Exhibit 4.1
NBT BANCORP INC.
AND
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY
AS RIGHTS AGENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF NOVEMBER 15, 2004
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Certificate of Designation
Exhibit B Summary of Rights
Exhibit C Form of Rights Certificate
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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Section 1. Certain Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Rights Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Section 8. Cancellation of Rights Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock. . . . . . . . . .14
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Section 15. Rights of Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder . . . . . . .32
Section 18. Duties of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Section 19. Compensation and Indemnification of the Rights Agent . . . . . .36
Section 20. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. . . .37
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Section 23. Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Section 24. Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Section 26. Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Section 28. Successors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board, etc . . . . . . . . . .44
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Section 31. Severability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Section 32. Governing Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Section 33. Counterparts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Section 34. Descriptive Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of November 15, 2004 (the "Agreement"),
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between NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Registrar
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and Transfer Company, a New Jersey corporation (the "Rights Agent").
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WHEREAS, on October 25, 2004 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"),
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the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one
Right for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company
outstanding at the Close of Business (as defined herein) on the Record Date (as
defined herein), and has authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to
each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Record Date
(whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury) and the
Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined), each Right initially representing
the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and
Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the
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conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
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hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person,
shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of
15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall
not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, or
(iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company, or any Person holding shares of Common Stock for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan to the extent, and only to the
extent, of such shares so held. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an
acquisition of shares of Common Stock by the Company which, by
reducing the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, increases
the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned
by such Person to 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the
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Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall
become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock of the
Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company
and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the
Beneficial Owner of an additional 1% of the outstanding Common Stock
of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" if such Person is then the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of
the Common Stock then outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if
the Board determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise
be an "Acquiring Person", as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and
such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of
shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an
"Acquiring Person", then such Person shall not be deemed an "Acquiring
Person" for any purposes of this Agreement unless and until such
Person shall again become an "Acquiring Person".
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
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ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall
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be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
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(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing), or upon the exercise
of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights (other than
these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided,
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however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner"
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of, or to "beneficially own", (A) securities tendered pursuant to
a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B)
securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to
the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities issuable
upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any
of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the
Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i)
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hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any
Original Rights;
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(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or
dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing;
provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
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"Beneficial Owner" of, or to beneficially own, any security under
this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement
or understanding to vote such security if such agreement,
arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable
proxy given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation
made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable
provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person
on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly,
by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with
which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring,
holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as
described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph
(c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a
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Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any securities
acquired through such Person's participation in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty days after the
date of such acquisition.
(d) "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
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(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
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Sunday, or a day on which banking or trust institutions in the State
of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to
close.
(f) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
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New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date
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is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on
the next succeeding Business Day.
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(g) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall
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mean the shares of the Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Company. "Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person other
than the Company shall mean the class of capital stock with the
greatest aggregate voting power, or the class of equity securities or
other equity interests having power to control or direct the
management, of such Person.
(h) "Company" shall mean NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware corporation.
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(i) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of
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Business on the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the
tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record
Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date), or (ii) the Close of
Business on the tenth Business Day (or, if such tenth Business Day
occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record
Date), or such specified or unspecified later date on or after the
Record Date as may be determined by action of the Board prior to such
time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, after the date of the
commencement by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company or any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company or any Person holding shares of Common Stock
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first
public announcement of the intention of any Person (other than any of
the Persons referred to in the preceding parenthetical) to commence, a
tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in
such Person becoming the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(j) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
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as amended, as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(k) "Exchange Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
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7(a) hereof.
(l) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
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7(a) hereof.
(m) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
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Section 7(a) hereof.
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(n) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
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partnership or other entity, and shall include any successor (by
merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(o) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
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Participating Preferred Stock of the Company.
(p) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
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13(b) hereof.
(q) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
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4(a) and 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(r) "Record Date" shall mean the close of business on November 16,
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2004.
(s) "Redemption Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
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Section 23(a) hereof.
(t) "Rights Agent" shall mean Registrar and Transfer Company, a
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New Jersey corporation.
(u) "Rights Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in
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Section 3(d) hereof.
(v) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning set
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forth in the recitals hereof.
(w) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
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Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(x) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clauses
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(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(y) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
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amended, and as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(z) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
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announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such.
(aa) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or
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other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting
equity
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securities or equity interests is owned, directly or indirectly, by
such Person, or is otherwise controlled by such Person.
(bb) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
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any Section 13 Event.
SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the
Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent
hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such
Co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable, upon ten (10) days'
prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty
to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any
such Co-Rights Agent.
SECTION 3. ISSUE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send or deliver a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred
Stock, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Summary of
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Rights"), to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on
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the Record Date at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company. With respect to certificates for shares of Common Stock outstanding as
of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by
such certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of the Common
Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the
Distribution Date (or the earlier Expiration Date or Final Expiration Date), the
transfer of any certificate representing shares of Common Stock in respect of
which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the shares of Common Stock represented thereby.
(b) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's treasury) after
the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date. Rights shall also be issued to
the extent provided in Section 22 in respect of all shares of Common Stock which
are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's treasury) after the
Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date. Certificates representing
such shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights,
and shall bear the following legend (in addition to any other legends that may
be required):
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between NBT Bancorp
Inc.
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(the "Company") and Registrar and Transfer Company (the "Rights
Agent") dated as of November 15, 2004, as the same may be amended from
time to time (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will
be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced
by this certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement as in effect on the date of
mailing without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.
Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights
issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring
Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on
behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and
void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented thereby.
(c) Until the Distribution Date (i) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 3) by the
certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof
(which certificates for Common Stock shall also be deemed to be Rights
Certificates) and not by separate Rights Certificates, and (ii) the Rights will
be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of
Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). The Company shall give the
Rights Agent prompt written notice of the Distribution Date.
(d) As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date and receipt
of written notice of the Distribution Date from the Company, the Rights Agent
upon notification thereof will, at the Company's expense, send by first-class,
insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the
Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown
on the records of the Company, a rights certificate, in substantially the form
of Exhibit C hereto (the "Rights Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each
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share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the
event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has
been made pursuant to Section 11 hereof, at the time of distribution of the
Rights Certificates, the Company shall make necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in
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accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing
only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any
fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.
SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially
the same as Exhibit C hereto and may have such marks of identification or
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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 to
conform to usage. The Rights Certificates shall be in a machine printable
format and in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Rights Agent. Subject to
the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates,
whenever issued, shall be dated as of the Record Date, show the date of
countersignature, and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to
purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as
shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price
per one one-thousandth of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and
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type of securities purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the Purchase
Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(d) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an
Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person; (ii) a
transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such; or (iii) a
transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming
such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not
for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in
such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which a majority of the Directors has determined is
part of an agreement, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary
purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof and any Rights Certificate
issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange,
replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this
sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
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The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate
and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the
circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of such Rights Agreement.
The Company shall instruct the Rights Agent in writing of the Rights
which should be so legended and shall supply the Rights Agent with such legended
Rights Certificates.
SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chief Executive Officer, President or Chief Financial Officer and
a Secretary or Assistant Secretary either manually or by facsimile signature.
The Rights Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and
shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer
of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease
to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent
and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates,
nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent, and issued and delivered
by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed
such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and
any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who,
at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a
proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the
date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an
officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its principal office or at offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face
by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights
Certificates.
SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS
CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and
Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution
Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Expiration
Date or
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Final Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or following a Triggering Event,
Common Stock, other securities, cash, or other assets, as the case may be) as
the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or
former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder
desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate shall
make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender
the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither
the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have properly completed and signed
the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof,
countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or
Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require
payment by the holder of Rights of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split
up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Rights Certificate, if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new
Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and
delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost,
stolen, destroyed, or mutilated.
SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF
RIGHTS.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)
hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon
surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and
the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly and properly executed, to the
Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated
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for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or other
assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to
the earlier of (i) the close of business on October 24, 2014 (the "Final
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Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in
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Section 23 hereof, or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged (the
"Exchange Date") as provided in Section 24 hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii) and
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(iii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date").
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(b) Each Right shall entitle the registered holder thereof to
purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, and the Purchase
Price for each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the
exercise of a Right shall initially be $70, and shall be subject to adjustment
from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable
in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly and
properly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so
exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may
be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax or
governmental charge in cash, or by certified check or cashier's check payable to
the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 18(k)
hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the
shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent) certificates for the total number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably
authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the
Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent,
requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be
purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock
represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the
depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary to comply with such
request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be
paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14,
(iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause
the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by
such holder and (iv) after receipt thereof, promptly deliver such cash, if any,
to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. In
the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including
Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant
to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so
that such securities, cash and/or other
-12-
property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person
becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either
(A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to
holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom
such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which a majority of the
Directors has determined is part of an agreement, arrangement or understanding
which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e),
shall become null and void without any further action, and no holder of such
Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and
Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder
of Rights Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure to make any
determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates
or transferees hereunder. The Rights Agent will endeavor to comply with the
provisions hereof to the extent it has received instructions from the Company
concerning such matters.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
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SECTION 8. CANCELLATION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company
or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in
cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by
it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as
expressly permitted by any provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company
shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the
Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased
or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights
Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company.
SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of
its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of
Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement,
including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise
in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) In the event the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable
upon the exercise of Rights become listed on any national securities exchange,
the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the
Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on
such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with this Agreement, or
as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the case may
be, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii)
cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no
longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the Expiration Date. The
Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to
-14-
ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states
in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily
suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set
forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the
exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration
statement and permit it to become effective. In addition, if the Company shall
determine that a registration statement is required following the Distribution
Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until
such time as a registration statement has been declared effective. Upon any
suspension of exercisability of Rights referred to in this Section 9(c), the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the
Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such
time as the suspension is no longer in effect, in each case with simultaneous
written notice to the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable and shall be null
and void so long as held by a holder in any jurisdiction where the requisite
qualification to the issuance to such holder, or the exercise by such holder, of
the Rights in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or be obtainable,
or the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a
registration statement shall not have been declared effective. The Rights Agent
may assume that any Right exercised is permitted to be exercised under
applicable law and shall have no liability for acting in reliance upon such
assumption.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the
time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
non-assessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates
or of any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay
any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or
delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or
delivery of certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in
a name other than that of the registered holder of the Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any
certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other
than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until any
such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by
the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or
-15-
until it has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax or
charge is due.
SECTION 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE.
Each Person in whose name any certificate for a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional
shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case
may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date
upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered
and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes and
charges) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
-------- -------
payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such
Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares
(fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or
other securities as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.
Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights
Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company
with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including,
without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other
distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to
receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
SECTION 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR
NUMBER OF RIGHTS.
The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each
Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time
to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares
of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares or (D) issue any
shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock
(including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except
as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the
Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of
the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the
number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or the number and kind of shares of
capital stock issuable on such date, as the
-16-
case may be, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right
exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the
aggregate adjusted Purchase Price then in effect necessary to exercise a Right
in full, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or the
number and kind of shares of capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be) transfer books of
the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been
entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination, or
reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to
-------- -------
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section
11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this
Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) Subject to Sections 23 and 24 of this Agreement, in the
event that any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or
any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan), alone or together with its Affiliates and
Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date,
become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an
Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, proper
provision shall be made so that promptly following the Redemption Period (as
defined in Section 23(a)), each holder of a Right (except as provided below and
in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise thereof and payment of an amount equal to the then current Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of a share
of Preferred Stock for which a Right was or would have been exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, whether
or not such Right was then exercisable, and (y) dividing that product (which,
following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the
"Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement except to
--------------
the extent set forth in Section 13 hereof) by 50% of the current market price
per share of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the
date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").
-----------------
(iii) The Company may at its option substitute for a share of
Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the
foregoing subparagraph (ii) such number or fractions of shares of Preferred
Stock having an aggregate market value equal to the current per share market
price of a share of Common Stock. In the event that the number of shares of
Common Stock
-17-
which is authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but not
outstanding, or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of
the Rights, is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Board shall, to the extent
permitted by applicable law and by any agreements or instruments then in effect
to which the Company is a party, (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of
the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current
-------
Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with
- ----- ------
respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision
to substitute for some or all of the Adjustment Shares, upon exercise of a Right
and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the
Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of Preferred Stock
which the Board has deemed to have the same value as shares of Common Stock)
(such shares of equity securities being herein called "common stock
-------------
equivalents"), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any
- -----------
combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current
Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon
the advice of an investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided,
--------
however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value
- -------
pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x)
the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the
Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of
(x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"),
------------------------------
then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise
of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common
Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares
and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread.
If, upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Board shall
determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the
Rights, then if the Board so elects, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such
period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that
-------------------
action is to be taken pursuant to the preceding provisions of this Section
11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that
such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend
the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period
in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the first sentence of
this Section 11(a)(iii) and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any
such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well
-18-
as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be
the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of
any "common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same value as the
Common Stock on such date. The Board may, but shall not be required to,
establish procedures to allocate the right to receive shares of Common Stock
upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant to this Section
11(a)(iii).
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance
of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them
(for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record
date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same
rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock ("equivalent
----------
preferred stock") or securities convertible into Preferred Stock at a price per
- ----------------
share of Preferred Stock or per share of "equivalent preferred stock" (or having
a conversion price per share of Preferred Stock, if a security convertible into
Preferred Stock) less than the current per share market price of the Preferred
Stock (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, the Purchase
Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred
Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible);
provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
- -------- -------
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such
subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be
in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the
Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.
Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed;
and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase
Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect
if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution
to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection
-19-
with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or
surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular
quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the
Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but
including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock), or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)
hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current per share
market price of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes) of the portion of the
cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such
subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the
denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the
Preferred Stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to
-------- -------
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed;
and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall
again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current
-------
market price" of the Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average
- -------------
of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the 30
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to but not including such date; provided, however, that in the event that the
-------- -------
current market price of the Common Stock is determined during a period following
the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of (i) a dividend or
distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or
securities convertible into such Common Stock (other than the Rights), or (ii)
any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior
to the expiration of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day period, as set forth
above, after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the
record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in
each such case, the "current market price" shall be appropriately adjusted to
take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading
on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal
national securities exchange on which the shares of
-20-
Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock
are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the
last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low
asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ")
------
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common
Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in
the shares of Common Stock selected by the Board.
If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common
Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board shall be used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are
listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if
the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the term "Trading Day" shall mean a Monday, Tuesday,
------------
Wednesday, Thursday or Friday on which banking or trust institutions in the
State of New York are not authorized or obligated by law or executive order to
close. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not listed or traded,
"current market price" shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good
faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed
with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current market price" per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the
----------------------
same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the current market
price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided
above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a
manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "current market price"
per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal
to 1,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the current market
price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the
Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, "current market price"
per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the "current market price" of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the "current
market price" of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 1,000.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment
in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
-21-
increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in such price; provided,
--------
however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not
- -------
required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any
subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to
the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or
other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), an adjustment required
by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years
from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the
Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company
other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so
receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be
subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly
equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock
contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l) and
(m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to
the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest
one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths
of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase
Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment
of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment
in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment
of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number
-22-
of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest
ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a
public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating
the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the
adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase
Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public
announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to
be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the
Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates
evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option
of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the
names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price
or the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a
share and the number of one one-thousandths of a share which were expressed in
the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then-par value, if any, of the number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the
Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of
its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue fully paid and non-assessable such number of one one-thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
over and above the
-23-
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital
stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the
basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided,
--------
however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
- -------
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that the Board in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable
in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii)
issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the
current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred
Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable
for Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or
warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11, hereafter made by the
Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such
stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section
11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or
(iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 27 hereof, take
(or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is
taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially
or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
-24-
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend
Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on
the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number
of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued
or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with
each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
following the occurrence of such event.
SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF
SHARES.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 or 13
hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts and computations accounting for
such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer
agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock a copy of such certificate
and (c) mail or deliver a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights
Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a
certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25
hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such
certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to
have knowledge of any adjustment unless and until it shall have received such
certificate.
SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER.
(a) Subject to Section 23 of this Agreement, in the event that,
following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly,
(x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and
into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
(y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall
consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company
shall be
-25-
the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or
merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or
part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into
or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash
or any other property, or
(z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning
power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or
Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in
one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof),
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that:
(i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section
7(e) hereof, shall, upon the expiration of the Redemption Period (as
defined in Section 23(a)), thereafter have the right to receive, upon
the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized
and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradable shares of
Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter
defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first
refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result
obtained by
(1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for
which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event, multiplying the number of one one-thousandths of a share
of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first
occurrence), and
(2) dividing that product (which product, following the
first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as
the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this
--------------
Agreement) by 50% of the current market price per share of the
shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of
consummation of such Section 13 Event (or the fair market value
on such date of other securities or property of the Principal
Party, as provided for herein);
-26-
(ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and
shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations
and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer
to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal
Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
(iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including,
but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares
of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such
transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof
shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in
relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights; and
(v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of
no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
----------------
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or
(y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), (A) the Person (including
the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) that
is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of
the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, or, if
there is more than one such issuer, the issuer of Common Stock that
has the highest aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) and (B) if no securities or other equity
interests are so issued, the Person (including the Company as
successor thereto or as the surviving entity) that is the other
constituent party to such merger or consolidation, or, if there is
more than one such Person, the Person that is a constituent party to
such merger or consolidation, the Common Stock of which has the
highest aggregate current market price (determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof); and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions, or, if each
Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives
the same portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant
to such transaction or transactions or if the Person receiving the
largest portion of the
-27-
assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever Person that
has received assets or earning power pursuant to such transaction or
transactions, the Common Stock of which has the highest aggregate
current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof);
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person
- -------- -------
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is
and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person;
(2) if the Common Stock of such Person is not and has not been so registered and
such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person,
the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered,
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value; and (3) if the Common
Stock of such Person is not and has not been so registered and such Person is
owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons
that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set
forth in (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the chains of ownership having
an interest in such joint venture as if such party were a Subsidiary of both or
all of such joint venturers, and the Principal Parties in each such chain shall
bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their
direct or indirect interests in such Person bear to the total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless
the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its
Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless
prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms
set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing
that, as soon as practicable after the date of any such Section 13 Event, the
Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and
will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A)
become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B)
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which
comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form
10 under the Exchange Act;
-28-
(iii) use its best efforts to obtain any necessary regulatory
approvals in respect of the securities purchasable upon exercise of
outstanding Rights; and
(iv) use its best efforts, if such Common Stock of the Principal
Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or on another national securities exchange, to list or admit
to trading (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on the New York Stock Exchange
or on such securities exchange, or if the securities of the Principal
Party purchasable upon exercise of the Rights shall not be listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or a national
securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be reported by such other
system then in use.
(d) In case the Principal Party that is to be a party to a
transaction referred to in this Section 13 has at the time of such transaction,
or immediately following such transaction will have, a provision in any of its
authorized securities or in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other
instrument governing its affairs, or any other agreements or arrangements, which
provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue, in
connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction
referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party
at less than the then current market price per share (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common
Stock of such Principal Party at less than such then current market price (other
than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13); (ii) providing for any
special payment, tax or similar provisions in connection with the issuance of
the Common Stock of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 13; or (iii) otherwise eliminating or substantially diminishing the
benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights in connection with, or as a
consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section
13; then, in such event, the Company shall not consummate any such transaction
unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed
and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the
provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been cancelled, waived
or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the
applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence
of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.
(e) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event
that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii)
-29-
Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter
become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a) hereof.
SECTION 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights
except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to
distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of the whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last
sale price, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
high bid and low asked prices, in either case as reported by the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities
exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or such other
system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board.
If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights the
fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board
shall be used. In the event the Rights are listed or admitted to trading on a
national securities exchange, the closing price for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to the national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted
to trading.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock. For
-30-
purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth
of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-thousandth of the closing price
of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of one of the events specified in
Section 11 giving rise to the right to receive Common Stock, common stock
equivalents or other securities upon the exercise of a Right, the Company shall
not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock, common stock
equivalents or other securities upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock, common stock
equivalents or other securities. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock,
common stock equivalents or other securities the Company may pay to the
registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised
as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of one (1) share of Common Stock, common stock equivalents or other
securities. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one
share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock
(as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION.
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, except the rights
of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Section 18 and Section 19
hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided
in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the
foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of, the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this
Agreement.
-31-
SECTION 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS.
Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with
the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate form of
assignment and the certificate contained therein duly completed and executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company
and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of
Section 7(e) hereof, 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, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory or
final) 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 government
authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation;
provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order,
- -------- -------
decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
SECTION 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to
vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred
Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained
herein or
-32-
in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
SECTION 18. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent undertakes only the duties and obligations expressly
imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of
which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance
thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel of its
selection (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion
of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the
Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability, for or in respect
of any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of "current market price") be proved or established by the Company
prior to taking or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact
or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by any person believed by the Rights Agent to be any one of
the Chief Executive Officer, President or Chief Financial Officer of the Company
and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall incur no
liability, for or in respect of any action taken, omitted 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 only for its own
gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any
of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates (except as to its countersignature thereof) or be required
to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed
to have been made by the Company only.
-33-
(e) The Rights Agent is serving as an administrative agent and
shall not be under any responsibility in respect of, the validity of any
provision of this Agreement or the execution and delivery of this Agreement
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights
(including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or
any adjustment required under any of the provisions hereof or responsible for
the manner, method, or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the
existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after the Rights
Agent's actual receipt of notice of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any
act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or shares of
Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock or shares of Preferred
Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
non-assessable, 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
person believed by the Rights Agent to be any one of the Chief Executive
Officer, President or Chief Financial Officer 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, omitted to be 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,
suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the date on or
after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be
effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or
suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date
any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such
officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to
taking any such
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action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent
shall have received written instruction in response to such application
specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, affiliate, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not
Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights
Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person
or legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect, or misconduct of any such attorneys
or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect, or misconduct; provided, however, the Rights Agent was not grossly
-------- -------
negligent in the selection thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights
if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds
or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been properly completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or
2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to
such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
(l) The Rights Agent undertakes only the express duties and
obligations imposed on it by this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations
shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent.
(m) 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 purchase attached to the Rights Certificate unless
the Rights Agent shall have actual knowledge that, as executed, such
certification is untrue, or (ii) the non-execution of
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such certification including, without limitation, any refusal to honor any
otherwise permissible assignment or election by reason of such non-execution.
(n) 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 Rights Certificates.
SECTION 19. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNIFICATION OF THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent such
compensation as shall be agreed 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, its officers, employees,
agents and directors for, and to hold each of them harmless against, any loss,
liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for any action taken, suffered or
omitted by the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party in connection with
the acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the exercise of its
duties hereunder, including but not limited to the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, a holder of
Rights, or any other Person) of liability in the premises. The indemnity
provided for hereunder shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the
termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall
incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by
it in connection with its administration of this Agreement or the exercise of
its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for
Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or
transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction,
consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be
genuine and to be signed and executed by the proper person or persons.
(c) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential
loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost
profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such
loss or damage and regardless of the form of the action unless such loss or
damage results from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the
Rights Agent.
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SECTION 20. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS
AGENT.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or
substantially all the stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such Person would be
-------- -------
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall
succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates
shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent
may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at any such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
SECTION 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be
discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in
writing mailed to the Company. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the
Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail,
and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the
Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of
acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the
Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days
after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of
such resignation or
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incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate
for inspection by the Company), then the Rights Agent or the registered holder
of any Rights Certificate may, at the expense of the Company, apply to any court
of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court,
shall be (i) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United
States or the States of Delaware or New York (or of any other state of the
United States so long as such Person is authorized to do business in the States
of Delaware or New York), in good standing, having an office in the States of
Delaware or New York which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate
trust power and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a
combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million or (ii) an affiliate of
such a Person. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested
with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been
originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
SECTION 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the
Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights
Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price per share and the number
or kind of class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the
Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock
following the Distribution Date (other than upon exercise of a Right) and prior
to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with
respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of
stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b)
may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue
Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection
with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights
-------- -------
Certificate shall be issued if, and to
-38-
the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance
would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii)
no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance
thereof.
SECTION 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time during the period
commencing on the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and ending on the earlier of
(i) the Close of Business on the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition Date
(or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date,
the Close of Business on the tenth day following the Record Date), or (ii) the
Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (the "Redemption Period") cause
-----------------
the Company to redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a
redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter
referred to as the "Redemption Price"); provided, however, that, if the Board
-------- -------
authorizes redemption of the Rights on or after the time a Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, then such authorization shall require the concurrence of
two-thirds of the Directors. If, following the occurrence of a Stock
Acquisition Date and following the expiration of the Company's right of
redemption hereunder (i) a Person who is an Acquiring Person shall have
transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of shares of Common Stock in one
transaction or series of transactions, not directly or indirectly involving the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which did not result in the occurrence of a
Triggering Event such that such Person is thereafter a Beneficial Owner of 10%
or less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (ii) there are no other
Persons, immediately following the occurrence of the event described in clause
(i), who are Acquiring Persons, and (iii) the Board, by a vote of two-thirds of
the Board, shall so approve, then the Company's right of redemption shall be
reinstated and thereafter be subject to the provisions of this Section 23.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
or a Section 13 Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption
hereunder has expired. The redemption of the Rights by the Board pursuant to
this paragraph (a) may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with
such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The Company
may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock
(based on the current market price of the Common Stock at the time of
redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the
Rights
-39-
Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders
of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. Promptly after the action of
the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice
of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding
Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at their last addresses as
they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the Common
Stock; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such
-------- -------
notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Any notice which is
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the
holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method
by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
SECTION 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and
exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and
void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common
Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per each outstanding
Right, as appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the
---------------
foregoing, the Board shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time
after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any
employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity
holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner
of 50% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding. The exchange of the Rights
by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the exchange
of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any
further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall
terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to
receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights
held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the
-------- -------
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of
such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to
all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon
the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
-40-
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of Common Stock for Rights will be
effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which
will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the
number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at
its option, may substitute common stock equivalents (as defined in Section
11(a)(iii)) for shares of Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial
rate of one common stock equivalent for each share of Common Stock, as
appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in dividend, liquidation and
voting rights of common stock equivalents pursuant to the terms thereof, so that
each common stock equivalent delivered in lieu of each share of Common Stock
shall have essentially the same dividend, liquidation and voting rights as one
share of Common Stock.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Stock
issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of
Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall
take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of
Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares
of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares, the Company shall pay to
the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the
same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock. For
the purposes of this paragraph (e), the current market value of a whole share of
Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (as
determined pursuant to the second and the following sentences of Section 11(d)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant
to this Section 24.
SECTION 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings) or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Stock rights or
warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred
Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or
options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other
than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred
Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
-41-
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 (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, or (v) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each
such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the
extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such
stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to
be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by
clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action
and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the
date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein
by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any
such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Rights Certificate and to the Rights Agent, to the extent feasible
and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such
event which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders
of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the
preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to
Common Stock and/or, if appropriate other securities.
SECTION 26. NOTICES.
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by
the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company
shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights
Agent) as follows:
NBT Bancorp Inc.
52 South Broad Street
Norwich, New York 13815
Attention: Michael J. Chewens
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer and Corporate Secretary
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Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Registrar and Transfer Company
10 Commerce Drive
Cranford, NJ 07016
Attention: Vice President-Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to any such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the
registry books of the Company.
SECTION 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS.
Prior to the Distribution Date and subject to the last sentence of
this Section 27, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the
Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision
of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of
certificates representing shares of Common Stock; provided, however, that the
-------- -------
right of the Board to extend the Distribution Date shall not require any
amendment or supplement hereunder. From and after the Distribution Date and
subject to the last sentence of this Section 27, the Company may in its sole and
absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall at any time and from time to
time, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any
ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which
may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement
the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate
of any such Person); provided, however, that this Agreement may not be
-------- -------
supplemented or amended (A) to lengthen a time period relating to when the
Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or
(B) to lengthen any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose
of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to,
the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or
-43-
amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent
shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding any other provision
hereof, the Rights Agent's consent must be obtained regarding any amendment or
supplement pursuant to this Section 27 which alters the Rights Agent's rights or
duties. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary,
no supplement or amendment shall be made which changes the Redemption Price.
SECTION 28. SUCCESSORS.
All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the
benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit
of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
SECTION 29. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD, ETC.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for
purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of
Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in
accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board (with, where specifically
provided for herein, the concurrence of two-thirds of the Directors) shall have
the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise
all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board (with, where
specifically provided for herein, the concurrence of two-thirds of the
Directors) or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the
administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and
power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including without limitation a determination to redeem or not redeem
the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
(with, where specifically provided for herein, the concurrence of two-thirds of
the Directors) in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other Persons, and
(y) not subject any director to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
SECTION 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person
other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders
of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this
Agreement;
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but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company,
the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and,
prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of Common Stock). Prior to
the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Stock.
SECTION 31. SEVERABILITY.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is
held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void
or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall
in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that
-------- -------
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term,
provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be
invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith
judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would materially
and adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of
redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not
expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the date of such
determination by the Board.
SECTION 32. GOVERNING LAW.
This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued
hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of
Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of such State; 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 New York.
SECTION 33. COUNTERPARTS.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts. It
shall not be necessary that the signature of or on behalf of each party appears
on each counterpart, but it shall be sufficient that the signature of or on
behalf of each party appears on one or more of the counterparts. All
counterparts shall collectively constitute a single agreement. It shall not be
necessary in any proof of this Agreement to produce or account for more than a
number of counterparts containing the respective signatures of or on behalf of
all of the parties.
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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.
-46-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
NBT BANCORP INC.
By:/s/ Daryl R. Forsythe
---------------------------------
Name: Daryl R. Forsythe
Title: Chief Executive Officer
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER
COMPANY,
as Rights Agent
By:/s/ William P. Tatler
---------------------------------
Name: William P. Tatler
Title: Vice President
-47-
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND
RIGHTS OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF
NBT BANCORP INC.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
I, Daryl R. Forsythe, Chief Executive Officer of NBT Bancorp 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, DO
HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors
by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the said
Board of Directors on October 25, 2004 adopted the following resolution creating
a series of 50,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the
Board of Directors of this Corporation (the "Board") in accordance with the
provisions of its Restated Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred
Stock of the Corporation be and it hereby is created, and that the designation
and amount thereof and the voting rights or powers, preferences and relative,
participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of such series,
and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series, par
------------------------
value $.01 per share, shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock" and the number of shares constituting such series shall be
50,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the
Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to a number less than the
number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for
issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon
the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation
convertible into Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
-----------------------------
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of 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 January, April, July and October, in each year (each such date
being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on
the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after 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)
$10.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000
times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends
or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of common stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock"), or a
subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise), declared on 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. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time after October 25, 2004 (the "Rights Declaration
Date") (i) declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided 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 $10.00 per share on
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
-2-
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 set 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 event 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 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 50 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior
--------------
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the
holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time
after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares,
then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior
to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided by law, the holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of
-3-
Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote
of stockholders of the Corporation.
(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.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
---------------------
(A) Whenever dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are not paid, thereafter
and until such 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, or 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; or
(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 in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such
shares are then entitled; or
(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, 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 (either as to dividends or 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
-4-
shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the
respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of
the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in
fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation
to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A 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 the conditions and restrictions on issuance
set forth herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
------------------------------------------
(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of
shares of 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 $70,000 per share, plus any unpaid dividends
and distributions payable 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 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) 1,000 (as appropriately
adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock)
(such number in clause (ii) immediately above being referred to as 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
share of the
-5-
remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to one
(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,
which 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 sufficient assets available to permit payment in
full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed
ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be
adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall
--------------------------
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount
of stock, securities, cash and/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. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or
change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the
-6-
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred
-------------
Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the
-------
contrary, the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to
all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to voting rights, the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in liquidation, unless the
terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
---------
the Corporation shall not be further 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 at least a majority of the
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting
separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating Preferred
-----------------
Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holders, in
proportion to such holders 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.
* * * * *
-7-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed and subscribed this Certificate
and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 25th day
of October 2004.
NBT BANCORP INC.
By: /s/ Daryl R. Forsythe
--------------------------------
Daryl R. Forsythe
Chief Executive Officer
-8-
Exhibit B
---------
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
The Board of Directors of NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware Corporation
(the "Company"), has declared a dividend distribution of one right ("Right") for
each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share ("Common
Stock") of the Company. The distribution is payable to stockholders of record on
November 16, 2004. Each Right, when exercisable, entitles the registered holder
to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock ("Preferred Stock") at a price of $70 per one
one-thousandth share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The
description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the
"Rights Agreement") between the Company and Registrar and Transfer Company, as
Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all certificates
representing shares of Common Stock then outstanding, and no separate
certificates evidencing the Rights will be distributed. The Rights will separate
from the Common Stock and a distribution of Rights Certificates (as defined
below) will occur upon the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock
Acquisition Date") or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the Board of
Directors of the Company may determine) following the commencement of, or the
first public announcement of the intention to commence, a tender offer or
exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
(the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date").
Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the
Common Stock certificates, and will be transferred with and only with the Common
Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after November 16,
2004 upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Stock will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference, and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will
expire at the close of business on October 24, 2014, unless earlier redeemed or
exchanged by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Rights Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will
evidence the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors of
the Company, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date
will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes the beneficial owner of 15% or more
of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, each holder of a Right will,
after the end of a redemption period referred to below, have the right to
exercise the Right by purchasing, for an amount equal to the Purchase Price,
Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities
of the Company) having a value equal to two times such amount. Notwithstanding
any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of the events set forth in this
paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null
and void. However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the
events set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by
the Company as set forth below.
For example, at a Purchase Price of $70 per Right, each Right not
owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an event
set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase $140
worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $70.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date,
(i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction, or (ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is
sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have
been voided as set forth above) shall, after the expiration of the redemption
period referred to below, have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock
of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the Purchase Price of
the Right (e.g., common stock of the acquiring company having a value of $140
---
for the $70 Purchase Price).
At any time after a person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person
or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors
of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person
or group which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of
one share of Common Stock per each outstanding Right or, in certain
circumstances, other equity securities of the Company which are deemed by the
Board of Directors of the Company to have the same value as shares of Common
Stock, subject to adjustment.
-2-
In general, the Board of Directors of the Company, may cause the
Company to redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at any time during the
period commencing on October 25, 2004 and ending on the tenth day following the
Stock Acquisition Date (the "Redemption Period") at a price of $.001 per Right
(payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the
Board of Directors of the Company). Under certain circumstances set forth in the
Rights Agreement, the decision to redeem the Rights will require the concurrence
of the two-thirds of Directors. After the Redemption Period has expired, the
Company's right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces
his beneficial ownership to 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the Company and
there are no other Acquiring Persons. Immediately upon the action of the Board
of Directors of the Company ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will
terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the
$.001 redemption price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not
be subject to federal taxation to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders
may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event
that the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of
the Company or for common stock of the acquiring company as set forth above.
* * *
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K. A copy of the
Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This summary
description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement.
-3-
Exhibit C
---------
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- Rights
--------- ------
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER OCTOBER 24, 2014 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR
EXCHANGED BY THE COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE
OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF ANY SUCH
PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY
SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. THE RIGHTS
SHALL NOT BE EXERCISABLE, AND SHALL BE VOID SO LONG AS HELD, BY A
HOLDER IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATION TO THE
ISSUANCE TO SUCH HOLDER, OR THE EXERCISE BY SUCH HOLDER, OF THE RIGHTS
IN SUCH JURISDICTION SHALL NOT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED OR BE OBTAINABLE.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON
OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.] (*/)
-
_______________________________
(*/) The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
Rights Certificate
________________________________________
This certifies that _______________, or its registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2004, as the same may be amended from time
to time (the "Rights Agreement"), between NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and Registrar and Transfer Company, a New Jersey
corporation, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company
at any time prior to October 24, 2014 at the office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one
one-thousandth of a fully paid, non-assessable share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Preferred Stock")
of the Company, at a purchase price of $70 per one one-thousandth share (the
"Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate
with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares
which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase
Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of
_______, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date, and are
subject to adjustment upon the happening of certain events as provided in the
Rights Agreement. Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the
meanings specified in the Rights Agreement.
From and after the occurrence of an event described in Section
11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or
Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement, a transferee of a person who, concurrently with or after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any
right with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section
11(a)(ii) Event.
The Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall not be
exercisable, and shall be void so long as held, by a holder in any jurisdiction
where the requisite qualification to the issuance to such holder, or the
exercise by such holder, of the Rights in such jurisdiction shall not have been
obtained or be obtainable.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number
and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
are
-2-
subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events,
including Triggering Events (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the
Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates,
upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Right Certificates
of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as the
Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered
shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be
exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof
another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the
close of business on (i) the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition Date, and
(ii) the Final Expiration Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement). Under
certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, the decision to redeem
shall require the concurrence of two-thirds of the Directors. After the
expiration of the redemption period, the Company's right of redemption may be
reinstated if the Acquiring Person reduces its beneficial ownership to 10% or
less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock in a transaction or series of
transactions not involving the Company, and such reinstatement is approved by
the Company's Board of Directors.
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to
the acquisition by such person of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock,
the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights
owned by such Acquiring Person which have become void), in whole or in part, at
an exchange ratio of one share of Voting Common Stock per each outstanding Right
or, in certain circumstances, other equity securities of the Company which are
deemed by the Company's Board of Directors to have the same value as shares of
Voting Common Stock, subject to adjustment.
-3-
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which
may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but
in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to
vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by an authorized signatory of the
Rights Agent.
-4-
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company.
Dated as of ___________, _____
NBT BANCORP INC.
By:
----------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------
Title:
-------------------------------
By:
----------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------
Title:
-------------------------------
Countersigned:
Dated as of ___________, _____
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY,
as rights agent
By:
------------------------------------
Authorized Signatory
-5-
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
------------------
(To be executed by the registered holder if
such holder desires to transfer the
Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
________________________________________________________________________________
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ______________ Attorney, to
transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company,
with full power of substitution.
Dated: _________________, _____
______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to
the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: _________________, _____ ______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
----------------------------
(To be executed if the registered holder
desires to exercise Rights represented
by the Rights Certificate.)
To: __________________
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights
represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the
Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of
and delivered to:
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Please insert social security
or other identifying number:
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Please insert social security
or other identifying number: _______________________________
Dated: _________________, _____ ______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are
not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Person.
Dated: ____________, _____ ______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.