DOR BIOPHARMA, INC. and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent RIGHTS AGREEMENT Dated as of June 22, 2007
Exhibit 4.1
DOR
BIOPHARMA, INC.
and
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent
Dated
as of June 22, 2007
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Section
1.
|
Certain
Definitions
|
1
|
Section
2.
|
Appointment
of Rights Agent
|
6
|
Section
3.
|
Issue
of Right Certificates
|
6
|
Section
4.
|
Form
of Right Certificates
|
8
|
Section
5.
|
Countersignature
and Registration
|
9
|
Section
6.
|
Transfer,
Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right
Certificates
|
10
|
Section
7.
|
Exercise
of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of
Rights
|
11
|
Section
8.
|
Cancellation
and Destruction of Right Certificates
|
12
|
Section
9.
|
Availability
of Preferred Shares
|
12
|
Section
10.
|
Preferred
Shares Record Date
|
14
|
Section
11.
|
Adjustment
of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and
Number of Rights
|
14
|
Section
12.
|
Certificate
of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares
|
22
|
Section
13.
|
Consolidation,
Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power
|
23
|
Section
14.
|
Fractional
Rights and Fractional Shares
|
27
|
Section
15.
|
Rights
of Action
|
28
|
Section
16.
|
Agreement
of Right Holders
|
28
|
Section
17.
|
Right
Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder
|
29
|
Section
18.
|
Concerning
the Rights Agent
|
29
|
Section
19.
|
Merger
or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent
|
30
|
Section
21.
|
Change
of Rights Agent
|
32
|
Section
22.
|
Issuance
of New Right Certificates
|
33
|
Section
23.
|
Redemption
|
34
|
Section
24.
|
Exchange
|
35
|
Section
25.
|
Notice
of Certain Events
|
36
|
Section
26.
|
Notices
|
37
|
Section
27.
|
Supplements
and Amendments
|
37
|
Section
28.
|
Successors
|
38
|
Section
29.
|
Benefits
of this Agreement
|
38
|
Section
30.
|
Determinations
and Actions by the Board of Directors
|
38
|
Section
31.
|
Severability
|
39
|
Section
32.
|
Governing
Law
|
39
|
Section
33.
|
Counterparts
|
39
|
Section
34.
|
Descriptive
Headings
|
39
|
Rights
Agreement, dated as of June 22, 2007
(“Agreement”), between Dor BioPharma, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as
Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
The
Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a
dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for
each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding
as of the Close of Business (as defined below) on July 2, 2007 (the
“Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase
one one-thousandth (1/1000) of a Preferred Share, as hereinafter defined
(subject to adjustment as provided herein), upon the terms and subject to the
conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the
issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect
to
each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Record
Date
and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms
are hereinafter defined); provided, however, that Rights may be
issued with respect to shares of Common Stock that shall become outstanding
after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date in accordance
with
Section 22.
Accordingly,
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 meaning
indicated:
(a) “Acquiring
Person” shall mean any Person (as such term is hereinafter defined) who or which
shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15%
or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include
an
Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter defined); provided,
however, that (i) if the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring
Person” became the Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Common Stock such
that the Person would otherwise qualify as an “Acquiring Person” inadvertently
(including, without limitation, because (A) such Person was unaware that it
beneficially owned a percentage of Common Stock that would otherwise cause
such
Person to be an “Acquiring Person” or (B) such Person was aware of the
extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock but had no actual knowledge
of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership under this Agreement) and
without any intention of changing or influencing control of the Company, then
such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an “Acquiring Person”
for any purposes of this Agreement unless and until such Person shall have
failed to divest itself, as soon as practicable (as determined, in good faith,
by the Board of Directors of the Company), of Beneficial Ownership of a
sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer
otherwise qualify as an “Acquiring Person”; (ii) if, as of the date hereof
or prior to the first public
1
announcement
of the adoption of this Agreement, any Person is or
becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock
outstanding, such Person shall not be deemed to be or to become an “Acquiring
Person” unless and until such time as such Person shall, after the first public
announcement of the adoption of this Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner
of
additional shares of Common Stock (other than pursuant to a dividend or
distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Stock or
pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock), unless,
upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock,
such Person is not then the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding; and (iii) no Person shall become an
“Acquiring Person” as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock by
the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases
the
proportionate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person
to 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, provided,
however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15%
or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of such share
acquisitions by the Company and shall thereafter become the Beneficial Owner
of
any additional shares of Common Stock (other than pursuant to a dividend or
distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Stock or
pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock), then such
Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” unless upon becoming the
Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock such Person does
not
beneficially own 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding. 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as in effect on the date hereof.
(b) “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 hereof.
(c) “American
Stock Exchange” shall mean the American Stock Exchange LLC.
(d) A
Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, shall be deemed to have
“Beneficial Ownership” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” any
securities:
(i) which
such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is deemed to
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of Rule l3d-3
or Rule 13d-5 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as
in
effect on the date hereof;
2
(ii) which
such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has, directly or
indirectly, (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time or the satisfaction of one or
more
conditions or both) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding,
whether in writing or not (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of,
or to
beneficially own, (x) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or
Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase,
(y) securities which such Person has a right to acquire upon the exercise
of Rights at any time prior to the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person or (z) securities issuable upon the exercise of Rights from and
after the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person if such Rights were
acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior
to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof (“Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) or
Section 11(n) with respect to an adjustment to Original Rights; or
(B) the right to vote or dispose of, or to direct the vote or disposition
of, alone or in concert with others, pursuant to any agreement, arrangement
or
understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security by reason
of such agreement, arrangement or understanding if the agreement, arrangement
or
understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable
proxy or revocable consent 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 and (2) is not also then reportable on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);
or
(iii) which
are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person and with
respect to which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates
has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona
fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, for the purpose
of
acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso
to
Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of such securities of the Company;
provided,
however,
that no Person who is an officer,
director or employee of an Exempt Person shall be deemed, solely by reason
of
such Person’s status or authority as such, to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, to
have “Beneficial Ownership” of or to “beneficially own” any
3
securities
that are “beneficially owned” (as defined in this
Section l(c)), including, without limitation, in a fiduciary capacity, by
an Exempt Person or by any other such officer, director or employee of an Exempt
Person.
(e) “Business
Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which
banking institutions in the State of New York or the city in which the principal
office of the Rights Agent is located are authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.
(f) “Close
of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., City of New York time, on
such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business
Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., City of New York time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(g) “Common
Stock” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the Common Stock, par
value $.001 per share, of the Company. “Common Stock” when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock
(or,
in the case of an unincorporated entity, the equivalent equity interest) with
the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is
a
subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control
such first-mentioned Person, together with all rights and benefits (however
denominated or constituted) relating to such capital stock (including, without
limitation, any rights or warrants to acquire additional shares of such capital
stock or other securities or assets, or to participate in any trust for the
benefit of holders of such shares, or to share in the benefits of any agreements
or other arrangements for the benefit of such holders), whether or not such
rights are yet exercisable, and together with any other securities which are
represented by the certificates for such shares or are transferred in connection
with transfers of such shares.
(h) “Common
Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
(i) “Current
Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(j) “Distribution
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.
(k) “Equivalent
Preferred Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b)
hereof.
(l) “Exempt
Person” shall mean the Company or any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter
defined) of the Company, in each case including, without limitation, in its
fiduciary capacity, or any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding Common Stock for
or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding
4
any
such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.
(m) “Exchange
Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24 hereof.
(n) “Expiration
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(o) “Final
Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(p) “Flip-In
Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(q) “NASDAQ”
shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market.
(r) “New
York Stock Exchange” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
(s) “Person”
shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, trust or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger
or
otherwise) to such entity.
(t) “Preferred
Shares” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par
value $0.001 per share, of the Company.
(u) “Principal
Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) hereof.
(v) “Purchase
Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b) hereof.
(w) “Redemption
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(x) “Redemption
Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23 hereof.
(y) “Right
Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.
(z) “Securities
Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(aa) “Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
5
(bb) “Spread”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(cc) “Stock
Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of the public announcement (which,
for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report
filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an
Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, or such earlier
date
as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become aware of the existence
of
an Acquiring Person.
(dd) “Subsidiary”
of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which securities
or
other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect
a
majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions
are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, and any
corporation or other entity that 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 hereof.
(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 be the holders of
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. 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
will
be as the Company may determine.
Section
3. Issue of Right Certificates.
(a) Until
the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may
be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any
Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement
of
the intention of such Person
6
(other
than an Exempt Person) to commence, a tender or exchange offer
the consummation of which would result in any Person (other than an Exempt
Person) becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being herein
referred to as the “Distribution Date”, provided, however, that if
either of such dates occurs after the date of this Agreement and on or prior
to
the Record Date, then the Distribution Date shall be the Record Date), (x)
the
Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof)
by the certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders
thereof (which certificates for Common Stock shall also be deemed (other than
for purposes of this Section 3 and any provision of this Agreement referring
to
the issuance of Rights Certificates) to be Right Certificates (as such term
is
hereinafter defined)) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the Rights
will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common
Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, subject to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights
Agent
will countersign and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights
Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail,
to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records
of
the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto
(a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right (subject to
adjustment as provided herein) for each share of Common Stock so
held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced
solely by such Right Certificates and may be transferred only by the transfer
of
the Rights Certificates as permitted hereby, separately and apart from any
transfer of one or more shares of Common Stock.
(b) On
the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send
a
copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially
the
form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by
first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as
of
the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or
any
Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for
Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date,
the
Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the
holders thereof together with the Summary of Rights. Until the
Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for
transfer of any certificate for Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date,
with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented
thereby.
(c) Rights
shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock issued or disposed
of
(including, without limitation, upon disposition of Common Stock out of treasury
stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of authorized but unissued
shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution
Date
and the Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22
hereof, after the Distribution Date. Certificates issued for Common
Stock (including, without limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock,
disposition of Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance
of
Common Stock out of authorized but unissued shares)
7
after
the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution
Date and the Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on
or
otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This
certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Dor BioPharma, Inc.
(the “Company”) and American Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, as Rights Agent, dated as of June 22, 2007 and as amended from time
to
time (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal
executive offices of the Company. 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. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights
Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request
therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
Agreement, Rights owned by or transferred to any Person who is or becomes an
Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain transferees
thereof will become null and void and will no longer be transferable.
With
respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend,
until the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any
such
certificate, except as otherwise provided herein, shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented
thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise
acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution
Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed canceled
and
retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights
associated with the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.
Notwithstanding
this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend shall
not affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of
any
holder of the Rights.
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 be substantially in
the
form set forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of identification
or
designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as
the
Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions
of
this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or
with
any rule or regulation made pursuant
8
thereto
or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or
interdealer quotation system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed
or quoted, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase
such number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth
therein at the price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share set forth
therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such shares
of Common Stock and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as
provided herein.
(b) Any
Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that
represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after
the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Xxxxxx to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or
to
any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has a primary purpose or effect of avoidance
of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section
6
or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of
any
other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the
extent feasible) the following legend:
The
Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in
the
Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the
Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances
specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement.
Section
5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The
Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman
of
the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the
Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof and shall be attested by the Secretary or
an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned, either
manually or by facsimile signature. 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
9
officer
of the Company; and any Right Certificate 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 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 an
office or agency designated for such purpose, 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 this Agreement, at any time after the Close of Business
on
the Distribution Date and prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration
Date,
any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates
representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate
or
Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number
of
one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any
registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right
Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered
to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office
or
agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Thereupon the
Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Right Certificate or Right 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) Subject
to the provisions of this Agreement, 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 reasonably satisfactory to them, and,
at
the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all
reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent
and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make
and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for
delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost,
stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
10
Section
7. Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price;
Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the
Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Right Certificate
may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as otherwise provided
herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in part upon surrender
of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse
side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or agency of
the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase
Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or other securities,
cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised,
at any time which is both after the Distribution Date and prior to the time
(the
“Expiration Date”) that is the earliest of (i) the Close
of Business on July 1, 2017 (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 at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24
hereof.
(b) The
purchase price shall be initially $3.70 for each one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Purchase
Price”). The Purchase Price and the number of one
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share or other securities or property to be
acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time
to
time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful
money of the United States of America in accordance with
paragraph (c) of this Section 7.
(c) Except
as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the number of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share to be purchased and an amount equal to
any
applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right
Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof, in cash or by certified check,
cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights
Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the Preferred Shares, or make available if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for the Preferred Shares, certificates for the number of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share 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
Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a
depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts
representing interests in such number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share
as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares
represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with
the
depositary agent), and the Company hereby directs any such depositary agent
to
comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) promptly after receipt of
such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to
or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered
in
such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when
appropriate, after receipt,
11
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 (including Common Stock) of the Company,
pay
cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the
Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities,
cash
and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if
and
when appropriate.
(d) Except
as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered holder of any Right
Certificate shall exercise less than all of the Rights evidenced thereby, a
new
Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the exercisable Rights
remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered
holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject
to
the provisions of Sections 7(e), 11(a)(ii) and 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 transfer or exercise
of
Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or this Section 7 unless such
registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of assignment or form of election to purchase set forth
on
the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such transfer or
exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) 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 to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for
cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall
be canceled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof
except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this
Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for
cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire,
any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise
than
upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of
the Company, destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section
9. Availability of Preferred Shares.
(a) The
Company covenants and agrees that, from and after such time as the Rights become
exercisable, it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its
authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or other securities or any Preferred
Shares or other securities held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares
or shares of other securities that, as provided in this Agreement (including
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof), will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full
of
all outstanding Rights; provided, however, that the Company shall
not be required to reserve and keep available Preferred Shares or other
12
securities
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 or
Section 13 hereof until the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring
Person.
(b) So
long as the Preferred Shares or other securities issuable upon the exercise
of
Rights may be listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange,
or quoted on NASDAQ, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from
and
after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for such
issuance to be listed or admitted to trading on such exchange, or quoted on
NASDAQ, upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) From
and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the Company shall use
its
best efforts, if then necessary to permit the issuance of Preferred Shares
and/or other securities upon the exercise of Rights, to register and qualify
such Preferred Shares under the Securities Act and any applicable state
securities or “Blue Sky” laws (to the extent exemptions therefrom are not
available), cause such registration statement and qualifications to become
effective as soon as possible after such filing and keep such registration
and
qualifications effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of the date as of which
the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and the Expiration
Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not
to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and
file
a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit it to become
effective. Upon 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. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to
the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless
the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until
a registration statement under the Securities Act shall have been declared
effective, unless an exemption therefrom is available.
(d) The
Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be
necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares and/or other securities delivered
upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates
therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The
Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable
any
and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in
respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any
Preferred Shares and/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 the issuance or delivery of
certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be, in a name other than that of, the registered
holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise
or to
issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares
and/or other securities, as the case
13
may
be, upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have
been paid (any such tax being payable by that holder of such Right Certificate
at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s
reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section
10. Preferred Shares Record
Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred
Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be, is issued upon the exercise
of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record
of the Preferred Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be, 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
Purchase 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 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 or
depositary receipt shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which
the
transfer of books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of
the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be
entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends or other distributions
or
to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any
notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section
11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and
Kind of Shares and Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the
number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property purchasable upon
exercise of 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 and pay a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred
Shares, (B) subdivide or split the outstanding Preferred Shares,
(C) combine or consolidate the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller
number of shares of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital
stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of
the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
split, combination, consolidation or reclassification, and the number and kind
of shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of a Right as of the record
date for such dividend or the effective date of such subdivision, combination
or
reclassification, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any
Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate
number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been
exercised immediately prior to such date, the 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 capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right.
14
(ii) Subject
to the following paragraph of this subparagraph (ii) and to Section 24
of this Agreement, in the event any Person shall become an Acquiring Person
(the
first occurrence of such event being referred to hereinafter as the
“Flip-In Event”), each holder of a Right shall thereafter have
a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current
Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying
the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product
by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company’s
Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date such
Person became an Acquiring Person; provided, however, that the
Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall, following the
Flip-In Event, be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance
with Section 11(f) hereof. At the time such provision is made,
the Company shall cause to be reserved out of its authorized but unissued (or
treasury) shares of Common Stock, the lesser of (m) the number of shares of
Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights (other than those referred to in the following paragraph
below), and (n) the number of shares of Common Stock which are authorized by
the
Company's certificate of incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for
issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights (in which case
the
Company shall also comply with clause (iii) below of this Section
11(a)). In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person
and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action
that would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however,
from and after the Flip-In Event, any Rights that are beneficially owned by
(x) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring
Person), (y) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or
Associate) who becomes a transferee after the Flip-In Event or (z) a
transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who
became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Flip-In Event pursuant
to
either (I) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring
Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has
any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing,
regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer which the Board of
Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding,
whether or not in writing, which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the
provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall
be void without any further action and any existing or subsequent holder of
such
Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights
under any provision of this Agreement. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii)
are
complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Right Certificates
or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with
respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees
hereunder. From and after the Flip-In Event, (A) no Right
Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 hereof that
represents Rights that are or have
15
become
void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, (B) no
Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights
to
an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding
sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such
Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, and (C) any Right Certificate
delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become
void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be
canceled. From and after the occurrence of an event specified in
Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have not been exercised
pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall thereafter be exercisable only in
accordance with Section 13 and not pursuant to this
Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) In
the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued
but
not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of
the
Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Board of
Directors shall with respect to such deficiency, to the extent permitted by
applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company
is a party (A) determine the excess (such excess, the
“Spread”) of (1) the value of the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon the exercise of a Right (calculated as provided in the second
to
the last sentence of this subparagraph (iii)) in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) (the “Current Value”) over (2) the
Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii)),
and (B) with respect to each Right (other than Rights which have become
void pursuant to the foregoing subparagraph (ii)), make adequate provision
to substitute for the shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii), upon exercise of the Right and payment of the
Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance therewith), (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in such Purchase Price, (3) other equity securities of the
Company (including, without limitation, equity securities which, by virtue
of
having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to
those
of the shares of Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by the Board of
Directors to have substantially the same value as the shares of Common Stock
(such equity securities are hereinafter referred to as “Common Stock
Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other
assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value which, when
added to the value of the shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of such
Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount
of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been
determined by the Board of Directors upon the advice of a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected in good faith by the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that if the Company shall not make adequate
provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30)
days following the Flip-In Event (the date of the Flip-In Event being the
“Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to
deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements
then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise
of a Right and without requiring payment of such Purchase Price, shares of
Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if necessary, cash, which
shares and cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If, upon
the occurrence of the Flip-In Event, the Board of Directors shall 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, then,
if
the Board of Directors so elects, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may
be
16
extended
to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may
seek 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 and/or
second sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall
provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the last paragraph of
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of this
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights
until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the
value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall
issue a public announcement, and shall deliver to the Rights Agent a statement,
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended,
as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of
the shares of Common Stock shall be the current per share market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)) on the Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date and the per share or fractional value of any “Common Stock
Equivalent” shall be deemed to equal the current per share market price of the
Common Stock. The Board of Directors of the Company may, but shall
not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive shares
of Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant
to this Section 11(a)(iii).
(b) In
case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options
or
warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period
expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or
purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and
preferences as the Preferred Shares (“Equivalent Preferred
Shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent
Preferred Shares at a price per Preferred Share, or Equivalent Preferred Shares
(or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into
Preferred Share or Equivalent Preferred Shares) less than the then current
per
share market price of the Preferred Shares (determined pursuant to Section
11(d)
hereof) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of Preferred Shares and Equivalent Preferred Shares
outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares and
Equivalent Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities
so
to be offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator
of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares and Equivalent Preferred Shares
outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares
and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase
(or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially
convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon
exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price
17
may
be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a
form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined
in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Preferred
Shares and Equivalent Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of
the
Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such
computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such
a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options or warrants
are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase
Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In
case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to
all
holders of Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection
with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or
surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a
regular cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription
rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof),
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined
by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then current per share market
price of the Preferred Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith
by
the Board of Directors of the Company whose determination shall be described
in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or
evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights
or
warrants applicable to one Preferred Share, and the denominator of which shall
be such current per share market price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) of the Preferred Shares; provided,
however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon
the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one
Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made,
the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would
then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) Except
as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any computation hereunder,
the
“current per share market price” of any security (a “Security”
for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be
the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the
30
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately
prior
to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the
current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend
or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or
securities convertible into (or exercisable or exchangeable for) such shares,
or
(B) any subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification
of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the
ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for
such
subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification, then, and
in
each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately
adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such
Security. The closing price for
18
each
day shall be the last sale price (during regular trading hours,
excluding extended trading), regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way,
in
either case as reported by the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New
York
Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on
the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading
or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such
date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value
of
such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors
shall be used, such determination to be described in a statement filed with
the
Rights Agent. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security
is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, but
are quoted on NASDAQ, a day on which NASDAQ is in operation or if the Security
is neither listed nor admitted to trading on any national securities exchange
nor quoted on NASDAQ, a Business Day.
(ii) For
the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred Shares are publicly
traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be
determined in accordance with the method set forth in
Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly
traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be
conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common
Stock
as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to
reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after
the date hereof), multiplied by 100 (as such number may be appropriately
adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations and similar events
after the Declaration Date). If neither the Common Stock nor the
Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share
market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described
in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
(e) No
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would
require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this
Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations
under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest
ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one ten-millionth
of
a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first
sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11
shall be made no later than the
19
earlier
of (i) three years from the date of the transaction
which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If
as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or Section 13
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled
to
receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares,
thereafter the Purchase Price and the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of a Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent
as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained
in
Sections 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(e), 11(h), 11(i) and 11(m) hereof, as
applicable, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with
respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other
shares.
(g) All
Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to
the
Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted
Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
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 Purchase Price as a result of the calculations
made
in Sections 11(b) and 11(c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to
the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase,
at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share (calculated to the nearest one ten-millionth of a Preferred Share)
obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right immediately prior
to
such adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such adjustment and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately after such adjustment.
(i) The
Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price
hereof to adjust the number of Rights held by each holder of Rights, in
substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the
Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be
exercisable for the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share for which
a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each
Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall
become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth)
obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
after adjustment of the Purchase 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. Such record date may be the date on which the
Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates
have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public
announcement. If Right Certificates have not been issued, in the case
of a stock split, stock dividend or similar
20
event,
such adjustment in the number of Rights held by each existing
holder of Rights shall be effected (unless the Board of Directors otherwise
elects), by allocating the adjusted number of Rights proportionately among
all
shares held by such holder immediately after such stock split, stock dividend
or
other event. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each
adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders
of
record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing,
subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall
be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date
of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall
be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and
may
bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase 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 Purchase Price or the number of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of a Right,
the
Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the
Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share which
were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before
taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price
below one one-thousandth of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Shares
or other capital stock issuable upon exercise of a Right, 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 Preferred Shares or other such shares at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(l) In
any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the
Purchase 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 Preferred Shares and
other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis
of
the Purchase 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) Anything
in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be
entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in addition to those
adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent
that the Board of Directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, shall
determine to be advisable in order that (i) any consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for
21
cash
of any shares of Preferred Shares at less than the current
market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or
securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
Preferred Shares, (iv) dividends on Preferred Shares payable in shares of
Preferred Shares or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to
hereinabove in Section 11(b), in each case hereafter made by the Company to
holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) Anything
in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that at any
time
after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company
shall (i) declare and pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision, split, combination or
consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then, in each such case, (A) the number of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper
exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such
event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which
is
the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event,
and (B) each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event
shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each share
of
Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect
to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall
be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a
subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
(o) The
Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Stock
Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such
action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish
substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
Section
12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or
Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in
Section 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a
certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts
accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with
each transfer agent for the Common Stock or the Preferred Shares 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 (if so required under
Section 25 hereof). The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained 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.
22
(a) In
the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after the Flip-In Event
(i) the Company shall consolidate with or shall merge into any other
Person, (ii) any Person shall 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 Common Stock shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or of
the
Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating
50%
or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole and calculated on the basis of the Company's most recent
regularly prepared financial statements) to any other Person (other than the
Company or one or more wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company), then upon
the
first occurrence of such event, and in each such case, proper provision shall
be
made so that: (A) each holder of a Right (other than Rights which have
become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price,
multiplied by the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share for which
a
Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and
in
lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the
Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens,
encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall equal
the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the current per share market
price of the Common Stock of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer; provided, however, that the then current
Purchase Price and the number of shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party
so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to further adjustment
as
appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof to reflect any events
occurring in respect of the Common Stock of such Principal Party after the
occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) 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; (C) the term “Company” shall
thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party; and (D) such
Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the
reservation of a sufficient number of its shares of Common Stock in accordance
with Section 9 hereof (applying the provisions thereof with respect to
Preferred Shares of the Company to the Common Stock of such Principal Party))
in
connection with such consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary
to
assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly
as
reasonably may be, in relation to the shares of its Common Stock thereafter
deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; provided that, upon the subsequent
occurrence of any consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets or other
extraordinary transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of
a
Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and
payment of the Purchase Price as provided in this Section 13(a), such cash,
shares, rights, warrants and other property which such holder would have been
entitled to receive had such holder, at the time of such transaction,
23
owned
the Common Stock of the Principal Party receivable upon the
exercise of a Right pursuant to this Section 13(a), and such Principal
Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, reservation of
shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the
Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights,
warrants and other property.
(b) “Principal
Party” shall mean:
(i) in
the case of any transaction described in (i) or (ii) of the first sentence
of
Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of the
securities into which the shares of Common Stock are converted in such merger
or
consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the shares
of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding, or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person
that is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives said merger,
or,
if there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock
of
which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding or
(y) if the Person that is the other party to the merger does not survive
the merger, the Person that does survive the merger (including the Company
if it
survives) or (z) the Person resulting from the consolidation; and
(ii) in
the case of any transaction described in (iii) of the first sentence of
Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest
portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction
or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party to such transaction or
transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so
transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or
earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons is the issuer
of
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares
outstanding;
provided,
however, that in any such case described in the foregoing
clause (b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such
time or has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered
under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct
or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has
been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person,
or (2) if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than
one Person, the Common Stock of all of which is and has been so registered,
the
term “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding,
or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture
formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by
the
same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall
apply to each of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the
24
Person
owned by the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of
such joint venturers, and the Principal Party in each such case shall bear
the
obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest
in such Person bears to the total of such interests.
(c) The
Company shall not consummate any consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
referred to in Section 13(a) hereof unless 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 unless prior thereto the Company and the
Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and delivered to the Rights
Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of Sections 13(a) and
(b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance with their terms and that
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets shall not result in
a
default by the Principal Party under this Agreement as the same shall have
been
assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof
and providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement
pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare
and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, if necessary, with
respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights
on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and
use
its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with
a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until
the Expiration Date and similarly comply with applicable state securities
laws;
(ii) use
its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall be listed
or
admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange or on another national
securities exchange, to list or admit to trading (or continue the listing of)
the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on the
American Stock Exchange or such securities exchange, or, if the Common Stock
of
the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to trading on the American
Stock Exchange or a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the
securities receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be authorized for quotation
on NASDAQ or on such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver
to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal
Party
which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on
Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act; and
25
(iv) obtain
waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect of the
Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of
outstanding Rights.
The
provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event
that a consolidation, merger, sale or transfer shall occur at any time after
the
occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date, the Rights which have not theretofore
been exercised pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) shall thereafter become exercisable
in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) In
case the Principal Party has provision in any of its authorized securities
or in
its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its
affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such
Principal Party to issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this
Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation
of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents of such Principal Party at less than the then current
market price per share thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents of such Principal Party at less than such then current
market price, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar
provision in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal
Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13, then, in such event, the Company
hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any such
transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall
have
executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing
that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been canceled,
waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so
that
the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a
consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.
(e) The
Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the Flip-In
Event, enter into any transaction of the type described in clauses (i) through
(iii) of Section 13(a) hereof if (i) at the time of or immediately
after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or other transaction there
are
any charter or by-law provisions or any rights, warrants or other instruments
or
securities outstanding or agreements in effect or other actions taken, which
would materially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or other transaction, the
stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal
Party for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof shall have received a
distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates
or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization of the Principal
Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights. The
Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such other Person shall have executed
and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance
with this Section 13(e).
26
Section
14. Fractional Rights and Fractional
Shares.
(a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights (except prior to
the
Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(n) hereof) or to distribute
Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such
fractional Rights, there shall 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 the purposes of this Section 14(a),
the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the
Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing
price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no
such
sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted
to
trading on the American Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the American 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 the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading
on
any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted,
the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market,
as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date
the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market
in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If
on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the
fair
value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other
than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share) or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of
a
Preferred Share) upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. Fractions
of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts,
pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary
selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders
of
such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences
to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares
represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional
Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to each registered holder 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 of one Preferred
Share as the fraction of one Preferred Share that such holder would otherwise
receive upon the exercise of the aggregate number of rights exercised by such
holder. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of
a
Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a
27
Preferred
Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date
of
such exercise.
(c) The
holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives his right
to
receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise or exchange
of a Right (except as provided above).
Section
15. Rights of Action. All rights
of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given
to
the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective
registered holders of the 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), on his
own behalf and for his own benefit, may 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 Rights evidenced by such Right
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, such Common Stock) in the
manner provided therein and in this Agreement. Without limiting the
foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at
law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance
of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section
16. Agreement of Right
Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents
and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder
of
a Right that:
(a) prior
to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection
with the transfer of the 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 agency of
the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer;
(c) the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the
Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the 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 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, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary; and
28
(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
a
result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement
by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree
or
ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental,
regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule,
regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental
authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation;
provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have
any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as
possible.
Section
17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder. 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 Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at
any
time be issuable on the exercise or exchange 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
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 corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings
or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in this Agreement),
or
to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights
evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged
in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section
18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The
Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all
services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the
Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements
incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise
and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to
indemnify the Rights Agent, its directors, officers, employees and agents for,
and to hold it and them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense,
incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part
of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent or such
other indemnified party in connection with the acceptance and administration
of
this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim
of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly.
(b) The
Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect
of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its
administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or
certificate for Preferred Shares or for other securities of the Company,
instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit,
letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where
necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or
otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
29
(c) The
indemnity provided in this Section 18 shall survive the expiration of the
Rights, the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent and the termination
of
this 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 stock transfer
or
corporate trust powers 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 Rights
Agent 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 (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.
30
(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 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 conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the President and the
Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate
shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered
in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon
such
certificate.
(c) The
Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person
only
for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The
Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements
of
fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the 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)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms
of the Rights provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 and 24, or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or
adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right
Certificates after receipt of a certificate furnished pursuant to
Section 12, describing such change or adjustment); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares or shares of Common Stock
or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right
Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or shares of Common Stock
or
other securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully
paid
and nonassessable.
(f) The
Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause
to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and
other
acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights
Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions
of this Agreement.
31
(g) The
Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with
respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any person reasonably
believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the Chief Executive Officer, President
or Secretary of the Company and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for
any
action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions
of
any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions.
(h) The
Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights
Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the
Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company
may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise
act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this
Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The
Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested
in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys
or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for
any
act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for
any
loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct,
provided it was not grossly negligent in the selection and continued employment
thereof.
(j) If,
with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for
exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of assignment or
the
form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof, as the case
may
be, has not been completed to certify the holder is not an Acquiring Person
(or
an Affiliate or Associate thereof) or a transferee thereof, the Rights Agent
shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or
transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section
21. Change of Rights Agent. The
Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from
its
duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the
Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Shares
by registered or certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, to the
holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company
may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 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 and the Preferred Shares
by registered or certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, 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
32
Certificate
(who shall, with such notice, submit his Right
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then 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 corporation
organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or the laws
of
any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, in good standing,
having an office in the United States, which is authorized under such laws
to
exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision
or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $100
million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be
vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had
been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver
any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the
purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment
the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights
Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Shares,
and,
following the Distribution Date, 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 forms as may be approved
by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property
purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions
of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or
sale of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration
Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold
pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii) under any employee
plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities, notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a contractual
obligation of the Company, in each case existing prior to the Distribution
Date,
issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in
connection with such issuance or sale.
Section
23. Redemption.
(a) The
Board of Directors of the Company may, at any time prior to the Flip-In Event,
redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption
price of $.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split,
stock dividend or similar transaction occurring in respect of the Common Stock
after the date hereof (the redemption price being hereinafter referred to as
the
“Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights
may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions
as
the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. The
Redemption Price shall be payable, at the option of the Company, in cash, shares
of
33
Common
Stock, or such other form of consideration as the Board of
Directors shall determine.
(b) Immediately
upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights
pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at such later time as the
Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption),
and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the
Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights
shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly
give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that
the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the
validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the
Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time
as
the Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption),
the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then
outstanding Rights 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 shall
state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be
made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner
other
than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24
hereof, other than in connection with the purchase of Common Stock prior to
the
Distribution Date.
(c) In
the event that the Board of Directors adopts an effective resolution ordering
the redemption of the Rights in compliance with Section 23(a), the Company
may,
at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights
by
(i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights
in
accordance with this Agreement and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price
to the registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses as they appear
on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date,
on
the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such
action, all outstanding Rights and Right Certificates shall be null and void
without any further action by the Company.
Section
24. Exchange.
(a) The
Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after the
Flip-In Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable
Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Stock at an exchange
ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect
any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring in respect
of
the Common Stock after the date hereof (such amount per Right being hereinafter
referred to as the “Exchange
Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after
an
Acquiring Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
shall have become the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock aggregating
50%
or
34
more
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. From
and after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any
Rights that theretofore have not been exchanged pursuant to this
Section 24(a) shall thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with
Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this
Section 24(a). The exchange of the Rights by the Board of
Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately
upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock
equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any
such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any
defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such
exchange. The Company shall promptly mail a notice of any such
exchange to all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights
Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each
such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the
shares 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 based on the number of Rights (other
than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) The
Company may at its option substitute, and, in the event that there shall not
be
sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized
but
unissued to permit an exchange of Rights for Common Stock as contemplated in
accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall substitute to the extent
of such insufficiency, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise
be
issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Common Stock having an aggregate current
per
share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) equal to
the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of such exchange.
(d) The
Company shall not be required, pursuant to this Section 24, to issue fractional
shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common
Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise
be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current per share
market value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of
this paragraph (d), the current per share market value of a whole share of
Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock
35
(as
determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant
to this Section 24.
Section
25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In
case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the Distribution Date
or
the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock
of any class to the holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any other
distribution to the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular cash
dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or
warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or
shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options,
(iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a
reclassification involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding
Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with,
or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its
Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more 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, (v) to effect the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare
or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or to effect
a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock),
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
dividend or distribution or offering of rights or warrants, or the date on
which
such liquidation, dissolution, winding up, reclassification, subdivision,
combination or consolidation is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, 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 10 days prior to the record
date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to
the
date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein
by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall
be
the earlier.
(b) In
case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 shall
occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution Date,
the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event
and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii)
and Section 13 hereof.
Section
26. Notices. Notices or demands
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by
the
holder of any 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:
36
Dor
BioPharma, Inc.
0000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
000-X
Xxxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: President
Copy
to:
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Dodge LLP
000
Xxxx Xxx Xxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 0000
Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx, Esq.
Subject
to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder
of any 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:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
0000
00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx, Vice President and General
Counsel.
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 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. Except as provided in the penultimate sentence of
this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company
may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall if the
Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement in
any
respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights. At any
time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights
Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement
without the approval of any holders of Rights, provided that no such
supplement or amendment may (a) adversely affect the interests of the
holders of Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person), (b) cause this Agreement again to become
amendable other than in accordance with this sentence or (c) cause the
Rights again to become redeemable. Notwithstanding anything contained
in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made
which changes the Redemption Price. Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the
supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27,
the Rights Agent shall execute such
37
supplement
or amendment, provided that any supplement or
amendment that does not amend this Agreement in a manner adverse to the Rights
Agent shall become effective immediately upon execution by the Company, whether
or not also executed by the Rights Agent, and no supplement or amendment that
changes the rights, duties or liabilities of the Rights Agent in a manner
adverse to the Rights Agent shall be effective without the consent of the Rights
Agent.
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. Benefits of this
Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give
to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, 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, the Common Stock).
Section
30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the
exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise
the
rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company
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, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not
redeem the Rights or to amend or not amend this Agreement). All such
actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations that are done or
made
by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith shall be final,
conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights, as such, and all other parties and shall not subject the Board of
Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
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.
Section
32. Governing Law. This
Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be
a
contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes
shall
be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State
applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such
State.
Section
33. Counterparts. This Agreement
may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts
shall for all purposes be deemed to be an
38
original,
and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.
Section
34. Descriptive
Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this
Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect
the
meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
DOR
BIOPHARMA,
INC.
By:
/s/
Xxxxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: President
and Chief Executive Officer
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
as
Rights Agent
By: /s/
Xxxxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
Title:Vice
President and General Counsel
39
Form
of Right Certificate
Certificate
No. R-______
NOT
EXERCISABLE AFTER JULY 1, 2017 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR
EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.001 PER
RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY ASSOCIATES OR AFFILIATES THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME
NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE. [THE RIGHTS
REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A
PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF
AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS
REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED
IN
SECTION 7(E) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]1
RIGHT
CERTIFICATE
DOR
BIOPHARMA, 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 Rights Agreement, dated as of June 22, 2007, as the same
may
be amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), between Dor BioPharma,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and American Stock Transfer &
Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in
the
Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., City of New York time, on July 1,
2017
at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or
of
its successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable
share of Series A
1
The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
A-1
Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.001 per share (the
“Preferred Shares”), of the Company at a purchase price of $3.70 per one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation
and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase
duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share which
may
be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price
set
forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of June 22, 2007, based on
the
Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the
Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price, and the number of one one-thousandth
of a
Preferred Share (or other securities or property) which may be purchased upon
the exercise of the Rights and the number of Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of
certain events, and in certain circumstances may be exercised to purchase
securities of issuers other than the Company.
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. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned office or
agency of the Rights Agent. The Company will mail to the holder of
this Right Certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after
receipt of a written request therefor.
This
Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates,
upon surrender at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates
of
like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as the Rights
evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right 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 Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject
to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption
price of $.001 per Right (payable in cash, shares of Common Stock or other
consideration, and appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof) or (ii) may
be
exchanged in whole or in part for shares of the Company’s Common Stock or other
equity securities of the Company.
Subject
to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the Rights Agreement itself) may be
amended by action of the Company's Board of Directors.
No
fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise or
exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which
are
integral multiples of one
A-2
one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of
the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash
payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No
holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to
vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any
time
be issuable on the exercise or exchange 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 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 or exchanged 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 June 22, 2007.
DOR
BIOPHARMA, INC.
By:______________________________
Xxxxxxxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx, Ph.D.
President
and
CEO
ATTEST:
____________________________________
[Name]
[Title]
Countersigned:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent
By ___________________________________
Xxxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxx
Vice
President
and General Counsel
A-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)
____________
Rights represented by this Right Certificate, together
with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably
constitute and appoint __________________
Attorney,
to transfer said Rights on the books of the within-named
Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: ______________________
_______________________________
Signature
Signature
Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures
must be medallion guaranteed by a member firm of a
registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association
of
Securities Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office
or correspondent in the United States.
..............................................................................................................
(To
be completed)
The
undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by the
undersigned from, and are not being assigned to an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
_______________________________
Signature
A-4
Form
of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
FORM
OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To
be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights
represented by the Rights Certificate)
To
DOR BIOPHARMA, INC.
The
undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares (or
other
securities or property) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests
that certificates for such Preferred Shares (or such other securities) be issued
in the name of:
Please
insert social security
or
other identifying number
_________________________________________________________________________
(Please
print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________________
If
such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of
such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please
insert social security
or
other identifying number
_________________________________________________________________________
(Please
print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________________
Dated:________________________
_______________________________
Signature
(Signature
must conform to holder specified on Right
Certificate)
Signature
Medallion Guaranteed:
Signatures
must be medallion guaranteed by a member firm of a
registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association
of
Securities Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office
or correspondent in the United States.
A-5
Form
of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
_________________________________________________________________________
(To
be completed)
The
undersigned certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by, and were not acquired by the
undersigned from, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof
(as
defined in the Rights Agreement).
_______________________________
Signature
_________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE
The
signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to
Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the
face
of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
In
the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner
of
the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or
an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
A-6
Exhibit B
UNDER
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT,
RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING
PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF
WILL
BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
SUMMARY
OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED
SHARES OF
DOR
BIOPHARMA, INC.
Effective
June 22, 2007, the Board of Directors of Dor BioPharma,
Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one preferred share
purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value
$.001 per share, of the Company (the “Common
Stock”). The dividend is payable on July 12, 2007 to the
stockholders of record on July 2, 2007 (the “Record Date”). Each Right entitles the registered holder
to
purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the
“Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a price of $3.70 per
one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”),
subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are
set forth in a Rights Agreement, as the same may be amended from time to time
(the “Rights Agreement”), between the Company and American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the “Rights
Agent”).
Until
the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (with
certain exceptions, an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired
beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
or
(ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of
the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or
announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person
or
group of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier
of
such dates being called the “Distribution Date”), the Rights
will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates
outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate together
with this Summary of Rights.
The
Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or
earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred
with and only with the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or
earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates
issued after the Record Date or upon transfer or
B-1
new
issuances of Common Stock will contain a notation incorporating
the Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or
earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer
of
any certificates for shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date,
even without such notation or a copy of this Summary of Rights, will also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common
Stock
represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the
Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right
Certificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock
as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right
Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The
Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution
Date. The Rights will expire on July 1, 2017 (the “Final
Expiration Date”), unless the Final Expiration Date is advanced or
extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company,
in each case as described below.
The
Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights is 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 Preferred
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less
than
the then-current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness
or
assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in
Preferred Shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).
The
number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject
to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend
on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Preferred
Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not
be redeemable. Each Preferred Share will be entitled to a quarterly
dividend payment of 1000 times the dividend declared per share of Common
Stock. In the event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred
Shares will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 1000 times the aggregate
payment made per share of Common Stock. Each Preferred Share will
have 1000 votes, voting together with the Common Stock. In the event
of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Stock is
exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 1000 times the
amount received per share of Common Stock. These rights are protected
by customary antidilution provisions.
Because
of the nature of the Preferred Shares’ dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-thousandth interest
in a
Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate
the
value of one share of Common Stock.
B-2
From
and after the occurrence of an event described in Section
11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement, if the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are or were at any time on or after the earlier of (x) the date
of
such event and (y) the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) acquired or beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), such Rights shall become void, and any holder of such Rights shall
thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights.
In
the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring
Person, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are
sold,
proper provisions will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person which will have become void) will thereafter have the right
to
receive upon the exercise of a Right that number of shares of common stock
of
the person with whom the Company has engaged in the foregoing transaction (or
its parent) that at the time of such transaction have a market value of two
times the exercise price of the Right.
At
any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the earlier of one of the events described in the previous paragraph
or
the acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange
the
Rights (other than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person which will have become
void), in whole or in part, for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio
of
one share of Common Stock per Right (subject to adjustment).
With
certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1%
in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of
a
Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depositary receipts), and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be made
based on the current market price of the Preferred Shares.
At
any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the
Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.001 per Right (the “Redemption Price”) payable, at the
option of the Company, in cash, shares of Common Stock or such other form of
consideration as the Board of Directors of the Company shall
determine. The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such
time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its
sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the
Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right
of
the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
For
so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may,
except with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Rights Agreement in
any
manner. After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may,
except with respect to the
B-3
Redemption
Price, amend the Rights Agreement in any manner that does
not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
Until
a Right is exercised or exchanged, the holder thereof, as such,
will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
A
copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form
8-A. A copy of the 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 Rights
Agreement, as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby
B-4