DELTA APPAREL, INC.
and
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK,
as Rights Agent
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
January 27, 2000
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Table of Contents
Section 1. Certain Definitions....................................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent............................................................5
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates............................................................5
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.............................................................7
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration......................................................8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates................................8
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Exercise Price; Final Expiration Date of Rights....................9
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates....................................11
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Stock..........................................11
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date..............................................................12
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights...........13
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares............................21
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power..................21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares...............................................24
Section 15. Rights of Action......................................................................25
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders............................................................25
Section 17. Right 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
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent................................................................30
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates....................................................30
Section 23. Redemption............................................................................31
Section 24. Exchange..............................................................................32
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events..............................................................34
Section 26. Notices...............................................................................34
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments............................................................35
Section 28. Successors............................................................................36
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors..................................36
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement............................................................36
Section 31. Severability..........................................................................36
Section 32. Governing Law.........................................................................37
Section 33. Counterparts..........................................................................37
Section 34. Descriptive Headings..................................................................37
Exhibit A -- Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit B -- Form of Summary of Rights
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SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Shareholder Rights Agreement (as the same may from time to time be amended
or supplemented, this "Agreement"), dated as of January 27, 2000, between Delta
Apparel, Inc., a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), and First Union National
Bank, a national bank, (the "Rights Agent", which term shall include any
successor Rights Agent hereunder).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on January 20, 2000 the Board of Directors of the Company
authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter
defined) for each whole share of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the
Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding as of the Close of Business on January
20, 2000 (the "Record Date") and authorized the issuance of one Right for each
whole share of Common Stock of the Company which is issued or which becomes
outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date,
the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter
defined), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one quarter of
a share of Common Stock, upon the terms and conditions set forth herein (the
"Rights");
WHEREAS, First Union National Bank has agreed to serve as Rights Agent;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall on any date hereafter, be
the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the
Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or (iv) any entity or Person holding shares of Common Stock for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan if such entity or Person is not a
beneficiary of or participant in such plan. The Persons described in clauses (i)
through (iv) above are referred to herein as "Exempt Persons." Notwithstanding
the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an
acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially
owned by such Person (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
Person) to 20% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding;
provided, however, that if any Person, (together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, (other than Exempt Persons) shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such
share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any
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additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then such Person shall be
deemed to be an "Acquiring Person."
(b) "Adjustment Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any
Section 13 Event.
(c) "Adjustment Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(ii).
(d) "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; provided, however,
that no Exempt Person shall be deemed an Affiliate or an Associate.
(e) 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 own, directly or indirectly (as determined
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Agreement) or has the right
to dispose of;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has (A) the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or after the passage of time)
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, upon the exercise
of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights),
warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall
not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own" (1)
securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; (2) securities issuable
upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of an
Adjustment Event; or (3) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from
and after the occurrence of an Adjustment Event, if such Rights were
acquired by such Person or such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to
the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 or pursuant
to Section 11(a)(i) in connection with an adjustment made with respect to
any of the Rights heretofore specified in this clause (3); or (B) the right
to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or
not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any security under this
clause (B) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy given to such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates in response to a public proxy
or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, or (2)
is made in connection with, or is to otherwise participate in, a proxy or
consent solicitation made or to be made pursuant to, and in accordance
with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange
Act, in the case of either clause (1) or (2) of this proviso whether or not
such agreement, arrangement or
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understanding is also then reportable by such person 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), for the purpose
of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as
described in clause (B) of Section 1(e)(ii) hereof) or disposing of any
securities of the Company; provided, however, that (1) no Person engaged in
business as an underwriter of securities shall be deemed the Beneficial
Owner of any securities acquired through such Person's participation as an
underwriter or selling group member in good faith in a firm commitment
underwriting until the expiration of 40 days after the date of such
acquisition; (2) no Person who is a director or an officer of the Company
shall be deemed the Beneficial Owner of any securities of the Company that
are beneficially owned by any other director or officer of the Company
solely as a result of his or her position as director or officer of the
Company; (3) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing), or any communication or discussion, among two or more Persons
with respect to any matter relating to the management, operation or conduct
of the business of the Company, including any discussion or agreement on,
or any communication with respect to, a position with respect to any such
matter and the disclosure of such communication, discussion, agreement or
position to other Persons (including shareholders of the Company) or to the
Company shall not constitute an agreement, arrangement or understanding
contemplated by Section 1(e)(ii)(B).
(f) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a
day on which banking institutions in the State of Georgia are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
(g) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Eastern
time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day
it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Eastern time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(h) "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share,
of the Company, except that "common stock" 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 Person, or the equity securities or other
equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such person
or, if such Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person which
ultimately controls such first-mentioned Person and which has issued and
outstanding such capital stock, equity securities or equity interests.
(i) "Current Per Share Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d).
(j) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
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(k) "Disinterested Director" shall mean (i) any member of the Company's
Board of Directors who is unaffiliated with an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Person and was a member of the Company's Board of
Directors prior to the time that an Acquiring Person became such, and any
successor of a Disinterested Director who is unaffiliated with an Acquiring
Person, or any Affiliate or Associate of any such Person and is recommended to
succeed a Disinterested Director by a majority of the Disinterested Directors
then on the Company's Board of Directors.
(l) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning defined in Section 3(a)
hereof.
(m) "Equivalent Common Stock" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(n) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
(o) "Exchange Rate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a)
hereof
(p) "Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4 hereof.
(q) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(a) hereof.
(r) "Group" shall mean two or more Persons acting as a partnership, limited
partnership, syndicate or other group for the purpose of acquiring, holding or
disposing of the Common Stock.
(s) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership or
other entity or Group, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise)
thereof; provided, however, that when two or more Persons act as a partnership,
limited partnership, syndicate or other Group for the purpose of acquiring,
holding disposing of the Common Stock, such partnership, limited partnership,
syndicate or other Group shall be deemed to be a single Person.
(t) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b)
hereof.
(u) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the recital clause of
this Agreement.
(v) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
(w) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the recital clause of this
Agreement.
(x) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
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(y) "Section 11(a)(ii) Adjustment Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(z) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in Section
11(a)(ii)(A), (B), or (C) hereof.
(aa) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y)
or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(bb) "Share Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date on which there
shall be a public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(cc) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(dd) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any other corporation or other
entity of which a majority of the voting equity securities or voting interests
is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or which is otherwise
controlled by such Person.
(ee) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ff) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).
(gg) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i)
hereof.
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 Stock) 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. In the event the Company
appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent
and any co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the 10th calendar day
after the Share Acquisition Date, (ii) the Close of Business on the 10th
Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of
Directors of the Company prior to such time as any Person shall become an
Acquiring Person) after the date of (x) the commencement, by any Person, other
than an Exempt Person, of, or (y) the first public announcement of the intention
of any Person
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(other than an Exempt Person) to commence, a tender or exchange offer if, upon
consummation thereof, such Person would be an Acquiring Person, including any
such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of
the Rights (the earliest of such dates being herein referred to as the
"Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of
Section 3(b) hereof) by certificates for the Common Stock registered in the
names of the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock
shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate
certificates, and the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the
transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock. The Board of Directors of the
Company may defer the date set forth in clause (ii) in the preceding sentence to
a specified later date or to an unspecified later date to be determined, with
the concurrence of a majority of the Disinterested Directors, by action of the
Directors of the Company. As soon as practicable after the Company has notified
the Rights Agent of the occurrence of the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent
will send, by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder
of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more
certificates, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "Right
Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held,
subject to adjustment as provided herein. As of and after the Close of Business
on the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or thereafter, the Company will send a notification
of the existence of the Rights, by postage prepaid mail, to each record holder
of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to
certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the
Distribution Date or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration
Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock
with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B (the "Summary of Rights") attached thereto, and the registered holders
of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated
Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, expiration or
termination of the Rights), the transfer of any of the certificates for the
Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date, even without a copy of the Summary
of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.
(c) Certificates for the Common Stock issued after the Record Date, but
prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final
Expiration Date, shall be deemed also 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 Shareholder Rights Agreement between Delta
Apparel, Inc. and First Union National Bank, as Rights Agent, dated as of
January 27, 2000 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal offices of Delta Apparel, Inc. 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.
Delta Apparel, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate
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a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing,
without charge promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under
certain circumstances, Rights issued to Acquiring Persons or any Affiliates
or Associates thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and any
subsequent holder of such Rights may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration
Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the transfer of
any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates. In the event
that the Company purchases or acquires any shares of Common Stock after the
Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
Common Stock shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not
be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock
which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares
and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each 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, rule or regulation or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Right
Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date, and on
their face shall entitle the holders thereof to Purchase such number of shares
of Common Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein
(the "Exercise Price"), but the number of such shares and the Exercise Price
shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person 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 (or of such Affiliate or Associate) to
holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or of such Affiliate or
Associate) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights, or (B)
a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of
a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect
the avoidance of Section 11 hereof, and any Right Certificate issued pursuant to
Section 6 or Section 11 upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of
any other Right Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain the
following legend:
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The Rights represented by this Right Certificate are or were beneficially
owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
an Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement). This Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby
may become null and void under certain circumstances as specified in
Section 11 of the Rights Agreement.
The Company shall give notice to the Rights Agent promptly after it becomes
aware of the existence and identity of any Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate thereof.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President, either manually
or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or
a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right
Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not
be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the
Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be
such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and
issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may
be countersigned by the Rights Agent, and issued and delivered by the Company
with the same force and effect as though the Person who signed such Right
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of
the execution of this Rights Agreement any such Person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to
be kept, at one of its offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender
of Right Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and
transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the
names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the
number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the
date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 11, Section 14 and
Section 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 earlier of the
Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or
Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another
Right Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a
like number of shares of Common Stock (or following an Adjustment Event, other
securities, cash or other assets as the case may be) as the Right Certificate or
Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered
8
holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate
shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall
surrender the Right Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged, with the form of assignment and certificate duly
executed, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any
action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Right Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 11 and Section 14 hereof,
countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or
Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of
Right Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights
Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the
Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company
will execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights
Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the
Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Exercise Price; Final Expiration Date of
Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the registered holder of any Right
Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise
provided herein, including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Xxxxxxx 0, Xxxxxxx 00(x)(xxx) and Section 23(a)), in
whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the
Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate set
forth on the reverse side thereof completed and duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
together with payment of the aggregate Exercise Price for the total number of
shares of Common Stock (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case
may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercised, at or prior to
the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on January 20, 2010 (the "Final
Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in
Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date") or (iii) the time which such Rights
are exchanged as provided in Section 24. Except as set forth in Section 11(a)
hereof and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Person who
prior to the Distribution Date becomes a record holder of shares of Common Stock
may exercise all of the rights of a registered holder of a Right Certificate
with respect to the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, as of the date such Person
becomes a record holder of shares of Common Stock.
9
(b) The Exercise Price for each quarter share of Common Stock pursuant to
the exercise of a Right shall initially be $20.00 (equivalent to $80.00 for each
share of Common Stock), shall be subject to adjustment from time to time
provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, and shall be payable in lawful
money of the United States of America in accordance with Section 7(c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase and the certificate set forth on the
reverse side thereof completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the
Exercise Price for the shares (or, following an Adjustment Event, other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased and an
amount equal to any applicable transfer tax (as determined by the Rights Agent)
in cash, or by certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the
Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon
promptly (i)(A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Common
Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent therefor)
certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock 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 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a
depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts
representing such number of shares of Common Stock as are to be purchased (in
which case certificates for the shares of Common Stock represented by such
receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and
the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be
paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14
hereof, (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depository
receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered
holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt promptly
deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other
securities of the Company, pay cash or distribute other property pursuant to
Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that
such other securities, cash or other property are available for distribution by
the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise
less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing
Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the
Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or
to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with
respect to a registered holder of Rights upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for
such exercise, and
10
(ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner
(or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company
shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Common Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and
kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock (and,
following the occurrence of an Adjustment Event, other securities or out of its
authorized and issued shares held in its treasury) the number of shares of
Common Stock (and, following the occurrence of an Adjustment Event, other
securities) that, as provided in this Agreement will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; provided, that such action need not
be taken with respect to shares of Common Stock (or other securities) issuable
upon occurrence of an Adjustment Event until the occurrence of such event.
(b) If at the time the Rights become exercisable, the then outstanding
shares of Common Stock are listed on any national or regional securities
exchange or are quoted on the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or any successor thereto or other
comparable quotation system, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause,
from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares of Common
Stock (and, following the occurrence of an Adjustment Event, other securities)
reserved for issuance upon such exercise to be quoted on such system or listed
on such exchange, as the case may be.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event as of which the consideration to be delivered by the Company
upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with this
Agreement, or as soon as required by law following the Distribution Date, as the
case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the Common Stock or other
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii)
cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain
effective (with a prospectus that at all times meets the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of
11
which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date
of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such action as may
be appropriate under, and which will ensure compliance with, the securities or
blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the
Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend for a period of time not to exceed
ninety (90) days after the date 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 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.
Notwithstanding any such provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the requisite qualification
in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as
may be reasonably necessary to ensure that all shares of Common Stock (and,
following the occurrence of an Adjustment Event, other securities) delivered
upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for
such shares (subject to payment of the Exercise Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that, subject to Section 6, it
will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and
charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right
Certificates or of any certificates for shares of Common Stock (or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall
not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in
respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other
than, or in respect of the issuance or delivery of securities in a name other
than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificates evidencing Rights
surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for securities
in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any
Rights until such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the
holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been
established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for Common Stock is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all
purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares of Common
Stock represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon
which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and
payment of the Exercise Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made;
provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon
which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such person
shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Common
Stock transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Right
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the
Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote,
to receive dividends or other distributions or to
12
exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice
of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number and Kind of Shares or
Number of Rights. The Exercise Price, the number and kind of shares covered by
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this
Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, (C) combine the outstanding
Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or (D) issue any shares of its
capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Stock (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), then, except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11(a), the Exercise Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Common
Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of
Common Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been
exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Common Stock (or
other capital stock, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company were
open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to
receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of the Company issuable upon the exercise thereof. If an event occurs
which would require an adjustment under both Section 11(a)(i) and Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be
in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) Subject to Section 24, in the event
(A) any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring
Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement, directly or indirectly,
(1) shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger or
combination and the Common Stock of the Company shall remain outstanding and not
changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or
the Company or cash or any other property, (2) shall, in one or more
transactions, transfer any assets to the Company in exchange (in whole or in
part) for shares of any equity security of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or for securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of any
equity security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or otherwise obtain
from the Company, with or without consideration, any additional shares of any
equity security of the Company or securities exercisable for or convertible into
shares of any equity security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other
than as part of a pro rata distribution to all holders of Common Stock), (3)
shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise
dispose (in one or more
13
transactions), to, from or with, as the case may be, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, assets on terms and conditions less favorable to the Company than
the Company would be able to obtain in arm's-length negotiation with an
unaffiliated third Person, (4) shall engage in any transaction with the Company
involving the sale, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or
other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), other than
incidental to the lines of business currently engaged in as of the date hereof
by the Company and such Acquiring Person, or Associate or Affiliate, of assets
having an aggregate fair market value of more than $5,000,000, (5) shall receive
any compensation from the Company or any of the Company's Subsidiaries other
than compensation for full time employment as a regular employee at rates in
accordance with the Company's (or its Subsidiaries') past practices, or (6)
shall receive the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a
shareholder), of any loans other than in the ordinary course of business),
advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or any tax credits
or other tax advantage provided by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
(B) any Person (other than an Exempt Person), shall become an Acquiring
Person, or
(C) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person, there shall be any
reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock split), or
recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of the Company
with any of its Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of transactions
(whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person) which
has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than 1% the
proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which is directly or indirectly owned
by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person,
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that each holder
of a Right, except as provided in this paragraph (ii), shall thereafter have a
right to receive, upon exercise of such Right at the then current Exercise Price
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Exercise Price by the then number of one quarter shares of Common
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) dividing that product (which,
following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the
"Exercise Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50%
of the Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d)) on the date of the occurrence of any one of the events listed
above in this Section 11(a)(ii) (such number of shares is herein called the
"Adjustment Shares"); provided, however, that if the transaction that would
otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is also subject to the
provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions of Section 13 shall
apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii). The
Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind listed in this Section
11(a)(ii) if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants,
instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which as
a result of the consummation of such
14
transaction, would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after
the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any 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 the Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights, or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a
primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 11(a), shall become null
and void without any further action and no holder or beneficial owner 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 11(a) and
Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder
or beneficial owner of Right Certificates or any other Person as a result of its
failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any
Affiliates and Associates thereof or any transferee of any of them hereunder.
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which are
authorized by the Company's articles of organization but not outstanding or
reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with
Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall: (A) determine the excess of (1) the value
of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current
Value") over (2) the Exercise Price (such excess is herein called the "Spread"),
and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for
the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Exercise Price, (1) cash,
(2) a reduction in the Exercise Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of
shares, of preferred stock which the Board has deemed to have the same value as
shares of Common Stock (such shares or units of shares of preferred stock are
herein called "Equivalent Common Stock")), (4) debt securities of the Company,
(5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate
value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined
by the Board based upon the advice of a competent investment banking firm
selected by the Board; 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 Section 11(a)(ii)
Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to
Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the
"Section 11(a)(ii) Adjustment Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to
deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring
payment of the Exercise Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available)
and then, if necessary, cash, which shares or cash have an aggregate value equal
to the Spread. If the Board shall
15
determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the
Rights, 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)
Adjustment Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the
authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may
be extended, is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the
Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first or
second sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide,
subject to Section 11(a)(ii) 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 an
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the
value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a
public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. For the purpose of this Section 11(a)(iii),
the value of Adjustment Shares shall be the Current Per Share Market Price of
the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Adjustment Date, and the per share or
per unit value of any Equivalent Common Stock shall be deemed to equal the
Current Per Share Market Price of the Common Stock on such date.
(b) If the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights
(other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock
entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record
date) to subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or Equivalent Common Stock or
securities convertible into Common Stock or Equivalent Common Stock at a price
per share of Common Stock or per share of Equivalent Common Stock (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Stock or
Equivalent Common Stock) less than the Current Per Share Market Price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Stock on such record
date, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares
of Common Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of
Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Common Stock or Equivalent Common Stock to be offered (and the aggregate initial
conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase
at such Current Per Share Market Price and the denominator of which shall be the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the
number of additional shares of Common Stock or Equivalent Common Stock 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 the Company issuable upon the exercise
thereof. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or
all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be the Current Per Share Market Price thereof determined in accordance
with Section 11(d) hereof. Shares of Common Stock owned by or held for the
account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any
such computation. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights or
16
warrants are not so issued, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the
Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(c) If the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution
to all holders of Common Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular periodic
cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets
(other than a dividend payable in Common Stock, but including any dividend
payable in stock other than Common Stock) or options, subscription rights or
warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), the Exercise Price to
be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction,
the numerator of which shall be the Current Per Share Market Price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of Common Stock on such record
date, less the Current Per Share Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so
to be distributed or of such options, subscription rights or warrants applicable
to one share of Common Stock and the denominator of which shall be the Current
Per Share Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per one
share of Common Stock; 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 the Company issuable upon the exercise
thereof. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date
is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Exercise
Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would be in effect
if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of this Agreement, the "Current Per Share Market Price"
of any share of Common Stock or any other stock or any Right or other security
or any other property shall be determined as provided in this Section 11(d).
(i) In the case of a publicly-traded stock or other security
(hereinafter in this Section 11(d)(i) a "Security"), the Current Per Share
Market Price on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily
closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive
Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to
such date; provided, however, that for the purpose of computations made
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Per Share Market Price
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 following such date; and provided further, that in the event
that the Current Per Share Market Price of any Security is determined
during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security
of (x) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of
such Security or securities convertible into shares of such Security (other
than the Rights) or (y) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of
such Security, and prior to the expiration of the requisite thirty (30)
Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, 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 properly adjusted to take
into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or, in
17
case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed
or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Securities
are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which such Security is listed or admitted to trading; or, if not listed
or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted
price (or, if not so quoted, the average of the last quoted high bid and
low asked prices) in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or
such other system then in use; or, if, on any such date no bids for such
Security are quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in such Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.
If on any such date no market maker is making a market in such Security,
the Current Per Share Market Price of such Security on such date shall be
determined reasonably and with good faith to the holders of the Rights by
the Board of Directors of the Company, including, if at the time of such
determination there is an Acquiring Person, a majority of the Disinterested
Directors then in office, or if there are no Disinterested Directors, by a
competent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, which
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent
and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. The
term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which such Security is listed or admitted to trading
is open for the transaction of business or, if such Security is not listed
or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) If a Security is not publicly held or not so listed or traded,
"Current Per Share Market Price" shall mean the fair value per share of
stock or per other unit of such Security, determined reasonably and with
utmost good faith to the holders of the Rights by the Board of Directors of
the Company, including, if at the time of such determination there is an
Acquiring Person, a majority of the Disinterested Directors then in office,
or if there are no Disinterested Directors, by a competent investment
banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, which determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
(iii) In the case of property other than securities, the Current Per
Share Market Price thereof shall be determined reasonably and with utmost
good faith to the holders of Rights by the Board of Directors of the
Company, including, if at the time of such determination there is an
Acquiring Person, a majority of the Disinterested Directors then in office,
or if there are no Disinterested Directors, by a competent investment
banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, which determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
binding upon the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the
Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least l% in the Exercise Price; provided, however,
that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
18
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share, as the case may
be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment or
(ii) the Final Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or
Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Common Stock,
thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any
Right and 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 Stock contained in Section 11(a) through
(c), (e), (g) through (k), and (m), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7,
9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Common Stock shall apply on like
terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of shares (or fractions
thereof) of Common Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in
Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price as a result of the
calculations made in Section 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately
prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, that number of shares of Common Stock
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x)
the number of 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.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Exercise Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any
adjustment in the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise
of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of
Rights shall be exercisable for the number of shares of Common Stock for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of
record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number
of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing
the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Exercise
Price by the Exercise Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Exercise Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and,
if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date
may be the date on which the Exercise Price is adjusted or any day thereafter,
but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days
later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been
issued,
19
upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing,
subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall
be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued,
executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at
the option of the Company, the adjusted Exercise Price) and shall be registered
in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price or the
number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the
Exercise Price per share and the number of shares which were expressed in the
initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Exercise Price below the then par value, if any, of the number of shares of
Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any
corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order
that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable
shares of Common Stock at such adjusted Exercise Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment
in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified
event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the
issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number
of shares of Common Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of shares of
Common Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior
to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such
holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right
to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring
such adjustment.
(m) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 11 to the contrary, 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 consolidation or subdivision of the Common Stock, issuance wholly
for cash of any shares of Common Stock at less than the Current Per Share Market
Price, issuance wholly for cash of shares of Common Stock or securities which by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock,
stock dividends or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to
hereinabove in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its
Common Stock, shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
20
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after
the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with, (ii) merge with or into, or (iii)
sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to any other Person or Persons if (x) at the time
of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights,
warrants or other instruments outstanding or agreements or arrangements in
effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights, or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale the shareholders of a
Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for the
purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that after the Distribution Date it
will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 24 hereof, take (or
permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it
is reasonably foreseeable that such action will substantially diminish or
otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the
Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to
each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof. The
Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on
any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of
any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.
(a) In the event that, on or after the Share Acquisition Date, directly or
indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any
other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which is
not prohibited by Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger (y) any
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which is not
prohibited by Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with the Company, or merge
with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of
the shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other
securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company
shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries
shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of
related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the
assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole)
to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company in one or more transactions each of which is not prohibited by Section
11(o) hereof)
21
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each
holder of a Right, except as provided otherwise herein, shall have the right to
receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Exercise Price in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized
and issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of freely tradeable Common Stock
of the Principal Party (as hereinafter defined in Section 13(b)), free and clear
of rights of call or first refusal, liens, encumbrances or other adverse claims,
as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current
Exercise Price by the number of one quarter shares of Common Stock for which a
Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of one quarter shares
of Common Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such first occurrence) and dividing that product (which,
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as
the "Exercise Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by
(2) 50% of the Current Per Share Market Price (determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of
consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) such
Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of
the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall
thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically
intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply to such Principal
Party; and (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock
to permit exercise of all outstanding Rights in accordance with this Section
13(a)) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that
the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably
may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon
the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of
the kind set forth in this subsection if at the time of the consummation of such
transaction there are any options, warrants, rights, conversion or exchange
provisions or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements in effect
which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or
substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. If,
in the case of a transaction of the kind described in clause (z) of the first
sentence of this subsection, the Person or Persons to whom assets or earning
power are sold or otherwise transferred are individuals, then the preceding
sentences of this subsection shall be inapplicable, and the Company shall
require as a condition to such sale or transfer that such Person or Persons pay
to each holder of a Rights Certificate, upon its surrender to the Rights Agent
and in exchange therefor (without requiring payment by such holder), cash in the
amount determined by multiplying the then current Exercise Price by the number
of one quarter shares of Common Stock for which a Right is then exercisable.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any
securities into which shares of
22
Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation,
and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to
the merger or consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the
first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the
greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to
such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (x) if the Common Stock of such Person
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month
period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a
direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and
has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person; and
(y) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, or more than
one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so
registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale
or transfer unless prior thereto (x) the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued or
reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance
with this Section 13, and (y) the Company and each Principal Party and each
other Person who may become a Principal Party as a result of such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in Section 13(a) and
(b) and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets mentioned in Section 13(a),
the Principal Party at its own expense will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights on 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 that at all times meets the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the Final Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the blue sky laws
of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate;
(iii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the
Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a
national securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for
quotation on NASDAQ; and
23
(iv) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements
for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all
material respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under
the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers. If any Section 13 Event shall occur
at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which
have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the
manner described in Section 13(a).
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, or to
distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such
fractional Rights, there may be paid to the registered holders of the Right
Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market
value of a whole Right shall be the closing price per Right for the Trading Day
immediately prior to such date on which fractional Rights would have been
otherwise issuable. The closing price for any Trading Day shall be the last sale
price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such Trading 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 Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading; or, if not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
(or, if not so quoted, the average of the last quoted high bid and low asked
prices) in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other
system then in use; or, if, on any such Trading Day no bids for the Rights are
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market
maker is making a market in the Rights the current market value of the Rights on
such Trading Day shall be determined reasonably and with utmost good faith to
the holders of the Rights by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which
evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of
Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Right
Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount
in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value per share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value per
share of Common Stock shall be the closing price per share of Common Stock
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
24
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives
his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Right evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in
such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or
any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged
that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any
breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the
obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Holders of Rights shall be entitled to recover the reasonable costs and
expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by them in any action to enforce
the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and with the Rights
Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, each Right will be transferable only
simultaneously and together with the transfer of shares of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable
only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or
offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;
(c) subject to Sections 6 and 11, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem
and treat the person in whose name a Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate) is registered as the
absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any
notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated
Common Stock 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; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right
or other Person as the result of its inability to perform any of its obligations
under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
25
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligations; provided, however, that the Company must use
its reasonable best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder,
as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the shares of Common Stock or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent 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 disbursements and
other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent and its directors, officers, employees
and agents for, and to hold each of them harmless against any loss, liability,
or expense, incurred without gross negligence, recklessness, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement or the performance of the Rights
Agent's duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending against
any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly.
(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 or the performance of the Rights Agent's duties
hereunder in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for Common Stock
or other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power
of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by
the proper Person or Persons, or in reliance upon the advice of counsel as set
forth in Section 20.
26
(c) The indemnity provided in this Section 18 shall survive the expiration
of the Rights and the termination of the Agreement.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust or shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed
to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel selected by it (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as
to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of Current Per Share Market Price) be proved or established by the
Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter
(unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may
be deemed to be
27
conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any duly
authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the
Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in reliance
upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, recklessness, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of
the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the
due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof) or any adjustment
required under the provisions of Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates
after receipt of a certificate describing any such adjustment furnished in
accordance with Section 12 hereof), nor shall it be responsible for any
determination by the Board of Directors of the Company of current market value
of the Rights or Common Stock pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 hereof;
nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or
warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to
be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Common Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable; nor shall it be under any obligation to
institute any action, suit or legal proceeding or to take any other action
likely to involve expense unless the Company or one or more of the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates shall furnish the Rights Agent with security
and indemnity to its satisfaction for any costs and expenses which may be
incurred; nor shall it be liable for any failure to perform any duties except as
specifically set forth herein and no implied covenants or obligations shall be
read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent, whose duties and obligations
shall be determined solely by the express provisions hereof.
(f) The Company agrees that it will inform the Rights Agent promptly upon
the Company's determination that a Person has become an Acquiring Person, and
the Rights Agent will not be responsible for making such determination or be
deemed to have knowledge thereof prior to such notice by the Company. 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
28
acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights
Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions
of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder and
certificates delivered pursuant to any provision hereof from any duly authorized
officer of the Company, and is authorized to apply to any such officer for
advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable
for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while awaiting
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 Agreement
and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission
shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken
by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in
such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date
shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the
Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have
consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action
(or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have
received written instructions in response to such application specifying the
action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of
the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities
of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the
Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or
otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights Agent under
this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in
any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers
vested in it or perform any of its duties hereunder either directly 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 attorney or
agent or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided the Rights Agent was not grossly negligent in
the selection or continued employment of such agent.
(j) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause (1) or clause (2)
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
(k) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary not withstanding, in no
event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential
loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost
profits).
29
(l) No provision in 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.
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 Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the
holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove
the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) 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 Stock
by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by
first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall
otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to
the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a
period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been
notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall,
with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then the incumbent Rights Agent or the registered holder of any Right
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment
of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the
Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation or trust company
organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State
of State of Georgia (or of any other state of the United States so long as such
corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the State
of Georgia), in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
shareholder services or corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or
examination by federal or state authority or (b) an Affiliate of a corporation
described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor
Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and
responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without
further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer
to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and
execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for
the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent
and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Exercise Price and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other
securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in
accordance with the
30
provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or
sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the
redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to
shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities hereafter issued by the Company, and (b)
may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of
Directors of the Company, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate
number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however,
that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right
Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustments
shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time
prior to the earlier of (x) the Close of Business on the tenth day following the
Share Acquisition Date (or, if the Share Acquisition Date shall have occurred
prior to the Record Date, the Close of Business on the tenth day following the
Record Date), or (y) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all
of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such
amount may be appropriately adjusted, as determined by the Board of Directors,
to reflect any transaction of the kind described in clauses (A) through (D) of
Section 11(a)(i) occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"); provided, however, that if
the Board of Directors of the Company shall authorize the redemption of the
Rights in the circumstances set forth in clause (i) or (ii) below, then there
must be Disinterested Directors in office and such authorization shall require
the concurrence of a majority of such Disinterested Directors: (i) such
authorization occurs on or after the date a Person becomes an Acquiring Person
or (ii) such authorization occurs on or after the date of a change (resulting
from one or more proxy or consent solicitations) in a majority of the directors
in office at the commencement of such solicitation if any Person who is a
participant in such solicitation has stated (or, if upon the commencement of
such solicitation a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined in good faith) that such Person (or any of its Affiliates or
Associates) intends to take, or may consider taking, any action which would
result in such person becoming an Acquiring Person or which would cause the
occurrence of an Adjustment Event. In considering whether to redeem the Rights,
the Board of Directors of the Company may consider the best long-term and
short-term interests of the Company, including, without limitation, the effects
of the redemption of the Rights upon employees, suppliers and customers of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company and communities in which offices or
other establishments of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company are located
and all other pertinent factors, including without limitation the factors set
forth in the Company's Articles of Incorporation as amended from time to time.
The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be effective at such
time, on such basis and with such conditions as such Board of Directors in its
sole discretion may establish. In addition to the right of redemption reserved
in the first sentence of this subsection (a), if there are Disinterested
Directors then in office, such Board
31
of Directors may redeem, with the concurrence of a majority of such
Disinterested Directors, all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding
Rights at the Redemption Price after the occurrence of a Share Acquisition Date,
but prior to the occurrence of any transaction of the kind described in Section
11(a)(ii)(A) or (C) or Section 13(a), if either (i) a Person who is an Acquiring
Person shall have transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of shares of
Common Stock in one transaction or series of transactions, not directly or
indirectly involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and which did not
result in the occurrence of any transaction of the kind described in Section
11(a)(ii)(A) or (C) or Section 13(a), as shall result in such Person thereafter
being a Beneficial Owner of 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock of the Company, and after such transfer or other disposition there are no
other Acquiring Persons, or (ii) in connection with any transaction of the kind
described in Section 11(a)(ii)(A) or Section 13(a) in which all holders of the
Common Stock of the Company are treated the same and which shall not involve an
Acquiring Person, an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, any other
Person in which such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate has any interest
or any other Person acting, directly or indirectly, on behalf of or in
association with such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the Rights shall not be exercisable after
the first occurrence of an event specified in Section 11(a)(ii) until such time
as the Company's right of redemption hereunder has expired.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the redemption of the Rights, 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 for each Right so held. Promptly 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 the Rights Agent and to all such holders at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent
or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent
for the Common Stock. 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 of value any Rights at any time in
any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23, or in
connection with the purchase, acquisition or redemption of shares of Common
Stock prior to the Distribution Date.
(c) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Per Share Market Price of the
Common Stock as of the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration
deemed appropriate by the Board.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time
after any Person shall have become an Acquiring Person, exchange all or any part
of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights
which have become void pursuant to the
32
provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)) for Common Stock of the Company at an exchange
rate of one quarter share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to
reflect any transaction specified in clauses (A) through (D), inclusive, of
Section 11(a)(i) occurring after the date hereof (such exchange rate being
hereinafter called the "Exchange Rate"); provided, however, that the Board of
Directors shall not be empowered to effect such an exchange at any time after
any Person (other than an Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, shall have become the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more
of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding.
(b) Immediately after any action by the Board of Directors of the Company
directing the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section
24, notice of which shall be filed with the Rights Agent, and without any
further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall
terminate and each registered holder of such Rights shall thereafter be entitled
to receive only the number of shares of Common Stock which shall equal the
number of Rights held by such registered holder multiplied by the Exchange Rate.
The Company shall give prompt public notice of any exchange directed pursuant to
such subsection (a); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect
in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. Within 10
days after action by such Board of Directors directing the exchange of such
Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of exchange to all registered holders of
such Rights at their last addresses appearing upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not received by the registered
holder to whom sent; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect
in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of any such exchange. Each
such notice shall state the method by which the exchange of Common Stock 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
among the registered holders of the Rights based upon the number of Rights held
(excluding Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii)); and in such case, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights not
being exchanged shall be prepared and executed by the Company and countersigned
and delivered by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Rights
subject to the provisions of Section 14.
(c) In the event that there shall be an insufficient number of shares of
Common Stock authorized but unissued or issued and held in the treasury of the
Company to permit an exchange of Rights directed by the Board of Directors of
the Company, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to
authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon such exchange of
the Rights. In any such exchange, the Company may, at its option, substitute
Equivalent Common Stock for some or all of the Common Stock otherwise
exchangeable for the Rights.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractional shares of Common
Stock in exchange for Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock,
the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights with respect to
which such fractional Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the Current Per Share Market Value of Common Stock
(as
33
determined as provided in Section 11(d)) for the Trading Day immediately prior
to the date of such exchange.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution
Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of
Common Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of Common Stock
(other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of earnings or retained
earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Common Stock rights
or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Common
Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or
options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Common Stock (other than
a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of
Common Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to
effect any sale, non-ordinary course mortgage or other transfer (or to permit
one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale, non-ordinary course mortgage
or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of
50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to, any other person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company
in one or more transactions each of which is not prohibited by Section 11(o)
hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a
Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such
stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Common Stock, if any such date is to be
fixed, and such notice shall be so given, in the case of any action covered by
clause (i) or (ii) above, at least ten (10) days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Common Stock for purposes of such action,
and in the case of any such other action, at least ten (10) days prior to the
date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein
by the holders of the shares of Common Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any such
case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
registered holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof,
a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to
or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Delta Apparel, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Attn: Secretary
34
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
First Union National Bank
0000 Xxxx X.X. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, 0X0
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Shareholder Services Group
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, to the holder of any certificate representing shares of
Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first- class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown
on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
Company and the Rights Agent shall, if so directed by the Company, supplement or
amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
certificates representing Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date,
the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or
amend this Agreement without the approval of any holder of Right Certificates in
order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision
contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or
(iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the
Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect, as
determined solely by the Company, the interests of the holders of the Rights or
the Right Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, however, that this Agreement may
not be supplemented or amended pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence (A) to
lengthen any time period unless (1) approved by a majority of the Disinterested
Directors then in office and (2) such lengthening is for the purpose of
protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to,
registered holders of the Rights, or (B) to lengthen any time period relating to
when the Rights may be redeemed if at such time the Rights are not then
redeemable. Upon the delivery of such certificate from an appropriate officer of
the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in
compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute
such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made on or after
the Distribution Date which changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration
Date, the Exercise Price or the number of shares (or portions thereof) of Common
Stock for which a Right is exercisable, and no supplement or amendment that
changes the rights and duties of the Rights Agent under this Agreement shall be
effective without the consent of the Rights Agent. Prior to the Distribution
Date,
35
the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the
interests of the holders of Common Stock.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement
by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to
the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. For all
purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining
the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock 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 as in effect on the date hereof. The Board of Directors of the
Company (with, where specifically provided for herein, the approval of a
majority of the Disinterested Directors) shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board (with, where specifically provided for herein,
the approval of a majority of the Disinterested Directors) or to the Company, or
as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary
or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination
to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of
clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or
made by the Board of Directors (or, where specifically provided for herein, by a
majority of the Disinterested Directors) in good faith shall (x) be final,
conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject any member of the Board of
Directors or any of the Disinterested Directors to any liability to the holders
of the Rights or to any other person.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any Person or corporation other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
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 (including, if at the time of such determination, there
is an Acquiring
36
Person, a majority of the Disinterested Directors then in office) determines in
its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from the Agreement
would adversely affect the purpose or effect of the Agreement, the right of
redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not
expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the date of such
determination by the Board of Directors.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Georgia 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 to be performed entirely within Georgia.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE
37
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Shareholder Rights
Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: DELTA APPAREL, INC.
By: s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx By: s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
--- --------------------- --- ----------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: V. P., CFO Title: President & CEO
ATTEST: FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
By: s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx By: s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
--- ------------------- --- ----------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: Corporate Trust Officer Title: Vice President
38
Exhibit A
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R-______________ __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JANUARY 20, 2010 OR EARLIER IF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION IS
GIVEN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT
$.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. [UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY 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 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). THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY
BECOME VOID UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 11(a) OF THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT.]
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
DELTA APPAREL, INC.
This certifies that ________________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Shareholder Rights Agreement dated as of January 27, 2000 (the "Rights
Agreement") between Delta Apparel, Inc. (the "Company"), and First Union
National Bank (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time
after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement)
and prior to the Close of Business on January 20, 2010, at the office or offices
of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights
Agent, one quarter of a fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock,
$0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company, at an exercise
price of $20.00 per quarter share (the "Exercise Price") equivalent to $80.00
for each share), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with
the Form of Election to Purchase and the related Certificate duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of shares
which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above and the Exercise
Price per share set forth above, are the number and Exercise Price as of
_________________, based on the Common Stock as constituted at such date.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
any such Person (as such terms are defined in the
1
Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or
Associate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement, a transferee of a Person who, after such transfer, became an
Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, such
Right shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with
respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii)
Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Exercise Price and the number of
shares of Common Stock or other securities which may be purchased upon the
exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to
modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal offices of the
Company and the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the
Company or the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Certificates of like
tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Right
Certificate or Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to
purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall
be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or
Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be redeemed by the Board of Directors of the Company at its
option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock
or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors), or may be
exchanged, in whole or in part, for Common Stock.
No fractional shares of Common Stock 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, as such, of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Common
Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or
herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights
of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of
directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof,
or to give or withhold consent to any
2
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the
Rights Agreement.
This Right 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 ____________, 20__.
ATTEST: DELTA APPAREL, INC.
By:________________________ By:________________________
Secretary President
Countersigned:
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
as Rights Agent
By: ____________________________
Title: ___________________________
3
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ____________________________ hereby sells, assigns and
transfers unto ______________________________________________________ (please
print name and address of transferee) this Right Certificate, together with all
right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint ________________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Right
Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
substitution.
Dated: _________________ 20___ ______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:____________________
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate __ are __ are not being
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person 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, the
undersigned __ did __ did not directly or indirectly acquire the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: ____________, 20___ ______________________________
Signature
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond
to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
4
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the
Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
To: Delta Apparel, Inc.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ____________ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the
Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of:
______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
___________________________________
(Please insert social security or other identifying number)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall
be registered in the name of and delivered to:
______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
___________________________________
(Please insert social security or other identifying number)
Dated: ____________, 20___
____________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:______________________
5
Exhibit B
DELTA APPAREL, INC.
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
On January 20, 2000, the Board of Directors of Delta Apparel, Inc. (the
"Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Common Stock Purchase Right
for each outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company to stockholders of
record at the close of business on January 20, 2000. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company one quarter share of Common
Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), at a cash exercise price
of $20.00 per quarter share, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of
the Rights are set forth in a Shareholder Rights Agreement between the Company
and First Union National Bank, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will not be exercisable, will be attached to all
outstanding shares of Common Stock, and no separate Right Certificates will be
distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a Distribution
Date will occur upon the earliest of (i) 10 days following a public announcement
that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring
Person") (other than an Exempt Person as defined in the Agreement) has acquired
beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
(the date of said announcement being referred to as the "Share Acquisition
Date") and (ii) 10 business days following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that would result in a Person or group owning 20% or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights), (a) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and
will be transferred only with such Common Stock certificates, (b) new Common
Stock certificates issued after January 20, 2000 will contain a notation
incorporating the Shareholder Rights Agreement by reference, and (c) the
surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire
at the close of business on January 20, 2010 unless previously redeemed by the
Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Right Certificates will
be mailed to holders of record of Common Stock as of the close of business on
the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Right Certificates alone
will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of
Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date
will be issued with Rights.
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In the event that (i) a Person acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more
of the Company's Common Stock, (ii) the Company is the surviving corporation in
a merger with an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring
Person and the Common Stock is not changed or exchanged, (iii) an Acquiring
Person engages in one of a number of self-dealing transactions specified in the
Shareholder Rights Agreement, or (iv) an event occurs that results in an
Acquiring Person's ownership interest being increased by more than 1%, proper
provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the
right to receive upon exercise thereof at the then current exercise price, that
number of shares of Common Stock (or in certain circumstances, cash, property,
or other securities of the Company) having a market value of two times such
exercise price. However, the Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence
of any of the events set forth above until the time the Rights are no longer
redeemable as set forth below. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, upon any of
the events set forth above, rights that are or were beneficially owned by an
Acquiring Person shall become null and void.
In the event that, at any time following the Share Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or
(ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold, each holder
of a Right shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common
stock of the acquiring company having a market value equal to two times the
exercise price of the Right.
At any time after any person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to such
the time such Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board of
Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights that have
become void), in whole or in part, at the exchange rate of one quarter share of
Common Stock per Right, subject to adjustment as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
The exercise price payable, and the number of shares of Common Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Common
Stock, (ii) if all holders of the Common Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or securities convertible into Common
Stock at less than the current market price of the Common Stock, or (iii) upon
the distribution to all holders of the Common Stock of evidence of indebtedness
or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights
or warrants (other than those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the exercise price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the exercise
price. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued upon exercise of a
Right and, in lieu thereof, a payment , in cash will be made based on the fair
market value of the Common Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of
exercise.
The Rights may be redeemed in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001
per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed
appropriate by the Board of Directors) by the Board of Directors at any time
prior to the close of business on the tenth day after the Share
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Acquisition Date or the final expiration Date of the Rights (whichever is
earlier); provided that under certain circumstances, the Rights may not be
redeemed unless there are Disinterested Directors in office and such redemption
is approved by a majority of such Disinterested Directors. After the redemption
period has expired, the Company's right of redemption may be reinstated upon the
approval of the Board of Directors if an Acquiring Person reduces his beneficial
ownership to 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock in
transaction or series of transactions not involving the Company and there are no
other Acquiring Persons. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and thereafter the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder will have no rights as a stockholder
of the Company (beyond those as an existing stockholder), including the right to
vote or to receive dividends.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board
of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After the
Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement, other than those
relating to the principal economic terms of the Rights, may be amended by the
Board to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to make changes that do
not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests
of any Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the
Rights Agreement. Amendments adjusting time periods may, under certain
circumstances, require the approval of a majority of Disinterested Directors, or
otherwise be limited.
While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or
to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize
taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock
(or other consideration) of the Company or for common stock of an acquiring
company as set forth above.
A copy of the Shareholder Rights Agreement is available free of charge from
the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Shareholder Rights
Agreement.
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