EXHIBIT 1
THE YORK GROUP, INC.
and
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC
Rights Agent
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of September 28, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS..............................................1
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT......................................6
Section 3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES...................................6
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.......................................8
Section 5. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY...........................9
Section 6. REGISTRATION.....................................................9
Section 7. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES........10
Section 8. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS...11
Section 9. CANCELLATION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES..............................12
Section 10. AUTHORIZATION OF SHARES.........................................12
Section 11. RECORD DATE.....................................................13
Section 12. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF
RIGHTS........................................................14
Section 13. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES......19
Section 14. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER...........................................................19
Section 15. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.........................21
Section 16. RIGHTS OF ACTION................................................22
Section 17. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS......................................22
Section 18. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER...............23
Section 19. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.....................................23
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT..........................................24
Section 21. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.......26
Section 22. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT..........................................27
Section 23. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES..............................28
Section 24. REDEMPTION......................................................28
Section 25. MANDATORY REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE...............................29
Section 26. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS........................................29
Section 27. NOTICES.........................................................30
Section 28. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS......................................31
Section 29. SUCCESSORS......................................................32
Section 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT......................................32
Section 31. SEVERABILITY....................................................32
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW...................................................32
Section 33. COUNTERPARTS....................................................32
Section 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS............................................32
Section 35. DETERMINATION AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.............32
Section 36. COSTS OF ENFORCEMENT............................................32
Exhibit A - Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit B - Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock
Exhibit C - Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2000, is between THE YORK
GROUP, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), and COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR
SERVICES, LLC, as Rights Agent.
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company, having determined its
actions to be in the best interests of the Company, has authorized the creation
of Rights, has authorized and directed the issuance to the holders of record of
Common Shares of the Company outstanding at the close of business on September
28, 2000 (the "RECORD DATE") of one Right with respect to each Common Share of
the Company outstanding on the Record Date, and has further authorized and
directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall
become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution
Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and directed
that the terms and conditions under which the Rights are to be distributed,
including without limitation, those affecting the exercise thereof, the
securities or other property to be acquired thereby and the purchase price to be
paid therefor, shall be set forth in a written agreement between the Company and
a rights agent made for the benefit of the holders of the Rights to the extent
so provided therein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
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following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
"ACQUIRING PERSON" shall mean any Person who or which, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15%
or more of the Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not
include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of
the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any trustee of or fiduciary
with respect to any such plan when acting in such capacity. Notwithstanding the
foregoing part of this definition, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person"
as the result of an acquisition of Voting Shares by the Company which, by
reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of
shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Voting Shares of
the Company then outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER that, if a Person shall become
the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Voting Shares of the Company then
outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall after such
share purchases by the Company and at a time when such Person is the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding,
become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Voting Shares of the Company, then
such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person." Notwithstanding the
foregoing parts of this definition, 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 this definition has become such
inadvertently, and such Person divests a sufficient number of Voting Shares so
that such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," by such deadline as
the Board of Directors shall set, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
"AGREEMENT" shall mean this Rights Agreement as hereafter amended from
time to time.
"AFFILIATE" and "ASSOCIATE" shall have the respective meanings ascribed to
such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
A person shall be deemed the "BENEFICIAL OWNER" of and shall be deemed to
"own beneficially" any securities that (without duplication):
(i) such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of either Section
13 or 16 of the Exchange Act;
(ii) such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has (A)
the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only
after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of
securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights
(other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; or (B) the right
to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; or
(iii) are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person
with which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with
and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide
public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or
disposing of any securities of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, for
purposes of each clause of this definition, a Person shall not be deemed the
Beneficial Owner of, or to own beneficially, 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; and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that, for purposes of each
clause of this definition, a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of,
or to own beneficially, any security as a result of any agreement, arrangement
or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or
understanding (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such
Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to,
and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under
the Exchange Act and (B) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the
Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report).
Notwithstanding anything in this definition to the contrary, the phrase
"THEN OUTSTANDING," when used with respect to a Beneficial Owner of securities
of the Company (or to the number of such securities "BENEFICIALLY OWNED"), shall
mean the number of such securities then issued and
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outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued
and outstanding which such Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
"BUSINESS DAY" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day
on which banking institutions in the State of Texas or the State of Illinois are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
"CLOSE OF BUSINESS" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., Houston time,
on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a Business Day it
shall mean 5:00 p.m., Houston time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
"CLOSING PRICE," for any day with respect to any security, shall mean the
last sale price or, if no sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the security
is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported
in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to
securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
security is listed or admitted to trading, or if the security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last 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 Nasdaq National Market or such other
system then in use, or, in case such security is not then listed on such system,
then the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in such security selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company. If such security is not publicly held or so listed
or traded, "Closing Price" shall mean the fair value per unit of such security
as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described and the Closing Price set forth in a statement
filed with Rights Agent.
"COMMON SHARES" when used with respect to the Company shall mean shares of
capital stock of the Company which have no preference over any other class of
stock with respect to dividends or assets, which are not redeemable at the
option of the Company and with respect to which no sinking, purchase or similar
fund is provided and shall initially mean the shares of common stock, having a
par value of $0.01 per share, of the Company. "Common Shares" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall, if used with reference to
a corporation, mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest
voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of
another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such
first-mentioned Person and, if used with reference to any other Person, mean the
equity interest in such Person (or, if the net worth determined in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles of another Person (other than an
individual) which controls such first-mentioned Person is greater than such
first-mentioned Person, then such other Person) with the greatest voting power
or managerial power with respect to the business and affairs of such Person.
"COMPANY" shall mean The York Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and
its successors.
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"COMPANY ORDER" means a written request or order signed in the name of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, or President
or a Vice President (including any Executive Vice President or Senior Vice
President), and by its Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, an Assistant
Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Rights
Agent.
"DISTRIBUTION DATE" shall mean the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the
Shares Acquisition Date and (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as
may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of commencement 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 trustee of or
fiduciary with respect to any such plan when acting in such capacity) of, or
after the date of the first public announcement of the intent of 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 trustee of or
fiduciary with respect to any such plan when acting in such capacity) to
commence a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in
any Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding
Voting Shares of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that an occurrence described in
clause (ii) of this definition above shall not cause the occurrence of the
Distribution Date if the Board of Directors of the Company shall, prior to such
tenth Business Day (or such later date as described in clause (ii) above),
determine that such tender or exchange offer is spurious, unless, thereafter,
the Board of Directors of the Company shall make a contrary determination, in
which event the Distribution Date shall occur on the later to occur of such
tenth Business Day (or such later date as described in clause (ii) above) and
the date of such latter determination.
"EXCHANGE ACT" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
from time to time, and any successor statute thereto.
"FINAL EXPIRATION DATE" shall mean the Close of Business on September 27,
2010.
"PERSON" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity, and shall
include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
"PREFERRED SHARE" shall mean one share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock issued by the Company having the rights and qualifications
described in EXHIBIT B.
"PURCHASE PRICE" shall mean the initial price at which the holder of a
Right may, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, purchase one
Unit of a Preferred Share (which initial price is set forth in Section 8(b)
hereof), as such price shall be adjusted pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement.
"REDEMPTION DATE" shall mean the time at which the Rights are redeemed
pursuant to Section 24 herein or the time at which all of the Rights are
mandatorily redeemed and exchanged pursuant to Section 25 hereof.
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"REDEMPTION PRICE" shall have the meaning specified in Section 24(b)
herein.
"RIGHT" shall mean one Preferred Share purchase right which initially
represents the right of the registered holder thereof to purchase one Unit of a
Preferred Share upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth.
"RIGHT CERTIFICATE" shall mean a certificate, in substantially the form of
EXHIBIT A attached to this Rights Agreement, evidencing the Rights registered in
the name of the holder thereof.
"RIGHTS AGENT" shall mean Computershare Investor Services, LLC and any
successor thereto appointed in accordance with the terms hereof, in its capacity
as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights pursuant to this
Agreement.
"RIGHTS AGENT OFFICE" means the principal office of the Rights Agent at
which it administers its rights agent business, which, in the case of
Computershare Investor Services, LLC, shall, until hereafter changed, be its
office at 2 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602.
"RIGHTS REGISTER" and "RIGHTS REGISTRAR" shall have the meanings specified
in Section 6.
"RIGHTS ACT" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time
to time, and any successor state thereto.
"SECURITIES ACT" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from
time to time, and any successor statute thereto.
....."SECTION 12(A)(II) EVENT" shall mean the event described in Section
12(a)(ii) hereof.
"SECTION 14 EVENT" shall mean the event described in Section 14 hereof.
"SHARES ACQUISITION DATE" shall mean the first date of public announcement
(which for purposes of this definition shall include without limitation a report
filed pursuant to Section 13(d) or Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act) by the
Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.
"SUBSIDIARY" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of
which a majority of the outstanding capital stock or other equity interests
having ordinary voting power in the election of directors or similar officials
is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
"SUMMARY OF RIGHTS" shall mean a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred
Shares in substantially the form attached as EXHIBIT C to this Agreement.
"TRADING DAY" shall mean a day during the course of which the Nasdaq
National Market System or the principal national securities exchange on which
any of the Voting Shares of the Company are listed or admitted to trading, as
applicable, is open for the transaction of business
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or, if none of the Voting Shares of the Company is listed or admitted to trading
on the Nasdaq National Market System or any national securities exchange, a
Business Day.
"TRIGGERING EVENT" shall mean the Section 12(a)(ii) Event or any Section
14 Event.
"UNIT" shall, with respect to the Preferred Shares, mean one
one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share.
"VOTING SHARES" shall mean (i) the Common Shares of the Company and (ii)
any other shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in
the election of directors or entitled to vote together with the Common Shares in
respect of any merger or consolidation of the Company, any sale of all or
substantially all of the Company's assets or any liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company. Whenever any provision of this Agreement requires a
determination of whether a number of Voting Shares comprising a specified
percentage of such Voting Shares is, was or will be beneficially owned or has
been voted, tendered, acquired, sold or otherwise disposed of, or a
determination of whether a Person has offered or proposed to acquire a number of
Voting Shares comprising such specified percentage, the number of Voting Shares
comprising such specified percentage of Voting Shares shall in every such case
be deemed to be the number of Voting Shares comprising the specified percentage
of all the Company's then outstanding Voting Shares.
"WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY" of a Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity all the outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of which
having ordinary voting power in the election of directors or similar officials
are owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights in
accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby
accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such
co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable upon prior written notice
to the Rights Agent. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-Rights
Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any co-Rights Agents shall
be determined by the Company with the consent of the Rights Agent, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to
supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any
such co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) From and after the Record Date, until the earliest of the
Distribution Date, the Redemption Date, and the Final Expiration Date (i)
outstanding Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b)
of this Section 3) by the certificates for outstanding Common Shares of the
Company and not by separate Right Certificates, and (ii) the Rights (and the
right to receive Right Certificates therefore) will be transferable only in
connection with the transfer of Common Shares of the Company. As soon as
practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send, by
first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at
the address of such holder shown on the stock transfer records of the Company, a
Right Certificate
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evidencing one Right for each Common Share of the Company so held, subject to
adjustment as provided herein. From and after the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the Company
will send a copy of a Summary of Rights, by first-class, postage-prepaid mail,
to each record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of
Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the stock
transfer records of the Company. With respect to Common Shares of the Company
outstanding on the Record Date, the certificates evidencing such Common Shares
of the Company shall, together with copies of such Summary of Rights, thereafter
also evidence the outstanding Rights (as such Rights may be amended or
supplemented) distributed with respect thereto until the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the date of surrender thereof to the Company's transfer
agent for registration of transfer or exchange of Common Shares of the Company.
Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Redemption Date or Final
Expiration Date), the surrender for registration of transfer or exchange of any
certificate for Common Shares of the Company in respect of which Rights have
been issued, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto,
shall also constitute the surrender for registration of transfer or exchange of
the outstanding Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company
represented thereby.
(c) The Company agrees that, at any time after the Record Date and prior
to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final
Expiration Date, at which it issues any of its Common Shares upon original issue
or out of treasury, it will concurrently distribute to the holder of such Common
Shares one Right for each such Common Share.
(d) Certificates for Common Shares of the Company issued after the Record
Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and
the Final Expiration Date, whether upon registration of transfer or exchange of
Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date or upon original issue or out of
treasury thereafter, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or
otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between The York Group, Inc. and
Computershare Investor Services, LLC dated as of September 28, 2000 (the
"RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive
offices of The York Group, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth
in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The York
Group, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request
therefor. As described in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to or
acquired by any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof
(each as defined in the Rights Agreement) shall, under certain
circumstances, become null and void.
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With respect to certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date, outstanding Rights associated with the Common Shares of the
Company represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates
alone and registered holders of Common Shares of the Company shall also be the
registered holders of the associated Rights, and the surrender of any such
certificate for registration of transfer or exchange of the Common Shares of the
Company evidenced thereby shall also constitute surrender for registration of
transfer or exchange of outstanding Rights (as such Rights may be amended or
supplemented) associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented
thereby.
(e) If the Company purchases or acquires any of its Common Shares after
the Record Date prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption
Date, and the Final Expiration Date, any Rights associated with such Common
Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be
entitled to exercise any Rights associated with such Common Shares which are no
longer outstanding.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The form of Right Certificates (and
the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse
thereof) shall be in form and substance substantially the same as EXHIBIT A
hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement,
or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or as may be
necessary to conform to usage. The Right Certificates shall be in a machine
printable format and in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Rights Agent.
Subject to the provisions of Section 23 hereof, the Right Certificates, whenever
issued, shall be dated as of the date of authentication thereof, but, regardless
of any adjustments of the Purchase Price or the number of Preferred Shares (or
other securities) as to which a Right is exercisable (whether pursuant to this
Agreement or any future amendments or supplements to this Agreement), or both,
occurring after the Record Date and prior to the date of such authentication,
such Right Certificates may, on their face, without invalidating or otherwise
affecting any such adjustment, expressly entitle the holders thereof to purchase
such number of Preferred Shares at the Purchase Price per Unit of a Preferred
Share as to which a Right would be exercisable if the Distribution Date were the
Record Date; no adjustment of the Purchase Price or the number of Preferred
Shares (or other securities) as to which a Right is exercisable, or both,
effected subsequent to the date of authentication of any Right Certificate shall
be invalidated or otherwise affected by the fact that such adjustment is not
expressly reflected on the face or in the provisions of such Right Certificate.
Pending the preparation of definitive Right Certificates, the Company may
execute, and upon Company Order the Rights Agent shall authenticate and send, at
the Company's expense, by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail to each
record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, temporary Right Certificates which are printed, lithographed,
typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced substantially of the tenor of
the definitive Right Certificates in lieu of which they are issued and with such
appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the
officers executing such Right
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Certificates may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Right
Certificates. If temporary Right Certificates are issued, the Company will cause
definitive Right Certificates to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After
the preparation of definitive Right Certificates, the temporary Right
Certificates shall be exchangeable for definitive Right Certificates, upon
surrender of the temporary Right Certificates at the Rights Agent Office,
without charge to the holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more
temporary Right Certificates, the Company shall execute and the Rights Agent
shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor one or more definitive Right
Certificates, evidencing a like number of Rights. Until so exchanged, the
temporary Right Certificates shall in all respects be entitled to the same
benefits under this Agreement as definitive Right Certificates.
Section 5. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY. The Right Certificates
shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, Chief
Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer,
or one of its Vice Presidents (including any Executive Vice President or Senior
Vice President), under its corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its
Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these
officers on the Right Certificates may be manual or facsimile.
Right Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of
individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind
the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to
hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Right
Certificates or did not hold such offices at the date of authentication of such
Right Certificates. Any time and from time to time after the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company may
deliver Right Certificates executed by the Company to the Rights Agent for
authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and
delivery of such Right Certificates; and the Rights Agent in accordance with
such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Right Certificates as in
this Agreement provided and not otherwise.
No Right Certificate shall be entitled to any benefit under this Agreement
or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Right
Certificate a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided
for herein executed by the Rights Agent by manual signature of an authorized
signatory, which need not be the same authorized signatory for all of the Right
Certificates, and such certificate upon any Right Certificate shall be
conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Right Certificate has been
duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.
Section 6. REGISTRATION. From and after the Distribution Date and prior to
the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, the Company
shall cause to be kept at the Rights Agent Office a Rights Register (a "RIGHTS
REGISTER") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe,
the Company shall provide for the registration of Right Certificates and of
transfers of Rights. The Rights Agent is hereby appointed the registrar and
transfer agent (the "RIGHTS REGISTRAR") for the purpose of registering Right
Certificates and transfers of Rights as herein provided and the Rights Agent
agrees to maintain such Rights Register in accordance with such regulations so
long as it continues to be designated as Rights Registrar hereunder. Upon
surrender to the Rights Agent for registration of transfer of any Right
Certificate, the Company shall execute, and the Rights Agent shall authenticate
and deliver, in
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the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Right
Certificates evidencing a like number of Rights.
At the option of the holder, Right Certificates may be exchanged for other
Right Certificates upon surrender of the Right Certificates to be exchanged to
the Rights Agent. Whenever any Right Certificates are so surrendered for
exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Rights Agent shall authenticate and
deliver, the Right Certificates which the holder making the exchange is entitled
to receive.
All Right Certificates issued upon any registration of transfer or
exchange of Right Certificates shall be the valid obligations of the Company,
evidencing the same Rights, and entitled to the same benefits under this
Agreement, as the Right Certificates surrendered upon such registration of
transfer or exchange.
Every Right Certificate presented or surrendered for registration of
transfer or exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Rights Agent)
be duly endorsed, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Rights Registrar duly executed, by the
holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing. No service charge
shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Right
Certificates, but the Company may require payment by the holder of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Right Certificates,
other than exchanges not involving any transfer.
The provisions of this Section 6 shall be subject to the provisions of
Section 15.
Section 7. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES. If
any mutilated Right Certificate is surrendered to the Rights Agent, along with a
signature guarantee and such other and further documentation as the Rights Agent
may reasonably request, the Company shall execute and the Rights Agent shall
authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Right Certificate of like
tenor, for a like number of Rights and bearing a registration number not
contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Rights Agent (i)
evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of a Right
Certificate and (ii) such security or indemnity, if any, as may be required by
them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the
absence of notice to the Company or the Rights Agent that such Right Certificate
has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon
its request the Rights Agent shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such
destroyed, lost or stolen Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate of like
tenor, for a like number of Rights and bearing a registration number not
contemporaneously outstanding.
Upon the issuance of any new Right Certificate under this Section, the
Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Rights Agent) connected
therewith.
10
Every new Right Certificate issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any
destroyed, lost or stolen Right Certificate shall constitute an additional
contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or
stolen Right Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall
be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and proportionately
with any and all other Right Certificates duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the
extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Right Certificates.
Section 8. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF Rights.
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the
Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the
reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at its Rights Agent
Office, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each Unit of a Preferred
Share (or other securities) as to which the Rights are exercised, prior to the
earliest of (i) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the
time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 24 hereof and (iii)
the time at which such Rights are mandatorily redeemed and exchanged as provided
in Section 25 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each Unit of a Preferred Share pursuant to the
exercise of a Right shall initially be $25.00, shall be subject to adjustment
from time to time as provided in Sections 12 and 14 hereof and shall be payable
in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the securities to be purchased
and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the
holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 10 in cash, or by
certified check or cashier's check payable to the order of the Company, together
with such other and further documentation as the Rights Agent may reasonably
require, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any
transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or other securities) certificates for
such number of Units of a Preferred Share (or other securities) as are to be
purchased and registered in such name or names as may be designated by the
registered holder of such Right Certificate or, if appropriate, in the name of a
depositary agent or its nominee, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate,
requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance
of fractional shares in accordance with Section 15, (iii) promptly after receipt
of such certificates registered in such name or names as may be designated by
such holder, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Right Certificate and (iv) when appropriate, after
receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of such holder.
11
(d) If the registered holder of the Right Certificate shall exercise less
than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights
equal to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to
the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized
assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 15 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, from and after
the occurrence of the Section 12(a)(ii) Event, any Rights that are or were
acquired or beneficially owned by (i) any such Acquiring Person (or any
Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person), (ii) a transferee of any such
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring
Person) who becomes a transferee after such Acquiring Person becomes such, or
(iii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or
Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with such Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to
any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement, or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 8(e), shall be null and void and any holder of such
Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any
provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to
this Agreement that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person
whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or by any
Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time
upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be
null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or to any Associate or
Affiliate thereof or to any nominee (acting in its capacity as such) of such
Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to
the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null
and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or to any Associate or Affiliate
thereof or to any nominee (acting in its capacity as such) of such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate shall be canceled.
Section 9. CANCELLATION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. All Right Certificates
surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination, or
exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its agents, be delivered
to the Rights Agent for such purpose and for cancellation or, if surrendered to
the Rights Agent for such purpose, shall be canceled by it. No Right
Certificates shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Right
Certificates canceled as provided in this Section 9 except as expressly
permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver
to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall
so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 10. AUTHORIZATION OF SHARES. The Company covenants and agrees that
it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and
unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of
12
its authorized and unissued shares of Common Shares and/or other securities or
out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of
Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Shares and/or other securities) that will be sufficient to permit the exercise
of outstanding Rights pursuant to the adjustments set forth in Section 12(a)(ii)
or Section 14 or otherwise until such time as the Rights become exercisable.
The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may
be necessary to ensure that each Unit of a Preferred Share (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Common Shares and/or other securities)
issued upon exercise of Rights shall (subject to payment of the Purchase Price)
be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The Company
further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all
federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of
the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or certificates for a number
of Units of a Preferred Share upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall
not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable (i) in
respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than
the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for
transfer or exercise, or (ii) in respect of the issuance or delivery of
certificates for a number of Units of a Preferred Share upon exercise of Rights
evidenced by Right Certificates in a name other than that of the registered
holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for transfer or
exercise. Furthermore, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any
certificates for Preferred Shares of the Company upon the exercise of any Rights
until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the
holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender thereof) or until it
has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 11. RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any certificate for a
number of Units of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities,
as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of, or upon mandatory redemption
and exchange of, Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the
holder of record of the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate
shall be dated, (i) in the case of the exercise of Rights, the date upon which
the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of
the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made, or (ii) in the
case of the mandatory redemption and exchange of Rights, the date of such
mandatory redemption and exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, if the date of such
surrender and payment or mandatory redemption and exchange is a date upon which
the transfer books of the Company for its Preferred Shares (or Common Shares
and/or other securities, as the case may be) are closed, such Person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which such transfer books of
the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of (or the mandatory redemption and
exchange of) the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate
shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company for which
the Rights shall be exercisable, including without limitation, the rights 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.
13
Section 12. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF
RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares of capital stock of
the Company covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are
subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 12.
(a) (i) If the Company shall at any time (A) declare a dividend on any
outstanding Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide any
outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine any outstanding Preferred Shares into
a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital
stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise
provided in this Section 12(a), 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 capital
stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised thereafter shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to such date, the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock
which, if such Right had been duly exercised immediately prior to such date (at
a time when the transfer books of the Company were open), such holder would have
acquired upon such exercise and been entitled to receive upon payment or
effectuation of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If
an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section 12(a)(i)
and Section 12(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 12(a)(i)
shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required
pursuant to Section 12(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to action of the Board of Directors of the Company pursuant
to Section 25 of this Agreement, if any Person shall become an Acquiring Person,
each Right will no longer represent the right to purchase Preferred Shares of
the Company, and each holder of a Right shall thereafter only have a right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase
Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of Common
Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Purchase Price by the number of Units of a Preferred Share for
which a Right is then exercisable, and (y) dividing that product by fifty
percent (50%) of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares
(determined pursuant to Section 12(d)) on the date such Person became an
Acquiring Person. If any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and the Rights
shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would
eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient issued but not
outstanding, or authorized but unissued, Common Shares to permit the exercise or
exchange in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii), the Company covenants that it shall take such action as shall
be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exercise of
the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable
to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common
Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise
be issuable upon exercise of a Right, at the Company's discretion and in return
for the Purchase Price, debt or equity securities (including, in the Company's
discretion, any available Common or Preferred Shares) or other
14
assets (or a combination thereof) having a fair value equal to twice the
Purchase Price, where the fair value of such debt or equity securities or other
assets shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, after consultation with a nationally recognized investment banking
firm, and which determination by the Board of Directors shall be described in a
statement filed with Rights Agent.
(b) If the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights,
options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a
period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for
or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and
preferences as the Preferred Shares ("EQUIVALENT PREFERRED SHARES")) or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares or equivalent
preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share
(together with any additional consideration required upon conversion or exchange
in the case of a security convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares
or equivalent preferred shares), less than the then current per share market
price of the Preferred Shares (determined pursuant to Section 12(d) on such
record date), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred
Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred
Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (together with the
aggregate of any additional consideration required upon conversion or exchange
in the case of any convertible or exchangeable securities so to be offered)
would purchase at such current per share market price of the Preferred Shares
and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding
on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or
equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
or for which the convertible or exchangeable securities so to be offered are
initially convertible or exchangeable); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event
shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than
the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon exercise of one Right. In case all or part of such subscription or purchase
price may be paid in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any
computation described in this Section 12(b). The adjustment described in this
Section 12(b) shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed;
and, if no such rights, options or warrants are 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) If the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Common Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to
in Section 12(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
then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares
15
(determined pursuant to Section 12(d)) on such record date, less the fair market
value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one
Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price of the Preferred Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued
upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed; and, if such distribution is not so made, the
Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then
be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per
share market price" of the Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be the
average of the daily Closing Prices per share of such Common Shares for the 30
consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that, if the issuer of such Common Shares shall announce (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Common Shares payable in such Common Shares or securities
convertible into such Common Shares or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Shares, and the ex-dividend date for such
dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination
or reclassification, shall occur during such period of 30 Trading Days, then,
and in each such case, the current per share market price of the Common Shares
shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per Common
Share equivalent.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share
market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in the same manner as
set for the Common Shares in clause (i) of this Section 12(d). If the current
per share market price of the Preferred Shares cannot be determined in the
manner provided above or if the Preferred Shares are not publicly held or listed
or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 12(d), the
"current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively
deemed to be an amount equal to 1000 (as such number shall be appropriately
adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends, and recapitalizations
with respect to the Common Shares occurring after the date hereof) multiplied by
the current per share market price of the Common Shares. For all purposes of
this Agreement, the current per share market price of one one-thousandth
(1/1000th) of a Preferred Share shall be equal to one Preferred Share divided by
1000.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase
Price; PROVIDED; HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section
12(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into
account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 12
shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common
Share or other share, as the case may be, and references herein to the "number
of Preferred Shares" (or similar phrases) shall be construed to include
fractions of a Preferred Share. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this
Section 12(e), any adjustment required by this Section 12 shall be made no later
than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which
requires such adjustment and (ii) the thirtieth day preceding the Final
Expiration Date.
16
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 12(a), the
holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, thereafter
the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right 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 shares contained
in this Section 12, and the provisions of this Agreement, including without
limitation, Sections 8, 10, 11 and 14, with respect to the Preferred Shares
shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall, whether or not the Right
Certificate evidencing such Rights reflects such adjusted Purchase Price,
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of
Units of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in
Section 12(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price pursuant to Section
12(b) or 12(c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such
adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted
Purchase Price per Unit of a Preferred Share, that number of Units of a
Preferred Share obtained by first multiplying the number of Units of a Preferred
Share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and
second, 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 outstanding in lieu of any
adjustment in the number of Units of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each Right outstanding after such adjustment of the number
of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Units of a Preferred Share for
which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment of the
Purchase Price. 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, along with simultaneous written notice 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 Right Certificates have been issued, shall be
at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. Until such
record date, however, any adjustment in the number of Units of a Preferred Share
for which a Right shall be exercisable made as required by this Agreement shall
remain in effect. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment
of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 12(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right
Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 15 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to
be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the
Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
17
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and authenticated in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in
the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the
number of Units of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights,
the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the Purchase Price and the number of Units of a Preferred Share which were
expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) In any case in which this Section 12 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 of the
Preferred Shares or other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares or other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the
basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(l) Anything in this Section 12 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 12, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that any (i) combination or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii)
issuance wholly for cash of any of the Preferred Shares at less than the current
market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities
which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares,
(iv) dividends payable in Preferred Shares or (iv) issuance of rights, options
or warrants referred to in subsection (b) of this Section 12, hereafter effected
by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such
shareholders.
(m) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event that the Company shall at any time prior to the Distribution Date (i)
declare a dividend on the outstanding Common Shares payable in Common Shares,
(ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (iii) combine the outstanding
Common Shares into a smaller number of shares or (iv) otherwise reclassify the
outstanding Common Shares, the number of Rights associated with each Common
Share then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the
Distribution Date, shall be proportionally adjusted so that the number of Rights
thereafter associated with each Common Share following any such event shall
equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with
each Common Share immediately prior to such event by a fraction (the "ADJUSTMENT
FRACTION"), the numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of such event and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately following the occurrence of such event. In lieu of such adjustment
in the number of Rights associated with one Common Share, the Company may elect
to adjust the number of Units of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise
of one Right and the Purchase Price. If the
18
Company makes such election, the number of Rights associated with one Common
Share shall remain unchanged, and the number of Units of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon exercise of one Right and the Purchase Price shall be
proportionally adjusted so that (i) the number of Units of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon exercise of a Right following such adjustment shall equal the
product of the number of Units of a Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of
a Right immediately prior to such adjustment multiplied by the Adjustment
Fraction, and (ii) the Purchase Price following such adjustment shall equal the
product of the Purchase Price immediately prior to such adjustment multiplied by
the Adjustment Fraction.
(n) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Purchase Price below one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of the then par value, if
any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company
shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
Section 13. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 12 or 14 hereof, the
Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment,
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly
file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares
of the Company a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof
to each holder of record of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 27
hereof.
Section 14. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER. In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a Person has
become an Acquiring Person and prior to the redemption of the Rights, (a) the
Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person or
Persons, (b) any Person or Persons shall merge with and into the Company and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in
connection with any such merger, all or part of the Common Shares of the Company
shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other
Person or Persons (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the
Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries
shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or a series of two or more
transactions, assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries which constitute more
than 50% of the assets or which produce more than 50% of the earning power of
the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons or
any Affiliate or Associate of such Person or Persons other than the Company or
one or more of its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, the
Company agrees that, as a condition to engaging in any such transaction, it will
make or cause to be made proper provision so that (i) each holder of record of a
Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon the exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid,
nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of such other Person (including
the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) or, if such
other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, of the Person or Persons (other
than individuals) which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person, as shall
be equal to the result obtained by first multiplying the then current Purchase
Price by the number of Units of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable (without taking into account any adjustment previously made pursuant
to Section l2(a)(ii)), and second dividing that product by
19
50% of the current per share market price of the Common Shares of such other
Person (determined pursuant to Section 12(d)) on the date of consummation of
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common
Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company," as used herein,
shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall
take such steps in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to
assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as
reasonably may be, in relation to the Common or Preferred Shares thereafter
deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not enter into
any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 14 if at the time of
such transaction there are outstanding any rights, warrants, instruments or
securities or any agreement or arrangements which, as a result of the
consummation of such transaction, would substantially diminish or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The Company shall
not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless prior
thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the
Rights Agent an agreement supplemental to this Agreement complying with the
provisions of this Section 14. The provisions of this Section 14 shall similarly
apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. For
the purposes of this Section 14, 50% of the assets of the Company and its
Subsidiaries shall be determined by reference to the book value of such assets
as set forth in the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company and
its Subsidiaries (which need not be audited) and 50% of the earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries shall be determined by reference to the
mathematical average of the operating income resulting from the operations of
the Company and its Subsidiaries for the two most recent full fiscal years as
set forth in the consolidated and consolidating financial statements of the
Company and its Subsidiaries for such years; PROVIDED; HOWEVER, that if the
Company has, during such period, engaged in one or more transactions to which
purchase accounting is applicable, such determination shall be made by reference
to the pro forma operating income of the Company and its Subsidiaries giving
effect to such transactions as if they had occurred at the commencement of such
two-year period. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Company shall not consummate
any consolidation, merger or sale or transfer of assets or earning power
referred to in this Section 14 unless the issuer shall have a sufficient number
of authorized shares of its Common Stock that have not been issued or reserved
for issuance to permit exercise in full of all Rights in accordance with this
Section 14 and unless prior thereto the Company and the issuer involved therein
shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent an agreement confirming
that the issuer shall, upon consummation of such consolidation, merger or sale
or transfer of assets or earning power, assume this Agreement in accordance with
this Section 14 and that all rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in
respect of the issuance of shares of Common Stock of the issuer upon exercise of
outstanding Rights have been waived and that such transaction shall not result
in a default by the issuer under this Agreement, and further provided that, as
soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale or
transfer of assets or earning power referred to in this Section 14, the issuer
will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and use
its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective
20
(with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act)
until the date of expiration of the Rights, and similarly comply with applicable
state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights
and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a national
securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for quotation on the
Nasdaq National Market;
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for
the issuer which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration
on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act. In the event that any
of the transactions described in this Section 14 shall occur at any time after
the occurrence of a transaction described in Section 12(a)(ii) hereof, the
Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall, subject to the
provisions of Section 8(e) hereof, thereafter be exercisable in the manner
described in Section 12(a); and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in
respect of the Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon
exercise of outstanding Rights.
Section 15. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue or distribute Right
Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. If, on the Distribution Date or
thereafter, as a result of any adjustment effected pursuant to Section 12(i) or
otherwise hereunder, a Person would otherwise be entitled to receive a Right
Certificate evidencing a fractional Right, the Company shall, in lieu thereof,
pay or cause to be paid to such Person an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this
Section 15(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.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
(1/1000th) of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
scrip or certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a
Preferred Share). If, on the Distribution Date or thereafter, a Person would
otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional Preferred Share (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a
Preferred Share), the Company shall, in lieu thereof, pay to such Person at the
time such Right is exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the
same fraction (which is not an integral multiple of one one-thousandth
(1/1000th) of a Preferred Share) of the current market value of one Preferred
Share. For purposes of this Section 15(b), the current market value of a
Preferred Share shall be Closing Price of a Preferred Share for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Should any adjustment contemplated by Section l2(a)(ii) or any
mandatory redemption and exchange contemplated by Section 25 occur, the Company
shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares upon exercise of
the Rights or to distribute scrip or certificates which evidence fractional
Preferred Shares. If after any such adjustment or mandatory redemption and
exchange, a Person would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional
21
Preferred Share of the Company upon exercise of any Right Certificate or upon
mandatory redemption and exchange as contemplated by Section 25, the Company
shall, in lieu thereof, pay to such Person at the time such Right is exercised
as herein provided or upon such mandatory redemption and exchange an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the Closing Price of a Preferred Share for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or the date of
such mandatory redemption and exchange.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance thereof expressly waives his
right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise or
mandatory redemption and exchange of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 16. RIGHTS OF ACTION.
(a) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, all rights of action in
respect of the obligations and duties owed to the holders of the Rights under
this Agreement are vested in the registered holders of the Rights; and, without
the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights, any
registered holder of any Rights may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit,
enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding, judicial
or otherwise, against the Company, but not the Rights Agent, to enforce, or
otherwise to act in respect of, such holder's right to exercise such Rights in
the manner provided in the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights and in this
Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
will be entitled to specific performance of, and injunctive relief against
actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to
this Agreement.
(b) No right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the registered
holder of Rights is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and
every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and
in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter
existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any
right or remedy, whether hereunder or otherwise, shall not prevent the
concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
(c) No delay or omission of any registered holder of Rights to exercise
any right or remedy accruing hereunder shall impair any such right or remedy or
constitute a waiver of any default hereunder or an acquiescence therein. Every
right and remedy given hereunder or by law, to such holders may be exercised
from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by such holders.
Section 17. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares of the Company;
22
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable
only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the Rights
Agent Office duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer,
along with such other and further documentation as the Rights Agent may
reasonably request;
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in
whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the
associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner
thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of
ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all
purposes, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any
notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a
Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or
enacted by any governmental authority prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; PROVIDED that the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
Section 18. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER. No holder,
as such, of any Right (whether or not then evidenced by a Right Certificate)
shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the
holder of Preferred Shares of the Company or any other securities of the Company
which may at any time be issuable on the exercise (or mandatory redemption and
exchange) of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon any such holder, as
such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including without
limitation, any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, to give or withhold consent to
any corporate action, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 26) or to receive dividends or
subscription rights until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right
Certificate shall have been exercised (or mandatorily redeemed and exchanged) in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 19. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT. The Company agrees to pay to the
Rights Agent such compensation as shall be agreed to in writing between the
Company and the Rights Agent 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 expenses and other disbursements incurred in the administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any damages, loss, liability, cost or expense of any
kind whatsoever, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the
Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs, expenses and fees of defending against any
demand or claim of liability in the premises. In no case will the Rights Agent
be liable for
23
special, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind
whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Rights
Agent has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage.
The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or
in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with,
its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or
certificate for Common Shares of the Company or other securities of the Company,
Company Order, 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
executed by the proper Person or Persons and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, or otherwise upon the advice of its counsel as set forth in
Section 20 hereof.
The provisions of this Section 19 shall survive the expiration of the
Rights and the termination of this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement, and no implied duties or
obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent, upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) Before it takes any action, the Rights Agent may consult with legal
counsel of its selection (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the
opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection
to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the
President, any Vice President (including any Executive Vice President or Senior
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 authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken
or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company or any other
Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its authentication thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
24
(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any responsibility with respect to the
validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due
execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or with respect to the validity or
execution of any Right Certificate (except its authentication thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section l2(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in
the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof)
provided for in Sections 3, 12, 14, 24 and 25, or the ascertainment of the
existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with
respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual
notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares, Common Shares, or other
securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or
as to whether any Preferred Shares, Common Shares, or other securities will,
when issued, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;
nor shall the Rights Agent be responsible for the legality of the terms hereof
in its capacity as an administrative agent.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President (including
any Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President), the Treasurer, any
Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company,
and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its
duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken
by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for
any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the
Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the
Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by
the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such
action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent
shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in
accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date
specified in such application (which date shall not be less than three Business
Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such
application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any
earlier date) unless prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in
the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written
instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken
or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of
the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities
of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the
Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or
otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this
Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any
other capacity for the Company.
25
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers
hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through
its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such
attorneys or agents or for any loss of the Company resulting from any such act,
omission, default, neglect or misconduct provided reasonable care was exercised
in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the portion of the form of assignment or form of
election to purchase (as the case may be) certifying that the Rights are not
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof
has not been completed or indicates that such Rights are beneficially owned by
such Person, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to
such requested exercise or transfer without the written consent of the Company.
(l) In addition to the foregoing, the Rights Agent shall be protected and
shall incur no liability for, or in respect of, any action taken or omitted by
it in connection with its administration of this Agreement if such acts or
omissions are in reliance upon (i) the proper execution of the certification
concerning beneficial ownership appended to the form of assignment and the form
of election to exercise attached to any Right Certificate unless the Rights
Agent shall have actual knowledge that, as executed, such certification is
untrue, or (ii) the non-execution of such certification including, without
limitation, any refusal to honor any otherwise permissible assignment or
election by reason of such non-execution.
(m) The Company agrees to give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of
any event or ownership which would prohibit the exercise or transfer of the
Right Certificates.
Section 21. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT. Any
corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from
any merger or consolidation which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business
of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the
Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper
or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such
corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
the provisions of Section 22. If at the time such successor Rights Agent shall
succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Right Certificates
shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent
may adopt the authentication of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Right Certificates so authenticated, and, if at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been authenticated, any successor Rights Agent may
authenticate such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Right
26
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Agreement.
If at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such
time any of the Right Certificates shall have been authenticated but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the authentication under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so authenticated; and, in case at that time any
of the Right Certificates shall not have been authenticated, the Rights Agent
may authenticate such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its
changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full
force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 22. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon 30 days notice in writing mailed to the Company by first-class mail. The
Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days
notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the
case may be, 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section 22, in no event shall the resignation or removal of a Rights Agent be
effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been appointed and accepted
such appointment. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a
period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been
notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the registered holder of a Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of Common Shares), then the Rights Agent or
any registered holder of a Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution
Date, of Common Shares) 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 either (a) a corporation or trust
company (or similar form of entity) organized and authorized to do business
under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United States, in
good standing, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust,
fiduciary, stockholder services or stock transfer powers, and is subject to
supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the
time of its appointment a Rights Agent as a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate controlled by a corporation described in
clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall
be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had
been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent for
the Company and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of
the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section
22, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of
the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
27
Section 23. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement.
Section 24. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Rights may be redeemed by action of the Board of Directors of the
Company pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 24, or may be redeemed and
exchanged by action of the Board of Directors of the Company pursuant to Section
25 herein, but shall not be redeemed in any other manner.
(b) The Board of Directors of the Company may at its option, at any time
prior to the time any Person becomes an Acquiring Person redeem all but not less
than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of one cent ($0.0l)
per Right then outstanding, appropriately adjusted to reflect any adjustment in
the number of Rights outstanding pursuant to Section 12(i) herein (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "REDEMPTION PRICE"). The
Company, at its option, may pay the Redemption Price either in cash or Common
Shares or other securities of the Company deemed by the Board of Directors of
the Company, in the exercise of its sole discretion, to be at least equivalent
to the Redemption Price. Any such 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.
(c) The right of the registered holders of Right Certificates to exercise
the Right evidenced thereby or, if the Distribution Date has not theretofore
occurred, the inchoate right of the registered holders of Rights to exercise the
same shall, without notice to such holders or to the Rights Agent and without
further action, terminate and be of no further force or effect effective as of
the time of adoption by the Board of Directors of the Company of a resolution
authorizing and directing the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b)
of this Section 24 (or, alternatively, if the Board of Directors qualified such
action as to time, basis or conditions, then at such time, on such basis and
with such conditions as the Board of Directors may have established pursuant to
such paragraph (b)); thereafter, the only right of the holders of Rights shall
be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public
notice of any redemption resolution pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section
24; PROVIDED; HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such
notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after
the adoption of any redemption resolution pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section 24, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent
and to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all
such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of
the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of
the transfer agents for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives
the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
28
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
acquire (other than, in the case of such Affiliates and Associates, in their
capacity as holders of Common Shares of the Company), redeem or purchase for
value any Rights at any time in any manner other than as specifically set forth
in this Section 24 or in Section 25 herein, and other than in connection with
the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 25. MANDATORY REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time
after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, issue Preferred Shares or Common
Shares of the Company in mandatory redemption of, and in exchange for, 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
l2(a)(ii) hereof) by exchanging for each such Right, which is then exercisable
pursuant to the provisions of Section l2(a)(ii) hereof, for one share of Common
Stock or one Unit of a Preferred Share, appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be
empowered to effect such redemption and 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 such Subsidiary, or any trustee of or fiduciary
with respect to any such plan when acting in such capacity), together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or
more of the Voting Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the mandatory redemption and exchange of any Rights pursuant to
subsection (a) of this Section 25, (which action may be conditioned on the
occurrence of one or more events or on the existence of one or more facts or may
be effective at some future time) and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right
thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive such number of
Preferred Shares or Common Shares as is provided in paragraph (a) of this
Section 25. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption
and exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in,
such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption and exchange. The
Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such redemption and exchange to the
Rights Agent and to all 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 mandatory redemption and
exchange shall state the method by which the redemption and exchange of the
Preferred Shares or Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event
of any partial redemption and exchange, the number of Rights which will be
redeemed and exchanged. Any partial redemption and exchange shall 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 l2(a)(ii) hereof) held by each
holder of Rights.
Section 26. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS. If the Company shall, on or after
the Distribution Date, propose (a) to pay any dividend or other distribution
payable in stock of any class of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to
the holders of its Preferred Shares, (b) to offer to the holders of its
Preferred Shares rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any
29
additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other
securities, rights, options or warrants, (c) to make any other distribution to
the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash
dividend), (d) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other
than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred
Shares), (e) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect
any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to
effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than
50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(determined as provided in Section 14 herein) to, any other Person (other than
the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary or Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries), (f) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or (g) if the
Rights have theretofore become exercisable with respect to Common Shares
pursuant to Section l2(a)(ii) herein, to declare or pay any dividend or other
distribution on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or in stock of any
other class of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or to effect a
subdivision or combination of the Preferred Shares (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) then, in each such
case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right
Certificate, in accordance with Section 27 hereof, notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify the date of authorization by the Board of Directors
of the Company of, and record date for, such stock dividend or such distribution
of rights or warrants or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, winding up, subdivision or
combination is to take place and the date of participation therein by the
holders of the Preferred Shares of the Company if any such date is to be fixed.
Such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (a),
(b), (c) or (g) above at least 20 days prior to the record date for determining
holders of the Preferred Shares of the Company, for purposes of such action, and
in the case of any such other action, at least 20 days prior to the date of the
taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the
holders of the Preferred Shares of the Company, whichever shall be the earlier.
If any of the events set forth in Section l2(a)(ii) of this Agreement
shall occur, then, in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable
thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate,
in accordance with Section 27 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event,
which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of
Rights under Section l2(a)(ii) hereof.
The Rights Agent shall not be required to take notice or be deemed to have
any notice of any fact, event or determination (including, without limitation,
any dates or events defined in this Agreement or the designation of any Person
as an Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate) under this Agreement unless and
until the Rights Agent is notified in writing of such fact, event or
determination.
Section 27. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to
or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by registered or
certified mail, which shall be deemed given only upon receipt, addressed (until
another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
30
The York Group, Inc.
8554 Katy Freeway, Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77024
Attn: Secretary
Any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent
shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by registered or certified mail,
which shall be deemed given only upon receipt, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Computershare Investor Services, LLC
2 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Attn: Todd C. Shafer
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the Rights
Register of the Company or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the stock
transfer records for the Common Shares of the Company.
Section 28. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. The Company may from time to time
supplement or amend this Agreement (which supplement or amendment shall be
evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent) without the
approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to
correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provisions herein, to make any other provisions in
regard to matters or questions arising hereunder, or to add, delete, modify or
otherwise amend any provision, which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable, including without limitation, extending the Final Expiration Date
and, provided that at the time of such amendment or supplement the Distribution
Date has not occurred, the period during which the Rights may be redeemed;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, from and after such time as any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, any such amendment shall not materially and adversely affect
the interests of the holders of Right Certificates. Without limiting the
foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company may, by resolution adopted at
any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, amend
this Agreement to lower the threshold set forth in the definitions of Acquiring
Person and Distribution Date herein to a percentage not less than the greater of
(i) any percentage greater than the largest percentage of the outstanding Voting
Shares then known to 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, or any trustee of or fiduciary
with respect to any such plan when acting in such capacity), and (ii) 13%.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Rights Agent's consent
must be obtained regarding any amendment or supplement pursuant to this Section
28 which alters the Rights Agent's rights or duties.
31
Section 29. 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 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 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.
Section 31. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant, or restriction
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and
performed entirely within such State, provided, however, that the rights and
obligations of the Rights Agent shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of Illinois.
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.
Section 35. DETERMINATION AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The Board
of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to
administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board of Directors or to the Company, or as may be necessary or
advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement. All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not
subject the Board of Directors of the Company to any liability to the holders of
the Rights.
Section 36. COSTS OF ENFORCEMENT. The Company agrees that if the Company
or any other Person the securities of which are purchasable upon exercise of a
Right fails to fulfill any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, then
the Company or such Person will reimburse
32
all holders of any Right for the costs and expenses (including legal fees)
incurred by such holders in actions to enforce such holders' rights pursuant to
any Right or this Agreement.
33
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
THE YORK GROUP, INC.
Attest:
By: /s/ CRISTEN L. CLINE By: /s/ THOMAS J. CRAWFORD
Name: Cristen L. Cline Name: Thomas J. Crawford
Title: Secretary Title: President & CEO
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR
SERVICES, LLC, as Rights Agent
Attest:
By: /s/ TOD SHAFER By: /s/ MARILYN BROWN
Name: Tod Shafer Name: Marilyn Brown
Title: Client Support Manager Title: Relationship Manager
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- _______________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR
EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION OR MANDATORY
EXCHANGE, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED
BY ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1 OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR
ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
The York Group, Inc.
This certifies that ______________________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Rights Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2000 (the "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"),
between The York Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), and
Computershare Investor Services, LLC (the "RIGHTS AGENT"), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement) and prior to the Final Expiration Date (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement), at the Rights Agent Office (or at the office
of its successor as Rights Agent), one Unit (as that term is defined in the
Rights Agreement, initially being one one-thousandth (1/1000th)) of a fully paid
nonassessable Series A Junior Participating Preferred Share, having a par value
of $0.01 (the "PREFERRED SHARES"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $25.00
per Unit of a Preferred Share (the "PURCHASE PRICE"), upon presentation and
surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly
executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the
number of Units of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise
hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number
and Purchase Price as of September 28, 2000, based on the Preferred Shares as
constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase
Price and the number of Units of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon
the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to
modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights
Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the
Rights Agent Office.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the Rights Agent Office, may be exchanged for another Right
Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights
entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as
the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered
shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be
exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of
$0.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in whole or in part for
Preferred Shares or Common Shares of the Company.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a Preferred Share), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of
any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any manner submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until
the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been
exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any benefit under the
Rights Agreement or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have
been authenticated by the Rights Agent.
2
WITNESS the facsimile signatures of the proper officers of the Company and
is corporate seal.
Dated as of _____________________.
ATTEST: THE YORK GROUP, INC.
By: _____________________________________
Secretary President
Date of Authentication:
This is one of the Right Certificates referred to in the within-mentioned
Rights Agreement.
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC, as Rights Agent
By: ____________________________
Authorized Signatory
3
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder
desires to transfer the Right Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee) this Right
Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does
hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ____________Attorney, to transfer the
Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
substitution.
Dated as of ____________, ____.
____________________________________________
Signature
Signature Guarantee:
Signatures must be guaranteed.
________________________________________________________________________________
[To be executed if statement is correct]
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________________
Signature
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued]
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate)
TO THE YORK GROUP, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented
by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares (or other securities
issuable upon the exercise of such Rights) and requests that certificates for
such Preferred Shares (or other securities) be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number: _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number: _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Dated as of __________________,______.
____________________________________________
Signature
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued]
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed.
________________________________________________________________________________
[To be executed if statement is correct]
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________________________
Signature
The signature in the foregoing Form of Assignment or Form of Election to
Purchase must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment
or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the
Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or
Election to Purchase will not be honored.
2
EXHIBIT B
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
THE YORK GROUP, INC.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
THE YORK GROUP, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in
accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the said
Corporation, the said Board of Directors on September 26, 2000 adopted the
following resolution creating a series of 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock":
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the
Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock, par value $.01
per share, of the Corporation be and hereby is created, and that the
designation and number of shares thereof and the voting and other powers,
preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights of the
shares of such series and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions
thereof are as follows:
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
1. Designation and Amount. There shall be a series of Preferred Stock that
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock," and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 100,000. Such number of
shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than the number of shares then
issued and outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of
outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding
securities issued by the Corporation.
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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in
preference to the holders of shares of any class or series of stock of the
Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating 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 15th day of March, June, September and December of 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 Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater
of (a) $10 or (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined below) times the aggregate
per share amount of all cash dividends, and the Adjustment Number 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 $.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
Junior Participating Preferred Stock. The "Adjustment Number" shall initially be
1,000. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after September 28, 2000
(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.
b. The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2.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 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, a dividend of $10 per share on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on
such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
c. Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares
is prior to 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 Junior Participating 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 Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such
2
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 Junior Participating
Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution
declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the
date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
a. Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number
on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation.
b. Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of
shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted
to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six
quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the
beginning of period (herein called a "DEFAULT PERIOD") that 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been
declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each such default period, all
holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock) upon which these or like voting rights have been
conferred and are exercisable (the "VOTING PREFERRED STOCK") with dividends in
arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a
class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two Directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting rights of the
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised
initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this
Section 3.b or at any annual meeting of shareholders, and thereafter at annual
meetings of shareholders, provided that neither such voting right nor the right
of the holders of any other series of Voting Preferred Stock, if any, to
increase, in certain cases, the authorized number of Directors shall be
exercised unless the holders of ten percent in number of shares of Voting
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 Voting Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting at which
the holders of Voting 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 Directors, or, if such right is exercised at an annual
meeting, to elect two Directors. If the number that may be so elected at any
special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the
Voting Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number
of Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election of them of the
required number. After the holders of the Voting Preferred Stock
3
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 Voting Preferred Stock
as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking
senior to or PARI PASSU with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Voting Preferred Stock shall,
during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to
elect Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any shareholder or
shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent of the total
number of shares of Voting Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series,
may request the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Voting Preferred
Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the Chairman of the Board, the
President, a Vice President (including any Executive Vice President or Senior
Vice President) or the Secretary of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and
of any annual meeting at which holders of Voting Preferred Stock are entitled to
vote pursuant to this paragraph b(iii) shall be given to each holder of record
of Voting Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last
address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall
be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after
such order or request or, in default of the calling of such meeting within 60
days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice
by any shareholder or shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten
percent of the total number of shares of Voting Preferred Stock outstanding.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph b(iii), no such special meeting
shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date
fixed for the next annual meeting of the shareholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and
other classes of stock of the Corporation, if applicable, shall continue to be
entitled to elect the whole number of Directors until the holders of Voting
Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two Directors voting
as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the Directors so elected by
the holders of Voting Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their
successors 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 b(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
stock which elected the Director whose office shall have become vacant.
References in this paragraph b to Directors elected by the holders of a
particular class of stock shall include Directors elected 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 Voting Preferred Stock as a class to elect Directors
shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of Voting
Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors
shall be such number as may be provided for in the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation or Bylaws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the
provisions of paragraph b(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject,
however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the Restated
Certificate of Incorporation of Bylaws). Any
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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.
c. Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior
Participating 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.
4. Certain Restrictions
a. Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating 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 Junior
Participating 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
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating 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 Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A
Junior Participating 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 stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, except as provided in paragraph a(iv) of this
Section, 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
stock of the Corporation ranking junior (both as to dividends and upon
dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of
stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating 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.
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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 Section 4.a,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and canceled 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 any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
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 stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
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
Junior Participating 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) 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 Junior Participating Preferred
Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their
ratable and proportionate shares 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.
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, that
rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating 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
ratable to the holders of Common Stock.
7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In the 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
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in any such case the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share
equal to the Adjustment Number times the aggregate amount of stock, securities,
cash/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or
for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
8. REDEMPTION. The shares of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
9. RANKING. The Series A Junior Participating 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, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.
10. AMENDMENT. At any time that any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or
change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be
issued in fractions of a share that 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed and subscribed this
Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury
this 28th day of September, 2000.
THE YORK GROUP, INC.
By: __________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Title: _______________________________
Attest:
Secretary
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EXHIBIT C
THE YORK GROUP, INC.
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED SHARES
On September 26, 2000, the Board of Directors of The York Group, Inc. (the
"COMPANY"), authorized the issuance of one preferred share purchase right (a
"RIGHT") with respect to each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.01
per share (the "COMMON SHARES"), of the Company to shareholders of record at the
close of business on September 28, 2000. Each Right entitles the registered
holder to purchase from the Company one Unit (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement, initially being one one-thousandth (1/1000th)) of a Preferred
Share at a price of $25.00 per Unit of a Preferred Share (the "PURCHASE PRICE"),
subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in
a Rights Agreement (the "RIGHTS AGREEMENT") dated as of September 28, 2000,
between the Company and Computershare Investor Services, LLC, as Rights Agent
(the "RIGHTS AGENT").
DETACHMENT OF RIGHTS; EXERCISE. Initially, the Rights will attach to all
Common Share certificates representing outstanding shares and no separate Right
Certificate will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Shares
and a Distribution Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement) will occur upon the
earlier of (i) the public announcement that a Person or group of affiliated or
associated Persons (an "ACQUIRING PERSON") has acquired beneficial ownership of
15% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) of the Company, or (ii) 10 business days following the commencement
or announcement of an intention to commence a tender offer or exchange offer,
the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a Person
or group of 15% or more of such outstanding Voting Shares.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights) (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates representing Common
Shares, (ii) the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common
Shares, (iii) new Common Share certificates issued after September 28, 2000,
upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Shares will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iv) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of September 28,
2000, even without such notation, will also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates.
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights (the "RIGHT CERTIFICATES") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will thereafter
evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on September 27, 2010 (the "FINAL EXPIRATION DATE"), unless the
Final Expiration Date is extended or the Rights are earlier redeemed or
exchanged by the Company as described below.
If an Acquiring Person acquires 15% or more of the Voting Shares of the
Company, each Right then outstanding (other than Rights beneficially owned by
the Acquiring Person which would become null and void) will become a right to
buy that number of Common Shares that at the time of such acquisition would have
a market value of two times the Purchase Price of the Right. If, however, the
Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who
would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, has become such inadvertently, and such
Person divests a sufficient number of Voting Shares by such deadline as the
Board of Directors shall set, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an
Acquiring Person for any purposes of the Rights Agreement.
If, after any Person has become an Acquiring Person, the Company is
acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or more than 50%
of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold, proper provision will be
made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive,
upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price of the Right, that
number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at the time of
such transaction would have a market value of two times the Purchase Price of
the Right.
REGISTRATION AND LISTING OF SECURITIES. The offer and sale of the
Preferred Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights will
be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission but such registration
will not be effective until the Rights become exercisable. As described above,
however, the Rights will not be transferable separately from the Common Shares
until the Distribution Date.
ANTIDILUTION AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. The number of Preferred Shares or
other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights, and the
Purchase Price payable, are subject to customary adjustments from time to time
to prevent dilution.
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of Preferred Shares or
other securities issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
EXCHANGE OPTION. At any time after the acquisition by a Person or group of
affiliated or associated Persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding Voting Shares of the Company and before the acquisition by a Person
or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares of the Company, the
Board of Directors may, at its option, issue Common or Preferred Shares of the
Company in mandatory redemption of, and in exchange for, all or part of the then
outstanding exercisable Rights (other than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person
or group which would become null and void) at an exchange ratio of one Common
Share or one Unit of a Preferred Share for each Right which is then exercisable,
subject to adjustment.
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REDEMPTION OF RIGHTS. At any time prior to the first public announcement
that a Person or group has become the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the
outstanding Voting Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem all,
but not less than all, of the then outstanding Rights at a price of $0.01 per
Right (the "REDEMPTION PRICE"). The Redemption Price may be paid by the Company
in cash or securities of the Company, at the discretion of the Board of
Directors. The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on
such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole
discretion may establish. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
ordering redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will
terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the
Redemption Price.
NO RIGHTS AS SHAREHOLDER. Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof,
as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
AMENDMENT OF RIGHTS. The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board
of Directors of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights,
including amendment to extend the Final Expiration Date, except that after the
Distribution Date no such amendment may materially and adversely affect the
interests of holders of the Rights.
THIS SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE RIGHTS DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE COMPLETE AND
IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, WHICH IS
HEREBY INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. CAPITALIZED TERMS IN THIS SUMMARY HAVE
THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THE RIGHTS PLAN.
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 dated
September 28, 2000. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge
from the Company.
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