Exhibit 4.1
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Agreement, dated as of December 4, 2001, between VICON INDUSTRIES,
INC., a New York corporation (the "Company"), and COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR
SERVICES, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and
declared a dividend distribution (the "Distribution") of one Right for each
outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company
outstanding on December 21, 2001 (the "Record Date") and has authorized the
issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock of the Company
issued between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date, the
Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter
defined), and under certain other circumstances, each Right representing the
right to purchase an amount of shares of Common Stock of the Company upon the
terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is hereinafter
defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates (as such
terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner (as
such term is hereinafter defined) of 20% or more of the Common Stock of the
Company then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as
such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of
the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Stock
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of
Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding,
increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person
to 20% or more of the Common Stock of the
Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then
outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such
share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional
Common Stock of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring
Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an Acquiring
Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph
(a)(i), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as
practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person
would no longer be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (a)(i), then such Person shall not be deemed to be
an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect on the date hereof.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has
(A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only
after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights,
rights (other than these Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise, provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of securities
tendered pursuant to a tender offer made by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for
purchase; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding; should be provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed
the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement,
arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a
revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable
rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also
then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other
Person with which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona
fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except to the extent contemplated by the second proviso to Section
1(c)(ii)(B)) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any
securities of the Company.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a
day on which the New York Stock Exchange or banking institutions in the State of
New York or Illinois are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to
close.
(e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York
City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business
Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business
Day.
(f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company. "Common Stock" when used
with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the common stock
with the greatest voting power of such Person or, if such Person is a subsidiary
of another Person, the Person which ultimately controls such first-mentioned
Person.
(g) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other entity.
(h) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has
become such.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who,
in accordance with Section 3 hereof shall prior to the Distribution Date also be
the holders of the Common Stock) 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. Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates. (a) Until the earlier to
occur of (i) the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth
day after the date of the commencement of a tender or exchange offer for 20% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock by any Person other than the
Company (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the
"Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the
Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which
certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be Right Certificates) and
not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Right
Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common
Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will
prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will
send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent, if requested by the Company,
will send) by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder
of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate,
in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, evidencing one Right for each
share of Common Stock so held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company
will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Common Stock, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Summary of Rights"),
by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock
as of the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common
Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock registered in the
names of the holders of the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or
earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of
any of the certificates for the Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date
shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common
Stock represented by such certificate.
(c) Certificates for the Common Stock which become outstanding (including,
without limitation, reacquired shares of Common Stock referred to in the last
sentence of this paragraph issued after the Record Date but prior to the earlier
of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date (as
such terms are defined in Section 7) shall have impressed on, printed on,
written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Vicon Industries, Inc. and
Computershare Investor Services, LLC dated as of December 4, 2001 (the
"Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices
of Vicon Industries, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates
and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Vicon Industries, Inc.
will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement
without charge within five days after receipt of a written request
therefor. As described in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to any Person
who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) shall
become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any shares of
Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any
Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock shall be deemed cancelled and
retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights
associated with the shares of Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the
forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the
reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit A hereto and may
have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights
may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the
provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates, whenever issued, shall
entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of shares of Common Stock as
shall be set forth therein at the price per share set forth therein (the
"Purchase Price"), but the number of such shares and the Purchase Price shall be
subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Right 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 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 Right Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless
so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any
of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company,
such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent,
issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who
signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company;
and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person
who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a
proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the
date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an
officer.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be
kept, at one of its offices in New York, New York, books for registration and
transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the
name and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the
number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the
date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates. Subject
to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business
on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
earlier of the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights
that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been
exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined
or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the
registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Common Stock as the
Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitle such holder to
purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or
exchange any Right Certificate shall make such request in writing delivered to
the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal
office of the Rights Agent along with an amount equal to any applicable transfer
or other tax or other governmental charge in cash, or by certified check or bank
draft payable to the order of the Company. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall
countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or
Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of
Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right
Certificate, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security
reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to
the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto,
and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate
if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like
tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the
Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights
evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at
any time after the Distribution Date, upon surrender of the Right Certificate,
with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed,
to the Rights Agent at the principal office of the Rights Agent, together with
payment of the Purchase Price for each share of Common Stock as to which the
Rights are exercised, at or prior to the close of business on the earliest of
(i) November 30, 2011 (the "Final Expiration Date"); (ii) the date on which the
Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 or (iii) the time at which such
Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 (such earlier date being herein
referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each share of Common Stock pursuant to the
exercise of a Right shall initially be $15, shall be subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in
lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal
to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right
Certificate in accordance with Section 9, by certified check or cashier's check
or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall
thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the Common Stock
of the Company certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock to be
purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to
comply with all such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14, (iii) promptly after receipt of such
certificates, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as
may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt
promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such
Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his
duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All
Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such
case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Common Stock;
Registration of Common 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 Common Stock or its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock held
in its treasury, the number of shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to
permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section
7.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as
may be necessary to insure that all shares of Common Stock 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 shares.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable
any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in
respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any shares
of Common Stock upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be
required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer
or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or
delivery of certificates for the shares of Common Stock in a name other than
that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights
surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates for Common
Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid
(any such tax being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time
of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's reasonable
satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each person in whose name any
certificate for shares of Common Stock is issued upon the exercise of Rights
shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the
Common Stock represented thereby on and such certificate shall be dated, the
date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly
surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer
taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and
payment is a date upon which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are
closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such
shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding business day
on which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the
exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate
shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect
to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without
limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to
exercise any preemptive rights and shall not be entitled to receive any notice
of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price. The Purchase Price, the number of
shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, (C) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or (D) issue any shares
of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common 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), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital
stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the
aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had
been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Common
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 provided, however, that in no event shall the
consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon
exercise of one Right.
(ii) In the event any Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement,
shall become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become
an Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or is an
acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or an exchange
offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price and on terms
determined by at least a majority of the members of the Board who are not
operating officers of the Company and who are not representatives, nominees,
Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person, after receiving advice from one
or more investment banking firms, to be (a) at a price which is fair to
stockholders and not inadequate (taking into account all factors which such
members of the Board deem relevant, including, without limitation, prices which
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, then the Purchase Price shall be
50% of the current market price per share of the Common Stock of the Company
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) such Person became an Acquiring Person.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Rights that are or were at any time
beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of the
Acquiring Person shall become void and any holder of such Rights shall
thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this
Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 that
represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person, whose Rights would
be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate
thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of
any Rights to an Acquiring Person, whose Rights would be void pursuant to the
preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of
such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate
delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person, whose Rights
would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled.
(b) In the event the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock entitling them (for a
period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for
or purchase Common Stock (or securities convertible into Common
Stock) at a price per share of Common Stock (or having a conversion price per
share of Common Stock, if a security convertible into Common Stock) less than
the current market price per share of Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d))
on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date
shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such record date by a fraction, of which the numerator shall be the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number
of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number
of shares of Common 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 of which the denominator shall be the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of
additional shares of Common Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or
into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially
convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be
paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the
shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In
the event such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of
which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall
be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
Shares of Common Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not
be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment
shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the
event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase
Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect
if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In the event the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of Common 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 or assets
(other than a regular periodic cash dividend at a rate not in excess of 125% of
the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid or a dividend payable in
Common Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in
Section11(b)), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall
be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such record date by a fraction, of which the numerator shall be the current
market price per share of Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences
of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to one share of Common Stock and of which the denominator shall be
such current market price per share of Common Stock; provided, however, that in
no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
to be issued upon exercise of one Right. 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 again be adjusted to be
the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, 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 30
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to 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 by the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or
securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock, or (B) any subdivision,
combination or reclassificiation of such Common Stock, and prior to the
expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or
distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current market price shall be
appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per Common Stock
equivalent. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular
way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange or, if the shares
of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the
shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of
the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System
("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares
of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making
a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.
If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the
fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors of the Company shall be used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a
day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of
Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of
business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, a 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. 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.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in such price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a share 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 date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a), the
holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
shares of capital stock of the Company other than shares of Common Stock,
thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any
Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms
as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares
contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of
Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the shares of Common 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 shares of Common 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 Section 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 shares (calculated to
the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of
shares 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 substitution for any
adjustment in the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise
of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number
of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of shares of Common Stock for
which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right
held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become
that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by
dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the
Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of
the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement 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 date
thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least
10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right 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 Right Certificates, on such record date
Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to
which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the
option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record
in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed
shall be issued, executed and 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 Right Certificates
on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the
number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the
Purchase Price per share and the number of shares which were expressed in the
initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the
Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of
such Common Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment
in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified
event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the
issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the shares
of Common Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the shares of Common 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 xxxx or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Common Stock, issuance wholly
for cash of any Common Stock at less than the current market price, issuance
wholly for cash of Common Stock or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, stock dividends or issuance
of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11,
hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Common Stock shall not be
taxable to such stockholders.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13, 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 Common Stock a copy
of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a
Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power. In the event, directly or indirectly, (a) the Company shall consolidate
with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall consolidate
with or, merge with and into, the Company, the Company shall be the continuing
or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all
or part of the Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or
other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (c) the
Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its subsidiaries
shall sell or otherwise transfer ), in one or more 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, then, and
in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a
Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then-current Purchase Price in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of shares of Common
Stock of such other Person as shall be equal to the result obtained by (x)
multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the number of shares of Common
Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50%
of the current market price per share of the Common Stock of such other Person
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) the issuer of such Common Stock
shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be
deemed to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares
of its Common Stock in accordance with Section 9) in connection with such
consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the
shares of its Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the
Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed
and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The
Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company
shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13
if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments
or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result
of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially
diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of
this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or
sales or other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. (a) The Company shall
not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates
which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall
be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which
such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes
of this Section l4(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the
closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on
which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing
price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such
sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the American Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted,
the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market,
as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date
the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market
in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such
date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights the fair value of the
Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares upon
exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional
shares. In lieu of fractional shares, the Company may pay to the registered
holders of Right Certificates at the time such Right Certificates are exercised
as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current
market value of a share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section l4(b), the
current market value of a share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a
share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section
ll(d) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the Date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly
waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right 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 Right 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 Right Certificate in the manner provided
in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right by
accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and
with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in
connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only
on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal
office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper
instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose
name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the
associated Common Stock Certificate) is registered as the absolute owner
thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations
of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common
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.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder,
as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Common Stock or any other securities
of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right
Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right 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 24), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or
otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall
have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. 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 other disbursements incurred in the administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent and its
affiliates and each of their directors, officers, employees and agents
(collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") for, and to hold them harmless
against, any damage, loss, liability, cost or expense, incurred without gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Indemnified
Parties, for anything done or omitted by the Indemnified Parties in connection
with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs
and expenses of defending against any claim or demand of liability in the
premises. The Rights Agent and its affiliates shall be protected and shall incur
no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right
Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and
where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. Any
corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from
any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust
business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the
successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or
filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto,
provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor
Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 2l. In case at the time such
successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement,
any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered,
any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the
predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned;
and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates
shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this
Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at
such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 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 Right Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel of its own choice
(who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as
to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such
opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be
proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President
or any Vice President and by the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer or 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 provision 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, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any
kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits).
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shal1 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 Right 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 Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 3,
11, 13, 23 or 24 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such
adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any
such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by
Right Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor shall it by
any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant
to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common
Stock will, when 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 or any Vice President or the Secretary or
any Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer or any Assistance 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 shareholder, director, officer or employee
of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company 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, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof .
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 by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice in writing, mailed to the
Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of
the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or
be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or
after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the
resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate
(who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the
Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any
court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court,
shall be a corporation 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 do business as a banking
institution in the State of New York), in good standing, having a principal
office in the State of New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust 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. 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 mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Right 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 Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares of stock
or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. Redemption. The Company may, at its option, at any time prior
to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the earlier of (x) the date any Person or
group of Affiliated or Associated Persons has acquired Beneficial Ownership of
50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company or (y) the Final
Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at
a redemption price of $.001 per Right appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption
Price"). Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the redemption of the Rights, 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. Within 10 days after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to
the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such
holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its
Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at
any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23
or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of
Common Stock prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at
its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange
all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not
include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii)) for Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of a Common Share
per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any
time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner
of 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder
of such Rights shall be to receive that number of share of Common Stock equal to
the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided,
however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice
which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or
not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the
method by which the exchange of the Common Stock for Rights will be effected
and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be
exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number
of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions
of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common
Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any
exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the
Company shall take all such 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 which evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company
shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to
which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole
shares of Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current
market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a share of
Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant
to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. In case the Company shall propose (a)
to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Common
Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Common Stock
(other than a regular periodic cash dividend at a rate not in excess of 125% of
the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid), or (b) to offer to the
holders of its Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional shares of Common Stock or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (c) to effect any reclassification of
its Common Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision
of outstanding shares of Common Stock), or (d) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one
or more of its subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or
more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets of earning power of the
Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, or (e) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each
such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right, in accordance with
Section 26, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record
date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or Rights,
or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale,
transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date
of participation therein by the holders of Common 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 (a) or (b) above at least twenty days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the Common Stock for purposes of such action, and in the
case of any such other action, at least twenty days prior to the date of the
taxing of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the
holders of Common Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) of this Agreement
shall occur, then, in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable
thereafter give to each holder of a Right, in accordance with Section 26, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii).
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 Right 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:
Vicon Industries, Inc.
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn: Chairman
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 Right
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:
Computershare Investor Services, LLC
Attn: Relationship Manager
Xxx Xxxxx XxXxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
with a copy to:
Computershare Investor Services, LLC
Attn: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxx XxXxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Notice or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. The Company and the Rights Agent
may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of
any holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or
supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent
with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to
matters or questions arising hereunder which the Company and the Rights Agent
may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Right Certificates.
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. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, 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 Right Certificates.
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued
hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of
New York and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of such state without regard to its choice of law principles.
Section 32. 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 33. 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 and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
VICON INDUSTRIES, INC.
By:________________________________
Title:_______________________________
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC
By:_________________________________
Title:_______________________________
Exhibit A
---------
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- _____Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER NOVEMBER 30, 2011 OR AT EARLIER IF REDEEMED. THE RIGHTS
ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE
TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
VICON INDUSTRIES, 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 December 4, 2001 (the "Rights
Agreement") between Vicon Industries, Inc., a New York corporation (the
"Company"), and Computershare Investor Services, LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (the "Right Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time
after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement)
and prior to 5:00 PM (New York City time) on November 30, 2011 at the principal
office of the Rights Agent, or its successors as Rights Agent, one fully paid
non-assessable share of the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common
Stock"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $15 per share (the "Purchase
Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form
of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise
thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are
the number and Purchase Price as of December 14, 2001, based on the shares of
Common Stock of the Company as constituted at such date.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of
shares of Common Stock which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment
upon the happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights
Agent.
The Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of
shares of Common Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption
price of $.001 per Right.
No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued upon the exercise of
any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be
made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Common Stock or of any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or, to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until
the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been
exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right 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 _________________.
VICON INDUSTRIES, INC.
By: ________________________
Title: _______________________
Countersigned:
COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC
By: __________________________________
Title: _________________________________
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
----------------------------
(To be executed if holder desires
to exercise Right Certificate)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________________
Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates
for such shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: _________________, 20__
------------------------------
Signature
(Signature must conform in all
respects to name of holder as specified on the face of this Right Certificate)
Signature Guaranteed:
(Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate)
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
------------------
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificates.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _______________________________________ hereby
sells, assigns and transfers unto ------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within
Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of
substitution.
Dated: ______, 20__
------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature of the foregoing Assignment must correspond to the name as written
upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration
or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
Exhibit B
---------
VICON INDUSTRIES, INC.
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
COMMON STOCK
On November 14, 2001, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a
dividend distribution of one Common Stock Purchase Right (a "Right") for each
outstanding share of Common Stock of the Company. The Rights are to be
distributed as a dividend payable on December 21, 2001, to the stockholders of
record on that date. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and Computershare
Investor Services, LLC, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
In the event of the acquisition of 20% or more of the Company's outstanding
Common Stock by certain persons or the commencement of a tender offer for 20% or
more of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company one share of Common Stock at a
purchase price of $15 per share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment.
Under certain circumstances and with certain qualifications, the price will be
adjusted to equal fifty percent of the average market price of the Company's
Common Stock for the 30 consecutive trading days immediately prior to time of
the adjustment.
The Rights will be exercisable on or after the Distribution Date
(hereinafter defined) and until November 30, 2011, unless redeemed by the
Company.
The Distribution Date is the earlier to occur of (i) the 10th day after the
first date of public announcement of the acquisition or right to acquire by a
person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") of
beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding Common Stock or (ii) the
10th day after the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer for 20% or
more of the outstanding Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced solely by the certificates for the Common Stock together with
the Summary of Rights and will be transferred with and only with the Common
Stock.
Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock will
also constitute the transfer of Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the
Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights ("Rights
Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right
Certificates alone will thereafter evidence the Rights.
At any time prior to the earlier of the date any person or group of
affiliated or associated persons has acquired beneficial ownership of 50% or
more of the outstanding Common Stock or November 30, 2011, the Company may
redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right.
Until a Right is exercised, a Right, as such, does not provide the holder
with any rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of share of Common Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the Common
Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Common Stock of certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Common Stock or (iii) upon other distribution to
holders of the Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding
cash dividends.)
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional shares will be issued and in lieu thereof, an
adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Common Stock on
the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
As of November 30, 2001, there were 4,656,983 shares of Common Stock
outstanding and 308,760 shares reserved for issuance pursuant to rights under
the Company's stock option plans. Each outstanding share of Common Stock on
December 21, 2001 will receive one Right.
The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person who attempts to acquire the Company without
conditioning his offer on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. The
Rights will also adversely affect a person who desires to obtain control of the
Company without acquiring 100% ownership. The Rights will not affect a
transaction approved by the Company prior to the existence of a 50% stockholder
because, to the extent the Rights have not yet been exercised, the Rights can be
redeemed before the consummation of such transaction.
