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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
and
MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated
as of February 1, 2008
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
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Page
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Section 1.
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Certain Definitions
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1
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Section 2.
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Appointment of Rights Agent
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5
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Section 3.
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Issue of Rights Certificates.
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5
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Section 4.
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Form of Rights Certificates.
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7
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Section 5.
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Countersignature and Registration.
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8
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Section 6.
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Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates;
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Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights
Certificates
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9
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Section 7.
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Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights
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10
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Section 8.
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Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates
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12
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Section 9.
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Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock
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12
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Section 10.
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Preferred Stock Record Date
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13
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Section 11.
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Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of
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Rights
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14
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Section 12.
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Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares
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21
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Section 13.
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Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets,
Cash Flow or Earning
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Power.
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22
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Section 14.
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Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
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24
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Section 15.
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Rights of Action
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26
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Section 16.
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Agreement of Rights Holders
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26
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Section 17.
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Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder
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27
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Section 18.
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Concerning the Rights Agent.
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27
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Section 19.
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Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent.
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28
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Section 20.
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Rights and Duties of Rights Agent
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28
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Section 21.
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Change of Rights Agent
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31
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Section 22.
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Issuance of New Rights Certificates
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32
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i
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Page
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Section 23.
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Redemption and Termination.
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32
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Section 24.
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Exchange.
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33
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Section 25.
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Notice of Certain Events.
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34
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Section 26.
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Notices
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35
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Section 27.
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Supplements and Amendments
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36
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Section 28.
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Successors
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36
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Section 29.
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Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors,
etc
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36
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Section 30.
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Benefits of this Agreement
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37
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Section 31.
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Severability
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37
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Section 32.
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Governing Law
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37
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Section 33.
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Counterparts
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37
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Section 34.
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Descriptive Headings
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38
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Exhibit A
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—
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Form of
Certificate of Designations
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Exhibit B
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—
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Form of Rights
Certificate
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Exhibit C
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—
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Summary of Rights to
Purchase Preferred Stock
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ii
RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of February 1, 2008 (the “Agreement”),
between TESSCO Technologies Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company, as
rights agent (the “Rights Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, on February 1, 2008 (the “Rights Dividend
Declaration Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and
declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each
share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at
the Close of Business on February 11, 2008 (the “Record Date”), each Right
initially representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers
and preferences set forth in the form of the Certificate of Designation
attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth (the “Rights”), and has further authorized the
issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to
the provisions of Section 11(p)) for each share of Common Stock of the
Company that shall become outstanding between the Record Date (whether
originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) and the earlier of
the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter
defined) or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22, after the
Distribution Date;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1.
Certain Definitions. For purposes
of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) “Acquiring
Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the
shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include:
(i) the Company,
(ii) any Subsidiary
of the Company,
(iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company,
(iv) any Person
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan, or
(v) any
Grandfathered Holder.
Notwithstanding the
foregoing, 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
beneficially owned by such Person to 20% (or 30% with respect to a
Grandfathered Holder) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided,
however, that if a Person, other than those Persons excepted in clauses
(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of the preceding sentence, shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 20% (or 30% with respect to a Grandfathered Holder) or more
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of purchases of Common
Stock by the Company and shall, after such purchases by the Company, 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”. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board
of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would
otherwise be an “Acquiring Person” (as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a)) has become such inadvertently, and such
Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of
Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person” (as
defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a)), then such
Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this
Agreement.
(b) “Act”
shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(c) “Affiliate”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 under the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(d) “Associate”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 under the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(e) A Person
shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially
own,” any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of
time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not
in writing and other than customary agreements with and between underwriters
and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of
securities) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights
(other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however,
that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially
own,” (A) securities tendered
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or
any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities
are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon
exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering
2
Event, or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering
Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any such Person’s Affiliates
or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 (the “Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) in
connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or
dispose of or has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3
of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in
writing and other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities);
provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial
Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security under this subparagraph (ii) as
a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if
such agreement, arrangement or understanding:
(A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in
response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by
such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with
which such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing and other
than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members
with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), for the purpose of
acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as
described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or
disposing of any voting securities of the Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this
paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter
of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any
securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty days after the date of
such acquisition.
(f) “Business
Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which
banking institutions in the States of Delaware or New Jersey are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
3
(g) “Close
of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., eastern standard
time, on such date, provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., eastern standard time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
(h) “Common
Stock” shall mean the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company,
except that “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than
the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the greatest
voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having power to
control or direct the management, of such Person.
(i) “Exchange
Act” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(j) “Grandfathered
Holder” shall mean (1) Mr. Robert B. Barnhill, Jr. (“Mr. Barnhill”)
and his spouse, (2) all descendents of Mr. Barnhill, (3) all
trusts of which a Person referred to in clauses (1) and (2) is a
beneficiary, (4) all trusts of which a Person referred to in the clauses (1) and
(2) is acting as sole trustee or as a co-trustee, and (5) all
entities in which any one or more of the Persons referred to in clauses (1) through
(4) has, directly or indirectly, at least fifty percent (50%) of the total
voting power; so long as the Persons referred to in clauses (1) through (5) in
the aggregate beneficially own less than 30.0% of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding.
(k) “Person”
shall mean any individual, firm, limited liability company, corporation,
partnership or other entity and shall include any successor (by merger or
otherwise) of such entity.
(l) “Preferred
Stock” shall mean the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set
forth in the Form of Certificate of Designations attached to this
Agreement as Exhibit A, and, to the extent that there is not a
sufficient number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of
preferred stock of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms
substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock.
(m) “Section 11(a)(ii) Event”
shall mean the event described in Section 11(a)(ii).
(n) “Stock
Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for
purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed
pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or
an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
(o) “Subsidiary”
shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation or other entity of
which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least a majority of
the directors of such corporation or other entity is beneficially owned,
directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
4
(p) “Triggering
Event” shall mean a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13
Event.
In addition, for purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have
the meanings indicated in specified sections of this Agreement: (i) “Adjustment Shares” shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii); (ii) “common stock
equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii); (iii) “current
market price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i); (iv) “Current
Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii); (v) “Distribution
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a); (vi) “equivalent
preferred stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b); (vii) “Exchange
Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a); (viii) “Expiration
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a); (ix) “Final
Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a); (x) “Nasdaq”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i); (xi) “Principal
Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b); (xii) “Purchase
Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a)(ii); (xiii) “Record
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement; (xiv)
“Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a); (xv)
“Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement;
(xvi) “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the parties clause of
this Agreement; (xvii) “Rights Certificates” shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(a); (xviii) “Rights Dividend Declaration Date” shall have the
meaning set forth in the first recital of this Agreement; (xix) “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger
Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii); (xx) “Section 13
Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13; (xxi) “Spread”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii); (xxii) “Substitution
Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii); (xxiii) “Summary
of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b); and (xxiv) “Trading
Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i).
Section 2.
Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company
hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance
with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, 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.
Section 3.
Issue of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until
the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs
before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date) or (ii) the
Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such
time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date that a tender or
exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given
within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person
would become an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being
herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be
evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3)
by the
5
certificates for the
Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which
certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for
Rights) and not by separate certificates and (y) the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of
Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). The Company must promptly notify the Rights
Agent of a Distribution Date and request its transfer agent to give the Rights
Agent a stockholder list together with all other relevant information. As soon as practicable after the Rights Agent
is notified of the Distribution Date and receives such information, the Rights
Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record
holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution
Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or
more Rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B
(the “Rights Certificates”), evidencing one Right for each share of Common
Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that any adjustment in the
number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11,
at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make
the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a))
so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are
distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights
Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such
notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on
or prior to the Business Day next following. Until such notice is received by
the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes
that the Distribution Date has not occurred.
(b) The
Company will make available, as promptly as practicable, a copy of a Summary of
Rights, in substantially the form attached as Exhibit C (the “Summary
of Rights”), to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior
to the Expiration Date. With respect to
certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, or that
become outstanding subsequent to the Record Date, until the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of
the holders thereof. Until the earlier
of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for transfer of
any certificate representing shares of Common Stock in respect of which Rights
have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights
shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock which are issued
(whether originally issued or from the Company’s treasury) after the Record
Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date
or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22, after the
Distribution Date. Certificates
representing such shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be
certificates for Rights, and shall bear a legend substantially in the following
form:
This certificate
also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in
the Rights Agreement between TESSCO Technologies Incorporated (the “Company”)
and Mellon Investor Services LLC (the “Rights
6
Agent”) dated as of February 1,
2008, as the same may be 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 offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in
the Rights Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Agreement) 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, as in effect on
the date of mailing, without charge promptly after receipt of a written request
therefor. Under certain circumstances
set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who
is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof
(as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by
or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and
void.
With
respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the earlier
of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates. In the event the Company purchases or
acquires any shares of its Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the
Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such shares shall be deemed
cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any
Rights associated with shares of Common Stock that are no longer outstanding.
Section 4.
Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The
Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to
be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set
forth in Exhibit B and may have such marks of identification or
designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the
Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the rights, duties or
responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the
provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with
any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from
time to time be listed, or to conform to usage.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22, the
Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date
or, in the case of Rights with respect to shares of Common Stock issued or
becoming outstanding after the Record Date, the same date as the date of the
stock certificate evidencing such shares, and on their face shall entitle the
holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein
(such exercise price per one one-thousandth of a share, the “Purchase Price”),
but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each
Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time
to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13(a).
7
(b) Any
Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a), Section 11(a)(ii) or
Section 22 that represents Rights beneficially owned by any Person known
to be: (i) an Acquiring Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or any
Affiliate or Associate thereof) or to any Person with whom such Acquiring
Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a
transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of
a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect
avoidance of Section 7(e), and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6
or Section 11 upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any
other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the
extent the Rights Agent has knowledge thereof and to the extent feasible) a
legend in substantially the following form:
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.
The absence of the foregoing legend on any Rights Certificate shall in
no way affect any of the other provisions of this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the provisions of Section 7(e).
Section 5.
Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The
Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman
of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer
or any Senior Vice President or Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile
thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be
countersigned manually or by facsimile signature by the Rights Agent and shall
not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall
have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of
the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and
delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with
the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate,
8
shall be a proper officer
of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the
execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b)
Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to
that effect, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its principal
office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights
Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of
the Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders
of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each
of the Rights Certificates and the certificate number and the date of each of
the Rights Certificates.
Section 6.
Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates. (a)
Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14
and Section 24, at any time after the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration
Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates
representing Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) or
that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24) may be transferred, split
up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering
Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may
be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such
holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make
such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose. The Rights Certificates
are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company
shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer
of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall
have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment
on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the
Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e),
Section 14 and Section 24, countersign and deliver to the Person
entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may
be, as so requested. The Company or the
Rights Agent may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split
up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or
obligation under this Section unless and until it is satisfied that all
such taxes and/or governmental charges have been paid.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of
evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction,
of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company
and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon
surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificates if
mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of
like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the
registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated.
9
Section 7.
Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights. (a)
Subject to Section 7(e), the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein
including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c),
Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)) in whole or in part at any
time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with
the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side
thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices
of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the
aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock, other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the
Close of Business on February 11, 2011 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the
time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 or (iii) the
time at which such Rights are exchanged pursuant to Section 24 (the
earliest of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the “Expiration
Date”).
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be
$65.00, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate
duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised,
of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or
other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be
purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax
required to be paid by the holder of the Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9(e),
the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k), thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition
from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if
the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the
total number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be
purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to
comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to
deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of
the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary
agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for
the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited
by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct
the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from
the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14, (iii) after receipt of such
certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in
such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after
receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate.
The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)) shall be made in cash or by certified bank
check
10
or bank draft payable to the order of the
Company. 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), 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 necessary to comply with the terms of this Agreement. The Company reserves the right to require
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of
Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred
Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights
Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new
Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the
order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such
name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of
Section 14.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after
the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from
the Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) to holders of
equity interests in such Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or
Associate thereof) 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 an agreement, arrangement or
understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e),
shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such
Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent
when this Section 7(e) applies and shall use all reasonable efforts
to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are
complied with, but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any
liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as a result of
the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring
Person or any of its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. The Company shall give the Rights Agent
written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or
Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may
rely on such notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall
be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing unless
and until it shall have received such notice.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such
registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the
certificate
11
contained in the form of election to purchase set
forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such
exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of
the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8.
Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation
or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be
cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof,
except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent
for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire,
any other Rights Certificates purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise
than upon the exercise thereof. The
Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or
shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights
Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction
thereof to the Company.
Section 9.
Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock. (a)
The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and
unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its
authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement, including Section 11(a)(iii),
will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be
listed on any national securities exchange, 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 on such exchange, upon
official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) prepare
and file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to
be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in
accordance with Section 11(a)(iii), a registration statement under the Act
with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as
of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the
Expiration Date. The Company will also
take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the
securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the
exercisability of the Rights. The
Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed one hundred
twenty (120) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first
sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights
12
in order to prepare and file such registration
statement and permit it to become effective.
Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement
stating 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. The Company shall notify the
Rights Agent whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(c) and
give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. In addition, if the Company shall determine
that a registration statement is required following the Distribution Date, and
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has not occurred, the Company may
temporarily suspend (and shall give the Rights Agent prompt written notice
thereof) the exercisability of Rights until such time as a registration
statement has been declared effective.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the
Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite
qualification or exemption in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained,
the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a
registration statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take
all such actions as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths of
a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, shares of Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise
of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and
issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will
pay, when due and payable, any and all taxes and charges which may be payable
in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any
certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise
of Rights. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect
of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or
the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
in respect of a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights
Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver
any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name
other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until
such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable
by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it
has been established to the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that
no such tax or charge is due.
Section 10.
Preferred Stock Record Date. Each Person in
whose name any certificate for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock 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 such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby
on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights
Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the
Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes or charges) was made; provided,
however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon
which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case
may be)
13
transfer books of
the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record
holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall
be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the
Company are open. Prior to the exercise
of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not
be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to
shares or other securities for which the Rights shall be exercisable,
including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled
to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided
herein.
Section 11.
Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of
Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of
shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject
to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after
the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock
payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding
Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a
smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in
a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (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(a) and
Section 7(e), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date
for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or
capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in
effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital
stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately
prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the
Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been
entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification. If an event occurs
which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and
Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall
be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant
to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 24, in the event
any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then each holder of a Right (except as
provided below and in Section 7(e)) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, 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 then number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to
the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) dividing
that product (which, following such first occurrence shall
14
thereafter be referred to
as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement)
by 50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d))
per share of Common Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such number of
shares, the “Adjustment Shares”).
(iii) In the event that 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, is not sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of
this Section 11(a), the Company shall:
(A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”), and (B) with respect to each
Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon
the exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash,
(2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other
equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or
units of shares, of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the
Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to have substantially the same
value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such shares or units of
shares of preferred stock, “common stock equivalents”)), (4) debt
securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination
of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less
the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate value
has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company based upon the
advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company; provided, however, if the Company
shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above
within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s
right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and
(y) being referred to herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger
Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise
of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of
Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which
shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the
term “Spread” shall mean the excess of (i) the Current Value over (ii) the
Purchase Price. If the Board of
Directors of the Company 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, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company
may seek stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares
(such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, the “Substitution Period”). To the extent the Company determines that
action should be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii),
the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e), that such
action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may
suspend the exercisability of the Rights until
15
the expiration of the
Substitution Period in order to seek such stockholder approval for such
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the
value thereof. In the event of any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a
public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect (with
prompt written notice of such announcements to the Rights Agent). For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii),
the value of each Adjustment Share shall be the current market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per share of Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger
Date and the value of any “common stock equivalent” shall be deemed to equal
the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per
share of the Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case
the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights (other than the
Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them
to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45)
calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having the
same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock (“equivalent
preferred stock”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent
preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of
equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less
than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d))
per share of Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding
on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the
aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock
and/or equivalent preferred stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number
of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be
offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities
so to be offered are initially convertible).
In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration
part or all of which may 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 and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of
the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock
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 a distribution to all holders of
Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a
16
consolidation or merger
in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness, cash (other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of the
earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend
payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other
than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those
referred to in Section 11(b)), 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 current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d))
per share of Preferred Stock 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 and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights) of the
portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed
or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred
Stock and the denominator of which shall be such current market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per share of Preferred Stock. 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 be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For
the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant
to Section 11(a)(iii), the “current market price” per share of Common
Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices
per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days
immediately prior to but not including such date, and for purposes of
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii), the “current market
price” per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average
of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive
Trading Days immediately following but not including such date; provided,
however, that in the event that the current market price per share of
the Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by
the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such
Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible
into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any
subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and the
ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such
subdivision, combination or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to
the commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading
Day period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the “current
market price” shall be properly adjusted to take into account any trading
during the period prior to such ex-dividend date or record date. The closing price for each day shall be the
last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day,
the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock
are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not
listed or admitted to trading
17
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 the primary quotation system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares
of Common Stock are not quoted by any such system, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in the Common Stock 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 of the Company
shall be used. The term “Trading Day”
shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which
the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the
transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or
not so listed or traded, “current market price” per share shall mean the fair
value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the “current market price” per share of Preferred Stock shall be
determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause
(i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence
thereof). If the current market price
per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above,
or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner
described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the “current market
price” per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an
amount equal to 1,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such
events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to
the Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the
current market price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred
Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, “current market price” per share
of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on
the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
For all purposes of this Agreement, the “current market price” of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the “current
market price” of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 1,000.
(e) Anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price
shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease
of at least one percent (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
one ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or one one-millionth of a share
of Preferred Stock or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security, 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 earlier of (i) three (3) years from
the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the
Expiration Date.
18
(f) If as a
result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a),
the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive
any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number
of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any 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 Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i),
(j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with
respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other
shares.
(g) All
Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to
the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the
adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless
the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i),
upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made
in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the
making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at
the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying
(x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right
immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing
the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such
adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The
Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price
to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of
a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after
the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one-ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the
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 (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its
election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the
adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be
made. This record date may be the date
on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the
Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days
later than the date of the public announcement.
If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the
number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable,
19
cause to be distributed
to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights
Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to
which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the
option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record
in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such
holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if
required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to
which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed
shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein
(and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and
shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j)
Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of
the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may
continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share and
the number of one one-thousandths of a share which were expressed in the
initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before
taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price
below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company
shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid
and nonassessable shares of Preferred Stock 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 issuance to
the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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 (and
shall provide the Rights Agent prompt written notice of such election); provided,
however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or
other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such
additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities 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 reductions 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 good faith judgment, shall
determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any
shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance
wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms
are
20
convertible into or exchangeable
for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance
of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter
made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to
such stockholders.
(n) The
Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)),
(ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)), or (iii) sell
or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction,
or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons
(other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)), if (x) at
the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding
or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior
to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale
or transfer, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or would
constitute, the “Principal Party” for purposes of Section 13(a) shall
have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any
of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The
Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except
as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27, 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
otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) In the event that the Company shall at any time after
the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare
a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine
the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the
number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding,
or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated
with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12.
Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made or any event affecting the Rights or
their exercisability (including without limitation an event which causes the
Rights to become null and void) as provided in Section 11 or Section 13,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate
21
setting forth such
adjustment or describing such event and a brief reasonably detailed statement
of the facts, computations and methodology accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly
file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred
Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) if a
Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of
a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 26. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement therein
contained and shall have no duty or liability with respect to, and shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment or any such event unless and until
it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or
Earning Power.
(a) In the
event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the
Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)),
and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such
consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)) shall engage
in a share exchange with or shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the
Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of
such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such share exchange,
consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other
Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash
flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in
one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)) (any
event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of this Section 13(a) following
the Stock Acquisition Date, a “Section 13 Event”), then, and in each such
case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right,
except as provided in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have the right to
receive upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of validly authorized
and issued, fully paid, nonassessable 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 be equal to the result obtained by (l) multiplying the then current
Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event,
multiplying the number of such one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product
(which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be
referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this
Agreement) by (2) 50% of
22
the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)) per share of the Common Stock of
such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event;
(ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall
assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties
of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall
thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically
intended that the provisions of Section 11 shall apply only to such
Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such
Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the
reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection
with the 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 its shares of Common Stock thereafter
deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) shall
be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) “Principal
Party” shall mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described
in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the
Person that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock
of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no
securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or
consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described
in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that
is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning
power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case
described in the foregoing clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 13(b),
(1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not
been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12
of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of
another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, “Principal
Party” shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stock
of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party”
shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock
having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The
Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event 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 such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered
to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth
in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further
providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13,
the Principal Party will:
23
(i) prepare and file a registration
statement under the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use
its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a
prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the
Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or
register the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights
under blue sky laws of such jurisdiction, as may be necessary or appropriate;
and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights
historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its
Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration
on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
(d) The
provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers
or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after
the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have
not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the
manner described in Section 13(a).
Section 14.
Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the
Distribution Date as provided in Section 11, or to distribute Rights
Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.
In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of
the current market value of a whole Right.
For 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 of
the Rights 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 New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported to 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 the primary quotation system then in
use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such system, 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.
24
(b) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock). Fractions of shares of
Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a 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,
however, 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 shares represented by such
depositary receipts. In lieu of
fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised
as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the
current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall
be one one-thousandth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii)) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(c)
Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be
required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the
Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common
Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of
Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights
Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount
in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c),
the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing
price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i))
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The
holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives such holder’s
right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise
of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
(e) Whenever
a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the
Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the
Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related
to such payment and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such
payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the
form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and
shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or
fractional shares under any Section of this Agreement relating to the
payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights
Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.
25
Section 15.
Rights of Action. All rights of
action in respect of this Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the
Rights Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, are vested in the
respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any
registered holder of any Rights 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 Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of
the Common Stock), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s
right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner
provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any
remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged
that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any
breach by the Company of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual
or threatened violations by the Company of the obligations hereunder of any
Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16.
Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder
of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the
Rights Agent and with every holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to
the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after
the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the
registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal office or
offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms
and certificates fully executed;
(c) subject
to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f), the Company and the Rights
Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or,
prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights
Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificates 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 the last sentence of Section 7(e),
shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d)
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company
nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other
Person as 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, judgment 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
26
promulgated or enacted by
any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of
such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use
commercially reasonable efforts to have any such order, decree, judgment or
ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17.
Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote,
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of the number
of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of
the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights
Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate,
as such, any of the rights of a 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 Section 25), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18.
Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The
Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all
services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the
Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and
other disbursements incurred in the preparation, execution, delivery,
administration and amendment of this Agreement and the exercise and performance
of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand,
settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees
and expenses of legal counsel) incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable
order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) for any
action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the
acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this
Agreement. The costs and expenses
incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the
Company. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall
survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the
Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.
(b) The
Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for
or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with
its acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and
performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or
certificate for Common Stock 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.
27
Section 19.
Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any
Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged
or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger
or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall
be a party, or any Person succeeding to the stock transfer business of the
Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the
Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper
or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however,
that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent
under the provisions of Section 21.
In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the
agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have
been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt
the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at the time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or
in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
(b) In case
at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed, and at such time any
of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case, at that time, any of the
Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20.
Rights and Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights
Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed
by this Agreement (and no implied duties) upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) Before
the Rights Agent acts or refrains from acting, the Rights Agent may consult
with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of
the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent
shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or
omitted by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever
in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall
deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without
limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of “current
market price”) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking,
suffering or omitting to
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take 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 Chairman of the Board, the Chief
Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Senior Vice
President or Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights
Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and
protection to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken 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 (which gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final,
non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent
jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the
Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or
incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to
lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of
such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement
will be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights
Agent.
(d) The
Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of
fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates or
be required to verify the same (except as to its countersignature on such
Rights Certificates), 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 have any liability for or be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights
(including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof)
or any change or adjustment in the terms of the Rights including adjustment
required under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24
or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates
after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder
be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or
reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued
pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any
shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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(f) The
Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause
to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and
other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the
Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the
provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The
Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with
respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, any
Senior Vice President or Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant
Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to
apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties,
and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights
Agent and it shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer
or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights
Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent
instructions received by any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent
for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights
Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or
omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or
after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be
effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or
suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which
date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any such officer
of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer
shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking,
suffering or omitting any such action (or the effective date in case of an
omission), the Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to
such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.
(h) The
Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, Affiliate, 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 the Rights Agent were not Rights
Agent under this Agreement. Nothing
herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such stockholder, director,
Affiliate, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company
or for any other Person.
(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 (through its directors,
officers and employees) 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 or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or
misconduct, absent gross negligence or bad faith in the selection and continued
employment thereof (which gross negligence or bad faith must be determined by a
final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent
jurisdiction).
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(j) No
provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk
its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of
any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it believes
that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or
liability is not assured to it.
(k) If, with
respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise
or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of
election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or
indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights
Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise
or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21.
Change of Rights Agent. The Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its
duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to
the Company, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock
known to the Rights Agent, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders
of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.
The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the
holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.
If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of
thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been
notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by any registered holder of a Rights Certificate
(who shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Rights Certificate for
inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court,
shall be (i) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the
United States or of the State of Delaware or the State of New York (or of any
other state of the United States so long as such Person is authorized to do
business in the State of Delaware or the State of New York), in good standing,
having an office or agency in the State of Delaware or the State of New York,
which is authorized under such laws to exercise 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 $100,000,000 or (ii) an Affiliate of such Person. 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 reasonable 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 Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates.
Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21 or any
defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or
removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent,
as the case may be.
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Section 22.
Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights
to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind
or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance
or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to
the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with
respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of
stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or awarded
prior to the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other
case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the
Company, issue Rights Certificates representing an appropriate number of Rights
in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that
(i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate
adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23.
Redemption and Termination.
(a) The
Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the
earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day following the Stock
Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior
to the Record Date, the Close of Business on the tenth day following the Record
Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all
of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, as
such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the
Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the
Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the “current market
price”, as defined in Section 11(d)(i), of the Common Stock at the time of
redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board
of Directors. The redemption 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 action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering
the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the
Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so
held. Promptly after the action of the
Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall
give notice of such
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redemption to the Rights
Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to
the Rights Agent and to all such holders at each holder’s last address as it
appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common
Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made.
Section 24.
Exchange.
(a) The
Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have
become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)) for
shares of 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 after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of
Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any
time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Common Stock
then outstanding.
(b)
Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering
the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (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 any
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 (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of any
exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any
defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of
any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses
as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of exchange
will state the method by which the exchange of the Common 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 will be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e))
held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any
exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may
substitute shares of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred stock, as such
term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11) for shares of Common
Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock (or equivalent
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preferred stock) for each
share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in the
voting rights of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the
fraction of a share of Preferred Stock delivered in lieu of each share of
Common Stock shall have the same voting rights as one share of Common Stock.
(d) In the
event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not
outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as
contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take
all such actions as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common
Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or
to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common
Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares
of Common Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights
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
market value of a whole share of Common Stock.
For the purposes of this subsection (e), the current market value of a
whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common
Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i))
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 propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to
pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Preferred
Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock
(other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of earnings or retained
earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its
Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision
of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any
consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)), 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 transaction or a series of
related transactions, of more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other
Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one
or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)), or (v) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each
such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a
Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such
stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to
be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the
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case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior
to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least
twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the
date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock,
whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case
a Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the
Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to
each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii),
and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock
shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate,
other securities.
Section 26.
Notices. Notices or demands authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of
any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) or by facsimile transmission as
follows:
TESSCO Technologies
Incorporated
11126 McCormick Road
Hunt Valley,
Maryland 21031
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Facsimile No.: (410) 229-1656
with a copy to:
Sidley Austin LLP
One South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60603
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Attention:
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Larry A. Barden
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Robert L. Verigan
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Facsimile No.: (312) 853-7036
Subject
to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) or by facsimile transmission as follows:
Mellon Investor Services
LLC
480 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Attention: Relationship Manager
Facsimile No.: (201) 680-4665
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with a copy to:
Mellon Investor Services
LLC
480 Washington Blvd.
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Attention: 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 Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the
Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing shares of Common
Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the
registry books of the Company.
Section 27.
Supplements and Amendments. The Company
may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval
of any holders of Rights Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to
correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions
with respect to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or desirable,
any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the
Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that from and
after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall
not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the
holders of Rights. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Company may at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes
an Acquiring Person amend this Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in
Sections 1(a) and 3(a) to a percentage that (subject to
exceptions for specified Persons or groups excepted from the definition of “Acquiring
Person”) is not less than the greater of (i) the largest percentage of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock then known by the Company to be beneficially
owned by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any
employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, any
Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan or, to the extent excepted from the definition of “Acquiring
Person”, other specified Persons or groups, including any Grandfathered Holder)
and (ii) 10%. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but
shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects
the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this
Agreement.
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.
Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of
shares of Common Stock or any other class of 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)(l)(i) of
the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company shall
have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to
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exercise all
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 and calculations
deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement
(including, but not limited to, a determination to redeem or not redeem the
Rights or to amend this Agreement). All
such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for
purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing)
which are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith
shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights
Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other Persons, and (y) not
subject the Board of Directors of the Company to any liability to the holders
of the Rights. The Rights Agent is
entitled to always assume the Company’s Board acted in good faith and shall be
fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.
Section 30.
Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in
this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company,
the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and,
prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this
Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31.
Severability. If any term,
provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of
competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable,
the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be
affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term,
provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be
invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from
this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement,
the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 shall be reinstated and
shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the
date of such determination by the Board of Directors of the Company.
Section 32.
Governing Law. This
Agreement, each Right and each Rights 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 made and to be performed entirely within
such State; provided, however, that the rights, duties and
obligations of the Rights Agent shall be governed by the laws of the State of
New York, without regard to the principles or rules concerning conflicts
of laws which might otherwise require application of the substantive laws of
another jurisdiction.
Section 33. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of
such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all
such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings.
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are
inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or
construction of any of the provisions hereof.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and their
respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the
day and year first above written.
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Attest:
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TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
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By:
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/s/ Robert B Barnhill Jr.
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By:
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/s/ David M. Young
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Name:
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Robert B Barnhill Jr.
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Name:
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David M. Young
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Title:
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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Title:
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Senior Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer
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MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC,
as Rights Agent
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By:
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/s/ Carmen Anderson
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By:
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/s/ Judy Hsu
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Name:
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Carmen Anderson
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Name:
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Judy Hsu
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Title:
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Relationship Manager
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Title:
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Relationship Manager
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38
Exhibit A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Pursuant to Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
The undersigned do hereby certify that the following resolution was
duly adopted by the Board of Directors of TESSCO Technologies Incorporated, a
Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), on February 1, 2008:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the board of
directors of the Corporation by the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation, as amended (the “Charter”), the Board of Directors does hereby
create, authorize and provide for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation, to be designated “Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (hereinafter referred to as the “Series A
Preferred Stock”), initially consisting of 15,000 shares, and to the extent
that the designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special
rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the Series A
Preferred Stock are not stated and expressed in the Charter, does hereby fix
and herein state and express such designations, powers, preferences and
relative and other special rights and the qualifications, limitations and
restrictions thereof, as follows (all terms used herein which are defined in
the Charter shall be deemed to have the meanings provided therein):
A-1
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated
as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of
shares constituting such series shall be 15,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the
holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and
superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock with respect to
dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be
entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of
funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on
the first business day of January, April, July and October in each
year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first
issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in
an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00
and (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, plus 1,000
times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash
dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of
Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.01
per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately
preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any
time after February 1, 2008 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare
any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide
the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each case the amount to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately
prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or
distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided, however,
that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the
Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and
the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, subject to the prior and
superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock
ranking prior to and superior to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock
with respect to dividends, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A
Preferred Stock shall nevertheless by payable on such subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to
A-2
the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from
the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination
of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a
quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either
of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from
such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at
the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date
for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon,
which record date shall be no more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the
payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights.
The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the
following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter
set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder
thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders
of the Corporation. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare
any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide
the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of
votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying
such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of
Common Stock shall vote collectively as one class on all matters submitted to a
vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A
Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly
dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning
of a period (herein called a “default period”) which shall extend until such
time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend
periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A
Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart
for payment. During each default period,
all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A
Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly
dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the
right to elect two (2) Directors.
A-3
(ii) During any default period, such voting
right of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may be exercised
initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of
this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and
thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that such voting right
shall not be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of
shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by
proxy. The absence of a quorum of the
holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of
Preferred Stock of such voting rights.
At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise
such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have
the right, voting as a class, to elect Directors to fill such vacancies, if
any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2) Directors
or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) Directors. If the number which may be so elected at any
special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the
Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of
Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required
number. After the holders of the Preferred
Stock shall have exercised their right to elect Directors in any default period
and during the continuance of such period, the number of Directors shall not be
increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as
herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking
senior to or pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock
shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right
to elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the
total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series,
may request, the calling of special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which
meeting shall thereupon be called by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief
Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, a Senior Vice
President or Vice President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual
meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to
this paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of
Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him or her at his or her
last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be called for a time not
earlier than 10 days and not later than 50 days after such order or request, or
in default of the calling of such meeting within 50 days after such order or
request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the
total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period
within 50 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting
of the stockholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of
Common Stock, and, if applicable, other classes of capital stock of the
Corporation, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of
Directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right
to elect two (2) Directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which
right (x) the Directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall
continue in office until their successors
A-4
shall have been elected
by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any
vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in paragraph (C)(ii) of
this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors
theretofore elected by the holders of the class of capital stock which elected
the Director whose office shall have become vacant. References in this paragraph (C) to
Directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include
Directors appointed by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of
the foregoing sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a
default period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class
to elect Directors shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by
the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the
number of Directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the
certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Corporation irrespective of any
increase made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3
(such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner
provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the
Corporation). Any vacancies in the Board
of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the
preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not
be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of
Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred
Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any
other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of capital stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any
other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred
Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are
then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire
for consideration shares of any capital stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase
or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of
any capital stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred
Stock; or
A-5
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of
capital stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock,
except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as
determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such
terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual
dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective
series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and
equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of
the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares
of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and
in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares.
Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise
acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and
cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation
become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as
part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or
resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and
restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise),
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to
the holders of shares of capital stock ranking junior (either as to dividends
or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred
Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have received $1,000 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and
unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the
date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be
made to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount
per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the
Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately
adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as
stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common
Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”). Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect
of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Common Stock,
respectively, and the payment of liquidation preferences of all other shares of
capital stock which rank prior to or on a parity with Series A Preferred
Stock, holders of Series A Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common
Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining
assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with
respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis,
respectively.
A-6
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred
Stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock,
then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such
parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not
sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment,
then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of
Common Stock.
(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after
the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common
Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number
of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately
prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by
a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc.
In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination
or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or
changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in
any such case the shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same
time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share (subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the
aggregate amount of capital stock, securities, cash and/or any other property
(payable in kind), as the case may be, for which or into which each share of
Common Stock is exchanged or changed. In
the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare
any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide
the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set
forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of
shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
Section 8. No Redemption.
The shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
A-7
Section 9. Ranking.
The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series
of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the
distribution of assets, whether or not upon the dissolution, liquidation or
winding up of the Corporation, unless the terms of any such series shall
provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment.
The Charter shall not be amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A
Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares.
Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share
which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional
shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in
distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A
Preferred Stock.
A-8
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, TESSCO
Technologies Incorporated has caused its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed
and this certificate to be signed by
,
its
,
and the same to be attested to by
,
its
,
this 1st day of February, 2008.
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TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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(Corporate Seal)
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Attest:
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A-9
Exhibit B
Form of
Rights Certificate
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Certificate No. R-
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Rights
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NOT
EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 11, 2011 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR EXCHANGED BY THE
COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER RIGHT, AND TO EXCHANGE
ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING
PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT
HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS
CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH
TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT).
ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME
NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH
AGREEMENT.]*
* The portion of the
legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the
preceding sentence.
B-1
Rights
Certificate
TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
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 February 1,
2008 (the “Rights Agreement”), between TESSCO Technologies Incorporated, a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New
Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the
Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (eastern standard time) on February 11,
2011 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid,
nonassessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par
value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Company, at a purchase
price of $65.00 per one one-thousandth of a share (the “Purchase Price”), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of
Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise
thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are
the number and Purchase Price as of February 1, 2008, based on the
Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.
The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a
Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that, upon
any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole
shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person,
Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in
the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person, such
Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right
with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number
and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain
events, including Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific
B-2
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at
the office of the Company and are also available upon written request to the
Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates,
upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the
holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificates surrendered
shall have entitled such holder to purchase.
If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be
entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate may, in each case at the option of the Company, be (i) redeemed
by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) exchanged
in whole or in part for shares of Common Stock or other securities of the
Company. Immediately upon the action of
the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing redemption, the Rights will
terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the
redemption price.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which
are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock,
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 Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a 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 Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned manually or by facsimile
signature by the Rights Agent.
B-3
WITNESS the facsimile
signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of
, 2008
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ATTEST:
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TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
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By:
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Secretary
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Name:
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Title:
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Countersigned:
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MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC
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By:
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Authorized Signature
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B-4
[Form of Reverse
Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the
registered holder if such
holder desires to
transfer the Rights Certificate.)
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FOR VALUE RECEIVED
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hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
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(Please print name and address of transferee)
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this Rights Certificate, together with all right,
title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
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Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate
on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
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substitution.
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be
guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program,
the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
Medallion Signature Program.
Certificate
The
undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate o
is o is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it o did o
did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person
who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person.
B-5
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be
guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program,
the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
Medallion Signature Program.
B-6
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and
Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any
change whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO
PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder
desires to exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
TO: TESSCO
TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
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The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to
exercise
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Rights represented by
this Rights Certificate to
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purchase the shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares (or
other securities) be issued in the name of and delivered to:
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Please insert
social security
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or other
identifying number:
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(Please print name and address)
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If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance
of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
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Please insert
social security
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or other
identifying number:
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(Please print name and address)
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Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be
guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program,
the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
Medallion Signature Program.
B-7
Certificate
The
undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate o are o are not being exercised by or on behalf
of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights
Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it o did o
did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person
who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person.
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be
guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program,
the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
Medallion Signature Program.
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase
and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or
any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set for above in the
Election to Purchase is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will
deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights 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.
B-8
Exhibit C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK
On February 1, 2008, the board of directors (the “Board”) of
TESSCO Technologies Incorporated (“we” or the “Company”) adopted a stockholders
rights plan and declared a dividend distribution of one right for each
outstanding share of our common stock to stockholders of record at the close of
business on February 11, 2008. Each
right entitles its holder, under the circumstances described below, to purchase
from us one one-thousandth of a share of our Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $65.00 per right, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of
the rights are set forth in a rights agreement between us and Mellon Investor
Services LLC, as rights agent.
Initially, the rights are associated with our common stock and
evidenced by common stock certificates, which will contain a notation
incorporating the rights agreement by reference, and are transferable with and
only with the underlying shares of common stock. Subject to certain exceptions, the rights
become exercisable and trade separately from the common stock only upon the “distribution
date”, which occurs upon the earlier of:
· 10 days following a public announcement
that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “acquiring
person”) has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership
of 20% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock (the “stock
acquisition date”), or
· 10 business days (or later date if
determined by the Board prior to such time as any person or group becomes an
acquiring person) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange
offer which, if consummated, would result in a person or group becoming an
acquiring person.
The holdings of (1) Robert B. Barnhill, Jr., our Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer, and his spouse and descendents, (2) all
trusts of which a person referred to in clause (1) is a beneficiary, (3) all
trusts of which a person referred to in the clause (1) is acting as sole
trustee or as a co-trustee, and (4) all entities in which any one or more
of the persons referred to in clauses (1) through (3) has, directly
or indirectly, at least fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power are also
expressly stated to not trigger the rights, so long as Mr. Barnhill and
his affiliates and associates do not acquire 30% or more of our outstanding
shares of common stock.
Until the distribution date, the surrender for transfer of any shares
of common stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the rights
associated with those shares.
As soon as practicable after the distribution date, separate
certificates or book-entry statements will be mailed to holders of record of
the common stock as of the close of business on the distribution date. From and after the distribution date, the
separate rights certificates or book-entry statements alone will represent the
rights. Except as otherwise provided in
the rights agreement, only shares of common stock issued prior to the distribution
date will be issued with rights.
C-1
The rights are not exercisable until the distribution date and will
expire at the close of business on February 11, 2011, unless earlier
redeemed or exchanged by us as described below.
In the event that a person or group becomes an acquiring person (a “flip-in
event”), each holder of a right (other than any acquiring person and certain
related parties, whose rights automatically become null and void) will have the
right to receive, upon exercise, common stock having a value equal to two times
the exercise price of the right. If an
insufficient number of shares of common stock is available for issuance, then the
Board would be required to substitute cash, property or other securities of the
Company for the common stock. The rights
may not be exercised following a flip-in event while the Company has the
ability to cause the rights to be redeemed, as described later in this summary.
For example, at an exercise price of $65.00 per right, each right not
owned by an acquiring person (or by certain related parties) following a
flip-in event would entitle its holder to purchase $130.00 worth of common
stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $65.00. Assuming that the common stock had a per
share value of $16.25 at that time, the holder of each valid right would be
entitled to purchase eight shares of common stock for $65.00.
In the event (a “flip-over event”) that, at any time following the stock
acquisition date:
· the Company is acquired in a merger or
other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the
surviving corporation,
· the Company is acquired in a merger or
other business combination transaction in which it is the surviving entity and
all or part of its common stock is converted into securities of another entity,
cash or other property, or
· 50% or more of the Company’s assets, cash
flow or earning power is sold or transferred,
each
holder of a right (except rights which previously have been voided as described
above) will have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the
acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the
right. Flip-in events and flip-over
events are collectively referred to as “triggering events”.
The exercise price payable, and the number of shares of preferred stock
or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution:
· in the event of a stock dividend on, or a
subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the preferred stock,
C-2
· if holders of the preferred stock are
granted certain rights, options or warrants to subscribe for preferred stock or
convertible securities at less than the current market price of the preferred
stock, or
· upon the distribution to holders of the
preferred stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular
quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than
those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the exercise price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the exercise
price. No fractional shares of preferred
stock will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made
based on the market price of the preferred stock on the last trading day prior
to the date of exercise.
In general, the Company may redeem the rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $0.01 per right (subject to adjustment and payable in cash,
common stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board) at any
time until ten days following the stock acquisition date. Immediately upon the action of the Board
authorizing any redemption, the rights will terminate and the only right of the
holders of rights will be to receive the redemption price.
At any time after there is an acquiring person and prior to the
acquisition by the acquiring person of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of
common stock, we may exchange the rights (other than rights owned by the
acquiring person which will have become void), in whole or in part, at an
exchange ratio of one share of common stock, or one one-thousandth of a share
of preferred stock (or of a share of a class or series of our preferred stock
having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per right (subject to
adjustment).
Until a right is exercised, its holder will have no rights as a
stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or
to receive dividends. While the
distribution of the rights will not result in the recognition of taxable income
by us or its stockholders, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances,
recognize taxable income after a triggering event.
The terms of the rights may be amended by the Board without the consent
of the holders of the rights, including an amendment to lower certain
thresholds described above to not less than the greater of 10% and the largest
percentage of the outstanding shares of common stock then known to us to be
beneficially owned by any person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(other than Mr. Barnhill and certain related parties referred to
above). Once there is an acquiring
person, however, no amendment can adversely affect the interests of the holders
of the rights.
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
and is available free of charge from us.
This description of the rights does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the rights agreement, as amended from
time to time, the complete terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
C-3