EXHIBIT 4.3
AMENDMENT TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT
1. General Background. In accordance with Section 26 of the Rights Agreement
between First Chicago Trust Company of New York (the "Rights Agent") and
Spacelabs Medical Inc. dated June 26, 1992 (the "Agreement"), the Rights
Agent and Spacelabs Medical Inc. desire to amend the Agreement to appoint
EquiServe Trust Company, N.A.
2. Effectiveness. This Amendment shall be effective as of November 2, 2001
(the "Amendment") and all defined terms and definitions in the Agreement
shall be the same in the Amendment except as specifically revised by the
Amendment.
3. Revision. The section in the Agreement entitled "Change of Rights Agent"
is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may
resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days'
notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the
Common Shares or Preferred shares by registered or certified mail and to
the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may
remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice
in writing mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the
case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred
Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right
Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make
such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated rights Agent or by the holder
of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit such holder's
Right Certificate for inspection by the company), then the registered
holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor
Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be
a corporation or trust company organized and doing business under the laws
of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws
to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to
supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has
individually or combined with an affiliate at the time of its appointment
as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $100 million
dollars. 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 Shares or Preferred Shares, and
mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right
Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 22,
however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity
of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
4. Except as amended hereby, the Agreement and all schedules or exhibits
thereto shall remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed
in their names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized
officers, as of this 2nd day of November, 2001.
Spacelabs Medical Inc. First Chicago Trust Co. of New York
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By: By:
Title: Title:
