of the
Company's Common Stock at an adjusted Exercise
Price of 50% of the then current market value of the
Common Stock.
B-1
Flip-Over: If, after an Acquiring Person obtains 40% 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 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 33% or more of the
Company's Common Stock and prior to the
acquisition by the Acquiring Person of 50%
of the outstanding Common Stock, a
majority of the Board of Directors of the
Company 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).
B-2
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 the tenth day (or such later date as
may be determined by a majority of the Board of
Directors) after public announcement that a
Person has acquired beneficial ownership of 40%
or more of the Company's Common Stock.
Expiration of The Rights expire on the earliest of
the Rights: (a) November 3, 2004, 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).
Voting Rights: Rights will not have any voting rights.
Anti-Dilution Rights will have the benefit of
Provisions: certain 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 November 3, 1999, between
the Company and the Rights Agent.
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