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SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
AND
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY,
RIGHTS AGENT
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF MARCH 15, 2002
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. Certain Definitions...............................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.......................................7
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates......................................7
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.......................................8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.................................9
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Rights Certificates........................................9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price...............................10
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates..............12
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock....................12
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date......................................14
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights.......................................14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.......21
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets
or Earning Power.................................................21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares..........................24
Section 15. Rights of Action.................................................25
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders......................................25
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder...............26
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent......................................26
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent........27
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent...........................................27
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent...........................................29
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates..............................30
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.......................................30
Section 24. Exchange.........................................................31
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.........................................33
Section 26. Notices..........................................................33
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.......................................34
Section 28. Successors.......................................................35
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc........35
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.......................................35
Section 31. Severability.....................................................35
Section 32. Governing Law....................................................36
Section 33. Counterparts.....................................................36
Section 34. Descriptive Headings.............................................36
Exhibit A - Form of Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock
Exhibit B - Form of Rights Certificate
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2002 (the "Agreement"),
between Seven Seas Petroleum Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by
shares (the "Company"), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights
Agent"),
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the issuance
of one Right in respect of, and to be issued together with, each common share,
par value $0.001, of the Company (the "Common Stock"), and, in certain
circumstances provided for in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date,
each Right initially representing the right to purchase one Fractional Share (as
hereinafter defined) of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the
Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the
"Rights");
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 shall have the meanings indicated:
"Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15%
or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include
any Exempt Person; provided, however, that a Person shall not be or become an
Acquiring Person if such Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates,
shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding solely as a result of a reduction in the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding due to the repurchase of Common Stock by the Company
unless and until such time as such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such
Person shall purchase or otherwise become the Beneficial Owner of additional
shares of Common Stock constituting 1% or more of the then outstanding shares of
Common Stock or any other Person (or Persons) who is (or collectively are) the
Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock constituting 1% or more of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock shall become an Affiliate or Associate of
such Person, unless, in either such case, such Person, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is not then the Beneficial Owner of
15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; and provided,
further, that if the Board of Directors, with the concurrence of a majority of
the members of the Board of Directors who are not, and are not representatives,
nominees, Affiliates or Associates of, such Person or an Acquiring Person,
determines in good faith that a Person that would otherwise be an "Acquiring
Person" has become such inadvertently (including, without limitation, because
(i) such Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of Common
Stock that would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring Person" or (ii)
such Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock
but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership
under this Agreement) and without any intention of changing or influencing
control of the Company, and if such Person as promptly as practicable divested
or divests itself of Beneficial Ownership of 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 to be or to have become an "Acquiring Person"
for any purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the
contrary, neither Chesapeake Energy Corporation nor ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ III shall
be an Acquiring Person as a result of the ownership of Common Stock, or the
ownership or exercise of options or warrants, owned beneficially by such Persons
or their Affiliates or Associates prior to March 15, 2002, or, in the case of
Chesapeake Energy Corporation, as a result of exercise of its rights under the
Shareholder's Rights Agreement between Chesapeake Energy Corporation and the
Company, unless and until that Person shall purchase or otherwise become (as a
result of the actions of such Person or its affiliates or associates) the
Beneficial owner of any additional Common Stock of the Company, excluding
options granted to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ III pursuant to employee or director benefit
plans or in lieu of other compensation and as employee, officer or director or
Common Stock acquired on the exercise thereof.
"Adjustment Shares" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof.
"Affiliate" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of
the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the
date of this Agreement.
"Associate" shall mean, with reference to any Person, (1) any corporation,
firm, partnership, association, unincorporated organization or other entity
(other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) of which such Person is
an officer or general partner (or officer or general partner of a general
partner) or is, directly or indirectly, the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of
any class of equity securities, (2) any trust or other estate in which such
Person has a substantial beneficial interest or as to which such Person serves
as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity and (3) any relative or spouse of
such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same home as such
Person.
A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and shall be deemed to
"beneficially own," any securities:
(i) that such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates,
directly or indirectly, is the "beneficial owner" of (as determined pursuant to
Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in
effect on the date of this Agreement) or otherwise has the right to vote or
dispose of, including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any security under
this subparagraph (i) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding
to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A)
arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a public
(i.e., not including a solicitation exempted by Rule 14a-2(b)(2) of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this
Agreement) 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 then reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under
the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);
(ii) that such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates,
directly or indirectly, has the right or obligation to acquire (whether such
right or obligation is exercisable or effective immediately or only after the
passage of time or the occurrence of an event) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial
Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities tendered pursuant to a
tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or
exchange, (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) or (p) hereof in connection with
an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights; or
(iii) that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by (A) 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 or consent as described in the
proviso to subparagraph (i) of this definition) or disposing of any voting
securities of the Company or (B) any group (as that term is used in Rule
13d-5(b) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) of which
such Person is a member;
provided, however, that nothing in this definition shall cause a Person engaged
in business as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or
to "beneficially own," any securities acquired through such Person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting (including,
without limitation, securities acquired pursuant to stabilizing transactions to
facilitate a public offering in accordance with Regulation M promulgated under
the Exchange Act, or to cover overallotments created in connection with a public
offering) until the expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition.
For purposes of this Agreement, "voting" a security shall include voting,
granting a proxy, acting by consent, making a request or demand relating to
corporate action (including, without limitation, calling a stockholder meeting)
or otherwise giving an authorization (within the meaning of Section 14(a) of the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement) in respect of such
security.
"Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on
which banking institutions in Texas are authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.
"close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., eastern time,
on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, it
shall mean 5:00 p.m., eastern time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
"Closing Price" of a security for any day shall mean the last sales price,
regular way, on such day or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, on such day, in either
case as reported in the principal transaction reporting system with respect to
securities listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange, or, if
such security is not listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock
Exchange, on the principal national securities exchange on which such security
is listed or admitted to trading or on the Nasdaq National Market, or, if such
security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange but sales price information is reported for such security, as reported
by Nasdaq or such other self-regulatory organization or registered securities
information processor (as such terms are used under the Exchange Act) that then
reports information concerning such security, or, if sales price information is
not so reported, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market on such day, as reported by Nasdaq or such other entity,
or, if on such day such security is not quoted by any such entity, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker
making a market in such security selected by the Board of Directors of the
Company, or, if on such day no market maker is making a market in such security,
the fair value of such security on such day as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company.
"Common Stock" shall mean a common share, par value $0.001, of the Company,
except that "Common Stock" when used with reference to equity interests issued
by any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person
with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity
interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.
"Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Company" shall mean the Person named as the "Company" in the preamble of
this Agreement until a successor Person shall have become such or until a
Principal Party shall assume, and thereafter be liable for, all obligations and
duties of the Company hereunder, pursuant to the applicable provisions of this
Agreement, and thereafter "Company" shall mean such successor Person or
Principal Party.
"Continuing Director" shall mean any member of the Board of Directors of
the Company, while such person is a member of the Board, who is not an Acquiring
Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or a representative
or nominee of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate, and who
was a member of the Board prior to the Stock Acquisition Date, and any successor
of a Continuing Director, while such successor is a member of the Board, who is
not an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or a
representative or nominee of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or
Associate and is recommended or elected to succeed the Continuing Director by a
majority of the Continuing Directors.
"Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)
hereof.
"Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof.
"Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the close of business on
the tenth day (or, if such Stock Acquisition Date results from the consummation
of a Permitted Offer, such later date as may be determined by the Company's
Board of Directors as set forth below before the Distribution Date occurs) after
the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the close of business on the tenth Business
Day (or such later date as may be determined by the Company's Board of Directors
as set forth below before the Distribution Date occurs) after the date that a
tender offer or exchange offer by any Person (other than any Exempt Person) is
first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as then in effect, if upon
consummation thereof, such Person would be an Acquiring Person, other than a
tender or exchange offer that is determined before the Distribution Date occurs
to be a Permitted Offer. The Board of Directors of the Company may, to the
extent set forth in the preceding sentence, defer the date set forth in clause
(i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence to a specified later date or to an
unspecified later date to be determined by a subsequent action or event (but in
no event to a date later than the close of business on the tenth day after the
first occurrence of a Triggering Event).
"Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(b) hereof.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24 hereof.
"Exempt Person" shall mean the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any
employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, and
any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or
funding other employee benefits for employees of the Company or any Subsidiary
of the Company.
"Expiration Date" shall mean the earliest of (i) the Final Expiration Date,
(ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof,
(iii) the time at which the Rights expire pursuant to Section 13(d) hereof and
(iv) the time at which all Rights then outstanding and exercisable are exchanged
pursuant to Section 24 hereof.
"Final Expiration Date" shall mean the close of business on March 15, 2012.
"Flip-In Event" shall mean an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
"Flip-In Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Flip-Over Event" shall mean any event described in clause (x), (y) or (z)
of Section 13(a) hereof, but excluding any transaction described in Section
13(d) hereof that causes the Rights to expire.
"Fractional Share" with respect to the Preferred Stock shall mean one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock.
"Nasdaq" shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Automated Quotations System.
"Original Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the definition of
"Beneficial Owner."
"Permitted Offer" shall mean a tender offer or an exchange offer for all
outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price and on terms determined, prior to
the time the Person making the offer or any Affiliate or Associate thereof is an
Acquiring Person, by at least a majority of the members of the Board of
Directors who are not officers or employees of the Company and who are not, and
are not representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of, an Acquiring
Person or the person making the offer, after receiving advice from one or more
investment banking firms, to be (a) at a price and on terms that are fair to
stockholders and not inadequate (taking into account all factors that such
members of the Board deem relevant including, without limitation, prices that
could reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an
orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders.
"Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other
entity.
"Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company having the rights,
powers and preferences set forth in Exhibit A hereto and, to the extent that
there is not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other
series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company designated
for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
"Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) hereof.
"Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) hereof.
"Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a)
hereof.
"Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals clause at the
beginning of this Agreement.
"Rights Agent" shall mean the Person named as the "Rights Agent" in the
preamble of this Agreement until a successor Rights Agent shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, and thereafter "Rights Agent"
shall mean such successor Rights Agent. If at any time there is more than one
Person appointed by the Company as Rights Agent pursuant to the applicable
provisions of this Agreement, "Rights Agent" shall mean and include each such
Person.
"Rights Certificates" shall mean the certificates evidencing the Rights.
"Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public announcement
(which, for purposes of this definition and Section 23, 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.
"Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation or
other Person of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at
least a majority of the directors or other persons performing similar functions
is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise
controlled by such Person.
"Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Trading Day" with respect to a security shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which such security is listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if such
security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange but is quoted by Nasdaq, a day on which Nasdaq reports trades, or, if
such security is not so quoted, a Business Day.
"Triggering Event" shall mean any Flip-In Event or any Flip-Over Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent (i) to act as agent for the Company and (ii) to take certain
actions in respect of the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section
3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common
Stock)(although it is expressly agreed that the Rights Agent shall not act as
agent for such holders) 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) Until the Distribution Date, (x) the Rights will be evidenced by
the certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the
Common Stock and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of
Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as practicable after
the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured,
postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the close
of business on the Distribution Date (other than any Person referred to in the
first sentence of Section 7(e)), at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, one or more Rights Certificates, evidencing one Right
for each 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(p) hereof, at the time of
distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary
and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) 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.
(b) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock
that are issued (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's
treasury) prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date
or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the
Distribution Date. Certificates issued for shares of Common Stock that shall so
become outstanding or shall be transferred or exchanged prior to the earlier of
the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date shall also be deemed to be
certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder
hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights
Agreement between Seven Seas Petroleum Inc. (the "Company")
and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights
Agent") dated as of March 15, 2002 as it may from time to
time be supplemented or amended (the "Rights Agreement"),
the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal
offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set
forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights may be redeemed,
may be exchanged, may expire or may be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. The Company or the Rights Agent will mail to
the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights
Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without
charge promptly after receipt of a written request therefor.
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO
ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN
AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT), AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF, WILL
BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the Rights associated
with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by
such certificates alone, and registered holders of Common Stock shall also be
the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such
certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with
the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
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), when, as and if issued,
shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have
such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or quotation system
on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights
Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of
Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price
set forth therein (such exercise price per Fractional Share (or, as set forth in
this Agreement, for other securities), the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and
type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase
Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section
22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by a Person described in the
first sentence of Section 7(e), and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to
Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or
adjustment of any such Rights, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the
following legend, modified as applicable to apply to such Person:
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 [will] [have] become null and void
in the circumstances and with the effect specified in
Section 7(e) of such Agreement.
The provisions of Section 7(e) of this Agreement shall be operative whether or
not the foregoing legend is contained on any such Rights Certificate. The
Company shall give notice to the Rights Agent promptly after it becomes aware of
the existence of any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate thereof.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President, either
manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's
seal or a facsimile thereof, which shall be attested by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.
The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either
manually or by facsimile signature, 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 offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face
by each of the Rights Certificates and the certificate number and the date of
each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section
13(d), Section 14 and Section 24 hereof, at any time after the close of business
on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates may be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number
of Fractional Shares 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 Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder
(or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder
desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights
Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices
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 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) thereof or of the Affiliates or Associates thereof as
the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject
to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 13(d), Section 14 and Section 24 hereof,
countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may
require payment by the holder 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 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, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section
13(d), Section 14 and Section 24, 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.
(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 completed and executed, to the
Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with
respect to the total number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the Expiration Date.
(b) The Purchase Price for each Fractional Share of Preferred Stock
pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $65, and shall be subject
to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and
shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse
side thereof duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right
so exercised, of the Purchase Price per Fractional Share of Preferred Stock (or
other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be
purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax,
the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(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 for such shares)
certificates for the total number of Fractional Shares 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, in its sole discretion,
shall have elected to deposit the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing interests in such number of
Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the
Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of
fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of
such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered
in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) after receipt
thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such
amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) may be made in cash
or by certified check, cashier's or official bank check or bank draft payable to
the order of the Company or the Rights Agent. 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) or Section 13(a)
hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other
securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the
Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon exercise of Rights, a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would
be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise fewer 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 Triggering Event, any Rights beneficially
owned by or transferred to (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person other than any such Person that became such pursuant to a
Permitted Offer and the Board of Directors in good faith determines was not
involved in and did not cause or facilitate, directly or indirectly, such
Triggering Event, (ii) a direct or indirect transferee of such Rights from such
Acquiring Person (or any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee
after such Triggering Event or (iii) a direct or indirect transferee of such
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with such Triggering Event and receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from
such Acquiring Person (or such Affiliate or Associate) to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person (or such Affiliate or Associate) or to any
Person with whom such Acquiring Person (or such Affiliate or Associate) has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company determines
is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding that has as a primary purpose or
effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without
any further action, no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever
with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise, and such Rights shall not be transferable. 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.
(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) 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.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split-up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved
and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and
unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its authorized
and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities) that, as provided in this Agreement, including Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding
Rights.
(b) So long as any shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable
and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights are listed on any national
securities exchange or quoted on any trading system, 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, or quoted on such system, upon official notice of issuance upon such
exercise. Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company will use
its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the
securities issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights on one or
more national securities exchanges or to cause the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be reported by Nasdaq or such other
transaction reporting system then in use.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) prepare and file, as
soon as practicable following the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event or, if
applicable, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Flip-In Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the
Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this
Agreement (including in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof), a
registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act with
respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, (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 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 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 the Securities Act
requires an effective registration statement under the Securities Act following
the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of
the Rights until such time as such a registration statement has been declared
effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or any required
registration statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Fractional Shares 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 nonassessable.
(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 that may be
payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of
any certificates for a number of Fractional Shares 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 that may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a
Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of Fractional Shares
of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
in respect of a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights
Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver
any certificates for a number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of
the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax shall have
been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate
at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's
satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for a number of Fractional Shares 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 shares (fractional or otherwise) of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
(and all applicable transfer taxes) 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, as such, 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 or other
securities subject to purchase upon exercise of each Right and the number of
Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time (A) declare a
dividend on the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock payable in shares of
Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, (C)
combine the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of
shares or (D) otherwise reclassify the outstanding shares of 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 capital stock, as the case may
be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder
of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of
shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he would have owned
upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs that 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 any Person shall become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such
Person to become an Acquiring Person is (1) a Flip-Over Event or (2) an
acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Permitted Offer (provided
that this clause (2) shall cease to apply if such Acquiring Person thereafter
becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock other than
pursuant to such Permitted Offer or a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) or
13(d) hereof), then, (x) the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase
Price immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event multiplied by
the number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such first occurrence and (y) each holder of a
Right (except as provided below in Section 11(a)(iii) and in Section 7(e)
hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a
price equal to the Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price by 50% of the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on the date
of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares");
provided that the Purchase Price and the number of Adjustment Shares shall be
further adjusted as provided in this Agreement to reflect any events occurring
after the date of such first occurrence.
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock that
are authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation but not outstanding
or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is
not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with
the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall, to the
extent permitted by applicable law and regulation, (A) determine the excess of
(1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right
(computed using the Current Market Price used to determine the number of
Adjustment Shares) (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price (such
excess is herein referred to as the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to each
Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the
exercise of the Rights 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 (including, without limitation, the Preferred Stock)
that the Board of Directors of the Company has determined to have the same value
as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock are herein referred to
as "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 of Directors of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the
Company; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate
provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within 30 days following
the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Flip-In 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 "Flip-In 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 the Board of
Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that
sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance
upon exercise in full of the Rights, the 30-day period set forth above may be
extended to the extent necessary, but not more than 90 days after the Flip-In
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 the Company or the Board of Directors
determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second
sentences 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 such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the
event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement
stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock
shall be the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on the Flip-In
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.
(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 to
subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after
such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having substantially the same
rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred Stock ("Equivalent
Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent
Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of
Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less
than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date,
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred
Stock that the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or
all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall
not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to
all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection with a 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 Market
Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market
value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash,
assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription
rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator
of which shall be such Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock. Such
adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would have been in effect if such record
date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current Market
Price" per share of Common Stock of a Person 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 immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current Market
Price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average
of the daily Closing Prices per share of such Common Stock for the 10
consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however,
that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement of (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Common Stock other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
or the dividend of the Rights, or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Stock, and the ex-dividend date for such
dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination
or reclassification, shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the
requisite 30 Trading Day or 10 Trading Day period, as set forth above, then, and
in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take
into account ex-dividend trading. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or
not so listed or traded, "Current Market Price" per share shall mean the fair
value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "Current
Market Price" per share (or Fractional 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 (or Fractional 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 100 (as such number may be
appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of
this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the Common
Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or
so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share of the Preferred Stock shall
mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all
purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market Price of a Fractional Share of
Preferred Stock shall be equal to the Current Market Price of one share of
Preferred Stock divided by 100.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in
the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however,
that any adjustments that 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 to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Fractional Share of Preferred Stock, as
the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any
adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier
of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which mandates such
adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or
Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive in respect of such Right any shares of capital stock other
than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m) hereof, 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 Fractional Shares 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 Fractional Shares of
Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a Fractional
Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Fractional Shares of
Preferred Stock 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 Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise
of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of
Rights shall be exercisable for the number of Fractional Shares of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment.
Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall
become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest 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
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 Fractional Shares 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 Fractional Share and the number of
Fractional Shares that 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, or the stated capital of
the number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock or of the number of shares of
Common Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of a Right, the Company
shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable such number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock or such number
of shares of Common Stock or other securities 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 Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of Fractional Shares 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 ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the
Company 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 that by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11 hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall
not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
that there is an Acquiring Person, (i) consolidate with any other Person, (ii)
merge with or into any other Person, or (iii) sell, lease or transfer (or permit
one or more Subsidiaries to sell, lease 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, if (x) at the time of or immediately
after such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or transfer there are any rights,
warrants or other instruments or securities of the Company or any other Person
outstanding or agreements, arrangements or understandings in effect that would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights, (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or transfer, the stockholders or other
equity owners 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 or
Associates, or (z) the identity, form or nature of organization of the Principal
Party (including, without limitation, the selection of the Person that will be
the Principal Party as a result of the Company's entering into one or more
consolidations, mergers, sales, leases, transfers or transactions with more than
one party) would preclude or limit the exercise of Rights or otherwise diminish
substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if the purpose of
such action is to, or if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably
foreseeable that such action will, diminish substantially or eliminate the
benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Notwithstanding Section 3(b) hereof or any other provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Company shall at any time 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, (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock
into a smaller number of shares or (iv) otherwise reclassify the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock
then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter with Rights, 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 "Adjustment
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. In lieu of such
adjustment in the number of Rights associated with one share of Common Stock,
the Company may elect to adjust the number of Fractional Shares of Preferred
Stock purchasable upon the exercise of one Right and the Purchase Price. If the
Company makes such election, the number of Rights associated with one share of
Common Stock shall remain unchanged, and the number of Fractional Shares of
Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of one Right and the Purchase Price
shall be proportionately adjusted so that (i) the number of Fractional Shares of
Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of a Right following such adjustment
shall equal the product of the number of Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock
purchasable upon exercise of a Right immediately prior to such adjustment
multiplied by the Adjustment Fraction and (ii) the Purchase Price following such
adjustment shall equal the product of the Purchase Price immediately prior to
such adjustment multiplied by the Adjustment Fraction.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or Section 13 hereof,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a
brief summary thereof to each registered holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to each registered holder of a certificate
representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The
Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on
any adjustment therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.
(a) In the event that, from and after the time an Acquiring Person has
become such, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or
merge with and into, any other Person, and the Company shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any
Person shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the
Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation
or merger, and, in connection with such 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 the Company or any other Person or cash or any
other property, or (z) the Company shall sell, lease or otherwise transfer (or
one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell, lease 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 wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company or any combination thereof in one
or more transactions each of which complies (and all of which together comply)
with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may be
contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that:
(i) the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering Event multiplied by the number of
Fractional Shares of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such first occurrence; (ii) on and after the Distribution
Date, each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of shares of
Preferred Stock or Common Stock of the Company, such number of validly
authorized and issued, fully paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable shares of
Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not
subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse
claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price
by 50% of the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Flip-Over Event; provided
that the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Common Stock of such
Principal Party issuable upon exercise of each Right shall be further adjusted
as provided in this Agreement to reflect any events occurring after the date of
such first occurrence of a Triggering Event or after the date of such Flip-Over
Event, as applicable; (iii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for,
and shall assume, by virtue of such Flip-Over Event, all the obligations and
duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iv) 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 Flip-Over Event; (v) 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 (vi) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
shall be of no effect following the occurrence of any Flip-Over 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 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 the Common Stock of which has the greatest aggregate market value, or (B)
if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that survives such consolidation
or is the other party to the merger and survives such merger, or, if there is
more than one such Person, the Person the Common Stock of which has the greatest
aggregate market value or (y) if the Person that is the other party to the
merger does not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the merger
(including the Company if it survives); 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 so transferred, or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the
assets or earning power cannot be determined, the Person the Common Stock of
which has the greatest aggregate market value;
provided, however, that in any such case, if the Common Stock of such Person is
not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve-month
period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and if (1) 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) such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than
one Person, the Common Stocks of all 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) 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 Flip-Over Event unless each
Principal Party (or Person that may become a Principal Party as a result of such
Flip-Over Event) shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its
Common Stock that 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 each 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 such Flip-Over Event, the
Principal Party at its own expense 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;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and
the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the "blue sky" laws
of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate;
(iii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal
Party is or shall become listed on a national securities exchange, to list (or
continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise
of the Rights on such securities exchange and, if the Common Stock of the
Principal Party shall not be listed on a national securities exchange, to cause
the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights to be
reported by Nasdaq or such other transaction reporting system then in use; and
(iv) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates that comply in all
respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange
Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Flip-Over Event
shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, the Rights that
have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the
manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in subparagraphs
(x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is consummated with a
Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Permitted
Offer (or a wholly-owned subsidiary of any such Person or Persons), (ii) the
price per share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is not less than the
price per share of Common Stock paid to all holders of Common Stock whose shares
were purchased pursuant to such Permitted Offer, and (iii) the form of
consideration being offered to the remaining holders of shares of Common Stock
pursuant to such transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid
pursuant to such Permitted Offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction
contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
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 or scrip evidencing 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 Closing Price
of one Right for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Preferred Stock (other than, except as provided in Section 7(c) hereof,
fractions that are integral multiples of a Fractional Share of Preferred Stock)
upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates or scrip evidencing
fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than, except as provided in Section
7(c) hereof, fractions that are integral multiples of a Fractional Share of
Preferred Stock). Interests in fractions of shares of Preferred Stock in
integral multiples of a Fractional Share of Preferred Stock may, at the election
of the Company in its sole discretion, be evidenced by depositary receipts,
pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary
selected by it, provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of
such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences
to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the shares of Preferred Stock
represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of a Fractional 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 one one-hundredth of the Closing Price of
a share of Preferred Stock for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall
not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of
the Rights or to distribute certificates or scrip evidencing fractional shares
of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common 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
Closing Price of one share of Common Stock for the Trading Day immediately prior
to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to
Section 18 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, where applicable, the Company; 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
shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations
hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement. After a Triggering Event,
holders of Rights shall be entitled to recover the reasonable costs and
expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred by them in any action to enforce
the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by
accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and
with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will not be evidenced
by Rights Certificates and will be transferable only in connection with the
transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates will be
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the form of assignment set forth on the reverse side thereof and the
certificate contained therein duly completed and fully 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 a Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder
of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or
enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, 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 number of Fractional Shares of
Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything
contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the
holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of
the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any
matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other
actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 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. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
disbursements and other reasonable disbursements incurred in the administration
and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense, incurred without gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any 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, after proper inquiry or examination, to be
genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, guaranteed, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the corporate trust or 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 corporation
would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the
provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent
shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and
deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at 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 or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned
but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its
prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that
time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name
or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall
have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken
or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(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 any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be
deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the
Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any
Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and
delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization
to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under
the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. 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 action.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect
of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11 or
Section 13 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 receipt of actual knowledge 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 Preferred Stock
or Common Stock or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or
any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock or Common
Stock or other securities will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the
Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any
Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company,
and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its
duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken
by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become peculiarly interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such
attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act,
omission, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, that reasonable
care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, by registered or certified
mail, and to the registered holders, if any, of the Rights Certificates by
first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent (with or without cause) upon 30 days' notice in writing, mailed to
the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each
transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates, if
any, by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or
shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a
successor to the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section 21, in no event shall the resignation or removal of a Rights Agent be
effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been appointed and have
accepted such appointment. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment
within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the registered holder of a 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 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) a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to conduct a stock transfer or corporate trust business in the State of New
York), 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 at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least
$100,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a corporation described in clause (a) of
this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested
with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been
originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent 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 its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities
or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance
or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to
the Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common
Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any
employee plan or arrangement granted or awarded on or prior to the Distribution
Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities issued by the
Company on or prior to the Distribution Date, and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, 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 the extent that, the Company shall be
advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of
material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such
Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be
issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have
been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day
following the first date of public announcement of the occurrence of a Flip-In
Event and (ii) the Expiration Date, cause the Company to redeem all but not less
than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right,
as such amount may be appropriately adjusted, if necessary, to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction (such redemption price being
hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"); provided, however, if the
Board of Directors of the Company authorizes redemption of the Rights in either
of the circumstances set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) next below, then there
must be Continuing Directors then in office and such authorization shall require
the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors: (i) such
authorization occurs on or after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
or (ii) such authorization occurs on or after the date of a change (resulting
from a proxy or consent solicitation) in a majority of the directors in office
at the commencement of such solicitation if any Person who is a participant in
such solicitation has stated (or, if upon the commencement of such solicitation,
a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company has determined in good
faith) that such Person (or any of its Affiliates or Associates) intends to
take, or may consider taking, any action which would result in such Person
becoming an Acquiring Person or which would cause any event described in Section
11(a) or Section 13 hereof to occur unless, concurrent with such solicitation,
such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) is making a cash
tender offer pursuant to a Schedule 14D-1 (or any successor form) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for all outstanding shares of Common Stock
not beneficially owned by such Person (or by its Affiliates or Associates);
provided further, however, that if, following the occurrence of a Stock
Acquisition Date and following the expiration of the right of redemption
hereunder but prior to the occurrence of any of the events described in Sections
11(a) or 13 hereof, (1) 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, such that such Person is thereafter a
Beneficial Owner of 10% or less of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, and
(2) there are no other Persons, immediately following the occurrence of the
event described in clause (i), who are Acquiring Persons, then the right of
redemption shall be reinstated and thereafter be subject to the provisions of
this Section 23. 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 of Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights (the
effectiveness of which action may be conditioned on the occurrence of one or
more events or on the existence of one or more facts or may be effective at some
future time), evidence of which shall be filed with the Rights Agent and without
any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will
terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to
receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the
effectiveness of the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of
the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent
and the registered holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice
to all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the
registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the
registry books of the Company for the Common Stock. Any notice that is mailed in
the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by
which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time and from time to time after the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, exchange all
or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include
Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof)
for shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or any combination
thereof, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or such number of
Common Stock Equivalents or units representing fractions thereof as would be
deemed to have the same value as one share of Common Stock, per Right,
appropriately adjusted, if necessary, to reflect any stock split, stock dividend
or similar transaction (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the
"Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors may not
effect such exchange at any time after (i) any Person (other than an Exempt
Person), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding
or (ii) the occurrence of a Flip-Over Event.
(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to and in
accordance with subsection (a) of this Section 24 (the effectiveness of which
action may be conditioned on the occurrence of one or more events or on the
existence of one or more facts or may be effective at some future time) and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such
Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights
shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock and/or Common Stock
Equivalents 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 registered holders of
such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of
the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice
of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common
Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents for Rights will be effected and, in the
event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that will be exchanged. Any
partial exchange shall be effected as nearly pro rata as possible based on the
number of Rights (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to the
provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock that are
authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation but not outstanding or
reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not
sufficient to permit an exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with
this Section 24, the Company may, at its option, take all such action as may be
necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon
exchange of the Rights.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Common Stock or to distribute certificates or scrip evidencing fractional shares
of Common Stock upon exchange of the Rights. In lieu of such fractional shares
of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights with
regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the value of a whole
share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 24, the value of a whole
share of Common Stock shall be the Closing Price per share of Common Stock for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24, and the value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to have
the same value as the Common Stock on such date.
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 of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with any other Person (other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary of
the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to
effect any sale, lease or other transfer of all or substantially all the
Company's assets to any other Person or Persons (other than a wholly-owned
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), 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
record 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, lease, 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 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 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. The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or
any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken
by the Company or the vote upon any such action.
(b) In case any Flip-In Event or Flip-Over Event shall occur, then (i)
the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each registered
holder of a Rights Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution Date,
the registered holders of Common Stock), 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) or
Section 13(a) 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:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Shareholder Services
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: President
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Except as provided in the last
sentence of this Section 27, at any time when the Rights are then redeemable,
the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion and the Rights Agent shall,
if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement
in any respect without the approval of any holders of Rights or holders of
Common Stock. At any time when the Rights are not redeemable, except as provided
in the last sentence of this Section 27, the Company may and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of Rights in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to
correct or supplement any provision contained herein that 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 that the Company may deem necessary or desirable; provided that no
such amendment or supplement shall materially adversely affect the interests of
the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person); and further provided that this Agreement may
not be supplemented or amended pursuant to this sentence to lengthen (A) a time
period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed or (B) any other time period
unless the lengthening of such other time period is for the purpose of
protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the
holders of Rights (other than any Acquiring Person and its Affiliates and
Associates). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of
the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in
compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute
such supplement or amendment; provided, however, that the Rights Agent may, but
shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplement or amendment that
affects the Rights Agent's own rights, duties or immunities under this
Agreement. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary,
no supplement or amendment shall be made that decreases 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 of Directors, 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, subject to the last sentence
of the definition of Beneficial Owner in Section 1, 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 as in effect on the date of this Agreement. The Board of
Directors of the Company (or, as set forth herein, certain specified members
thereof) shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this
Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the
Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company, or as may be necessary or
advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without
limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this
Agreement and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the
administration of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a determination
to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend this Agreement). All such
actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for
purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) that
are done or made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall
(x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the
holders of the Rights, as such, and all other parties, and (y) not subject the
Board of Directors 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, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date,
registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 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 of Directors of
the Company. Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring that a
determination be made by less than the entire Board of Directors of the Company
is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid,
void or unenforceable, such determination shall then be made by the entire Board
of Directors of the Company.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the Cayman Islands and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such country applicable to contracts
made and to be performed entirely within such country except that the rights,
duties and obligations of the Rights Agent shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, U.S.A.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
By ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇
Title: President
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
By ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Title:
Exhibit A to Rights Agreement
RESOLUTION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AUTHORIZING
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
Pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in accordance
with the provisions of the Articles of Association of Seven Seas Petroleum Inc.
(the "Company"), the Board of Directors on March 6, 2002, adopted the following
resolution creating a series of 50,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated
as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock":
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of this Company in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of
Association, a series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the
Company be and hereby is created, and that the designation and number of shares
thereof and the voting and other powers, preferences and relative,
participating, optional or other rights of the shares of such series and the
qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof are as follows:
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
1. Designation and Amount. There shall be a series of Preferred Stock that
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock," and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 50,000,000. Such number of
shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than the number of shares then
issued and outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of
outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding
securities issued by the Company.
2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in
preference to the holders of shares of any class or series of stock of the
Company ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors
out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in
cash on the 1st day of March, June, September and December in each year (each
such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"),
commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance
of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater
of (a) $1.00 or (b) the Adjustment Number (as defined below) times the aggregate
per share amount of all cash dividends, and the Adjustment Number times the
aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other
distributions other than a dividend payable in Common Shares, par value $0.001,
(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. The
"Adjustment Number" shall initially be 100. In the event the Company shall at
any time (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be
adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Company 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 $1.00 per share on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on
such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares
is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue
of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly
dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which
events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Company.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Articles of
Association or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of any other class or series entitled to
vote with the Common Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote
together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the
Company.
(C)
(i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly
dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall ▇▇▇▇ the beginning
of a period (herein called a "default period") that shall extend until such time
when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend
periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared
and paid or set apart for payment. During each default period, (1) the number of
Directors shall be increased by two, effective as of the time of election of
such Directors as herein provided, and (2) the holders of Preferred Stock
(including holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) upon
which these or like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable (the
"Voting Preferred Stock") with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six
quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall
have the right to elect such two Directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of the holders
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a
special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at
any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of
stockholders, provided that such voting right shall not be exercised unless the
holders of at least one-third in number of the shares of Voting Preferred Stock
outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy. The absence of a quorum of
the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of
Voting Preferred Stock of such voting right
(iii) Unless the holders of Voting Preferred Stock shall, during
an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect
Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or stockholders
owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent of the total number of shares
of Voting Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the
calling of a special meeting of the holders of Voting Preferred Stock, which
meeting shall thereupon be called by the Chairman of the Board, the President, a
Vice President or the Secretary of the Company. Notice of such meeting and of
any annual meeting at which holders of Voting Preferred Stock are entitled to
vote pursuant to this paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record
of Voting Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last
address as the same appears on the books of the Company. Such meeting shall be
called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such
order or request or, in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days
after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any
stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent of
the total number of shares of Voting Preferred Stock outstanding.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (C)(iii), no such special
meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding
the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.
(iv) In any default period, after the holders of Voting Preferred
Stock shall have exercised their right to elect Directors voting as a class, (x)
the Directors so elected by the holders of Voting Preferred Stock shall continue
in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or
until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of
Directors may be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors
theretofore elected by the holders of the class or classes of stock which
elected the Director whose office shall have become vacant. References in this
paragraph (C) to Directors elected by the holders of a particular class or
classes of stock shall include Directors elected by such Directors to fill
vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the
right of the holders of Voting Preferred Stock as a class to elect Directors
shall cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of Voting
Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate and (z) the number of Directors shall
be such number as may be provided for in the Articles of Association or
Memorandum of Association irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the
provisions of paragraph (C) of this Section 3 (such number being subject,
however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the Articles
of Association or Memorandum of Association). Any vacancies in the Board of
Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding
sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote
with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.
4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Company shall not
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on,
or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions
on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are
payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of
all such shares are then entitled; or
(iii) 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 Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or to all such holders and the holders of
any such shares ranking on a parity therewith, 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 Company shall not permit any subsidiary of the Company to
purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Company unless the Company could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to
any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or
winding up of the Company, 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 $100 per share, plus an amount equal to
accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared,
to the date of such payment (the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following
the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no
additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of
shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the "Common
Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A
Liquidation Preference by (ii) the Adjustment Number. Following the payment of
the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment
in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall, subject to the
prior rights of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, ranking prior
thereto, receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets
to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to
such Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per
share basis, respectively.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and
the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, that
rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then
such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity
shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event,
however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in
full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed
ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) Neither the merger or consolidation of the Company into or with
another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other corporation
into or with the Company shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company within the meaning of this Section 6, but the sale,
lease or conveyance of all or substantially all the Company's assets shall be
deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company within the
meaning of this Section 6.
7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Company 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 each share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed in an amount per share equal to the Adjustment Number times the
aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash 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.
8. Redemption.
(A) The Company, at its option, may redeem shares of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock in whole at any time and in part from time
to time, at a redemption price equal to the Adjustment Number times the current
per share market price (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Common Stock
on the date of the mailing of the notice of redemption, together with unpaid
accumulated dividends to the date of such redemption. The "current per share
market price" on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the closing price
per share of such Common Stock for the ten consecutive Trading Days (as such
term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however,
that in the event that the current per share market price of the Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement of (A) a dividend or
distribution on the Common Stock other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or
(B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock and
the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, shall not have occurred prior
to the commencement of such ten Trading Day period, then, and in each such case,
the current per share market price shall be properly adjusted to take into
account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last
sales 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 transaction reporting system with respect to
securities listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange, or, if
the Common Stock is not listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock
Exchange, on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common
Stock is listed or admitted to trading, or, if the Common Stock is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange but sales price
information is reported for such security, as reported by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("Nasdaq")
or such other self-regulatory organization or registered securities information
processor (as such terms are used under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended) that then reports information concerning the Common Stock, or, if sales
price information is not so reported, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market on such day, as reported by Nasdaq or such
other entity, or, if on any such date the Common Stock is not quoted by any such
entity, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is
making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of the Common Stock on such
date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall
be used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading
is open for the transaction of business, or, if the Common Stock is not listed
or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange but is quoted by
Nasdaq, a day on which Nasdaq reports trades, or, if the Common Stock is not so
quoted, a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday on which banking
institutions in the State of New York are not authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.
(B) In the event that fewer than all the outstanding shares of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the number of
shares to be redeemed shall be determined by the Board of Directors and the
shares to be redeemed shall be determined by lot or pro rata as may be
determined by the Board of Directors or by any other method that may be
determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion to be equitable.
(C) Notice of any such redemption shall be given by mailing to the
holders of the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to be
redeemed a notice of such redemption, first class postage prepaid, not later
than the fifteenth day and not earlier than the sixtieth day before the date
fixed for redemption, at their last address as the same shall appear upon the
books of the Company. Each such notice shall state: (i) the redemption date;
(ii) the number of shares to be redeemed and, if fewer than all the shares held
by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from
such holder; (iii) the redemption price; (iv) the place or places where
certificates for such shares are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption
price; and (v) that dividends on the shares to be redeemed will cease to accrue
on the close of business on such redemption date. Any notice that is mailed in
the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly
given, whether or not the stockholder received such notice, and failure duly to
give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice, to any holder of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not affect the validity of the
proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock that are to be redeemed. On or after the date
fixed for redemption as stated in such notice, each holder of the shares called
for redemption shall surrender the certificate evidencing such shares to the
Company at the place designated in such notice and shall thereupon be entitled
to receive payment of the redemption price. If fewer than all the shares
represented by any such surrendered certificate are redeemed, a new certificate
shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares.
(D) The shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
not be subject to the operation of any purchase, retirement or sinking fund.
9. Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to all other series of the Company's Preferred Stock as to the payment of
dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series
shall provide otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock as to such
matters.
10. Amendment. At any time that any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Articles of Association of the Company
shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the
powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of
the holders of two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
11. Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be
issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion to
such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends,
participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that any documents heretofore executed or lawful actions
heretofore taken by any of the officers of the Company in connection with the
transactions herein described are hereby ratified, confirmed and approved in all
respects.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned does affirm the foregoing as true this
15th day of March, 2002.
Exhibit B to Rights Agreement
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER _________, 2012 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR EXCHANGED BY THE
COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT
$0.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR
TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS, WAS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN
AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO
LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
This certifies that _____________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of March __, 2002 as it may from time to time be
supplemented or amended (the "Rights Agreement"), between Seven Seas Petroleum
Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares (the "Company"), and
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from
the Company at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on __________,
2012 at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid,
nonassessable share (a "Fractional Share") of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price of
$65.00 per one one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election
to Purchase and related Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof duly
executed. The Purchase Price may be paid in cash or by certified check,
cashier's or official bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the
Company or the Rights Agent. 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 Fractional Share set forth
above, are the number and Purchase Price as of __________, 2002, based on the
Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to
require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole
shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
From and after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by or transferred to (i) an Acquiring Person
or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person,
Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, concurrently with or after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, such Rights shall, with certain exceptions, become null and
void in the circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, and no holder
hereof shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights from and
after the occurrence of such Triggering Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and
kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or assets that may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events,
including Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific 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 Company or the
Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of Fractional Shares 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 (i) may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $0.01 per Right, payable, at the election of the Company, in
cash or shares of Common Stock or such other consideration as the Board of
Directors may determine, at any time prior to the earlier of the close of
business on (a) the tenth day following the first public announcement of the
occurrence of a Flip-In Event (as such time period may be extended or shortened
pursuant to the Rights Agreement) and (b) the Expiration Date (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement) or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part
for shares of the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, and/or
other equity securities of the Company deemed to have the same value as shares
of Common Stock, at any time prior to a person's becoming the beneficial owner
of 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding or the occurrence of a
Flip-Over Event.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock are required to be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than, except as set
forth above, fractions that are integral multiples of a Fractional Share of
Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment may 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 that 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 the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal.
Dated as of ________________
ATTEST: SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
________________________ By ________________________________
Secretary Title:
Countersigned:
--------------
By: ________________________________
Authorized Signature
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to
transfer any Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ________________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_________ Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, together with all right,
title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
__________________ Attorney, to transfer the said Rights on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: _________________, 200__
________________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a national securities
exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., a
commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United
States or another eligible guarantor institution (as defined pursuant to Rule
17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended).
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such
terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ]
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 an Acquiring Person or who is a direct or indirect transferee of an
Acquiring Person or of an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: _____________, ______ ___________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a national securities
exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., a
commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United
States or another eligible guarantor institution (as defined pursuant to Rule
17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended).
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond
to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights represented
by the Rights Certificate.)
To: SEVEN SEAS PETROLEUM INC.
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 that may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares (or other securities) be
issued in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
_________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
_________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________
Dated: _____________, ______ ___________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a national securities
exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., a
commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United
States or another eligible guarantor institution (as defined pursuant to Rule
17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended).
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 an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ]
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
an Acquiring Person or who is a direct or indirect transferee of an Acquiring
Person or of an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: _____________, ______ ___________________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a national securities
exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., a
commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United
States or another eligible guarantor institution (as defined pursuant to Rule
17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended).
NOTICE
The signatures 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.
