SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (as amended from time to time, this
"Agreement"), dated as of August 9, 2000, between THE PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP
INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), and FIRST UNION
NATIONAL BANK, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent", which term shall include any
successor Rights Agent hereunder).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has (a) authorized and
declared a dividend of one right ("Right") in respect of each share of Common
Stock (as hereinafter defined) held of record as of the close of business on
August 14, 2000 (the "Record Time") and (b) authorized the issuance of one Right
in respect of each share of Common Stock issued after the Record Time and prior
to the Separation Time (as hereinafter defined) and, to the extent provided in
Section 5.3, each share of Common Stock issued after the Separation Time;
WHEREAS, subject to the terms hereof each Right entitles the holder
thereof, after the Separation Time, to purchase securities of the Company (or,
in certain cases, of certain other entities) pursuant to the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to appoint the Rights Agent to act on behalf
of the Company, and the Rights Agent is willing so to act, in connection with
the issuance, transfer, exchange and replacement of Rights Certificates (as
hereinafter defined), the exercise of Rights and other matters referred to
herein;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the respective
agreements set forth herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:
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ARTICLE I
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
1.1 Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following
terms have the meanings indicated:
"Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who is a Beneficial Owner of 15%
or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock; provided, however, that the
term "Acquiring Person" shall not include any Person (i) who shall become the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock solely
as a result of an acquisition by the Company of shares of Common Stock, until
such time thereafter as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner (other
than by means of a stock dividend or stock split) of any additional shares of
Common Stock, (ii) who is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock but who acquired Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common
Stock without any plan or intention to seek or affect control of the Company, if
such Person promptly enters into an irrevocable commitment promptly to divest,
and thereafter promptly divests (without exercising or retaining any power,
including voting, with respect to such shares), sufficient shares of Common
Stock (or securities convertible into, exchangeable into or exercisable for
Common Stock) so that such Person ceases to be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (iii) who is the Beneficial
Owner of shares of Common Stock consisting solely of shares of Common Stock, the
Beneficial Ownership of which was acquired by such Person pursuant to any action
or transaction or series of related actions or transactions approved by the
Company's Board of Directors before such person otherwise became an Acquiring
Person or (iv) who is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock on the date hereof and does not thereafter acquire
Beneficial Ownership of additional shares of Common Stock that in the aggregate
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exceed 2% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. In addition, the Company,
any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company and any employee stock ownership or
other employee benefit plan of the Company or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the
Company shall not be an Acquiring Person. Any applicable determination made by
the Company's Board of Directors under the preceding clause (iii) shall be
subject to Sections 5.1(c) and 5.4 hereof.
"Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings ascribed to
such terms in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended
(the "Securities Exchange Act"), as such Rule is in effect on the date of this
Agreement.
A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner", and have "Beneficial
Ownership" of, and to "Beneficially Own", any securities as to which such Person
or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates is or may be deemed to be the
beneficial owner pursuant to Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange
Act as such Rules are in effect on the date of this Agreement as well as any
securities as to which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has the right to become the Beneficial Owner (whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or the occurrence of
conditions) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the
exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights),
warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the "Beneficial Owner", or to have "Beneficial Ownership" of, or to
"Beneficially Own", any security (i) solely because such security has been
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered security is accepted
for payment or exchange or (ii) solely because such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates has or shares the power to vote or direct the
voting of such security pursuant to a revocable proxy given in response to a
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public proxy or consent solicitation made to more than ten holders of shares of
a class of stock of the Company registered under Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act and pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and
regulations under the Securities Exchange Act, except if such power (or the
arrangements relating thereto) is then reportable under Schedule 13D under the
Securities Exchange Act (or any similar provision of a comparable or successor
report). For purposes of this Agreement, in determining the percentage of
outstanding shares of Common Stock with respect to which a Person is the
Beneficial Owner, all shares as to which such Person is deemed the Beneficial
Owner shall be deemed outstanding. Notwithstanding anything in this paragraph to
the contrary, a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"Beneficially Own", any security beneficially owned by another Person solely by
reason of an agreement, arrangement or understanding with such other Person for
the purposes of: (x) soliciting the Company's stockholders for the election of
director nominees or any other stockholder resolution, the formation of and
membership on any committee for the purpose of promoting or opposing any
stockholder resolution or for electing a slate of nominees to the Board, service
on such a slate of nominees, or agreement to serve on a slate of director
nominees, provided that such other Person retains the right at any time to
withdraw as a nominee or member of any such committee, and to withhold or revoke
any vote or proxy for or against any such stockholder resolution or for such
slate of nominees; (y) entering into revocable voting agreements or the granting
or solicitation of revocable proxies with respect to any of the matters
described in the foregoing clause (x); or (z) the sharing of expenses and the
indemnification against expenses and liabilities by any such other Person with
respect to expenses incurred or conduct occurring during the time such other
Person is a nominee or a member of any such committee described in the foregoing
clause (x). Further, notwithstanding anything in this paragraph to the contrary,
a Person engaged in the business of underwriting securities shall not be deemed
to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "Beneficially Own," any securities
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acquired in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of
forty days after the date of such acquisition.
"Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on
which banking institutions in the State of Georgia are generally authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
"Close of business" on any given date shall mean the time on such date (or,
if such date is not a Business Day, the time on the next succeeding Business
Day) at which the office of the transfer agent for the Common Stock (or, after
the Separation Time, the office of the Rights Agent) is closed to the public.
"Common Stock" shall mean the shares of common stock, no par value, of the
Company.
"Continuing Director" shall mean any member of the Company's Board of
Directors while such person is a member of the Board who is not an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or an Associate of an Acquiring Person or a
representative or nominee of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or
Associate, and who either (i) is a member of the Company's Board of Directors on
the date hereof or (ii) subsequently becomes a member of the Board, and whose
nomination for election or election to the Board was recommended or approved by
a majority of the Continuing Directors then on the Board.
"Exchange Time" shall mean the time at which the right to exercise the
Rights shall terminate pursuant to Section 3.1(c) hereof.
"Exercise Price" shall mean, as of any date, the price at which a holder
may purchase the securities issuable upon the exercise of one whole Right. Until
adjustment thereof in accordance with the terms hereof the Exercise Price shall
equal $100.
"Expiration Time" shall mean the earliest of (i) the Exchange Time, (ii)
the Redemption Time, (iii) the close of business on the tenth-year anniversary
of the Record Time and (iv) upon the merger of the Company into another
corporation pursuant to an agreement entered into when there is no Acquiring
Person unless such transaction would constitute a Flip-over Transaction or
Event.
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"Flip-in Date" shall mean any Stock Acquisition Date which is not the
result of a Flip-over Transaction or Event.
"Flip-over Entity", for purposes of Section 3.2, shall mean (i) in the case
of a Flip-over Transaction or Event described in clause (i) of the definition
thereof, the Person issuing any securities into which shares of Common Stock are
being converted or exchanged and, if no such securities are being issued, the
other party to such Flip-over Transaction or Event and (ii) in the case of a
Flip-over Transaction or Event referred to in clause (ii) of the definition
thereof, the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning
power being transferred in such Flip-over Transaction or Event, provided in all
cases that if such Person is a subsidiary of a corporation, the parent
corporation shall be the Flip-over Entity.
"Flip-over Stock" shall mean the capital stock (or similar equity interest)
with the greatest voting power in respect of the election of directors (or other
persons similarly responsible for direction of the business and affairs) of the
Flip-over Entity.
"Flip-over Transaction or Event" shall mean a transaction or series of
transactions in which, directly or indirectly, (i) the Company shall consolidate
or merge or participate in a share exchange with any other Person (other than
the Company or one or more of its wholly owned Subsidiaries) if, at the time of
the consolidation, merger or share exchange or at the time the Company enters
into any agreement with respect to any such consolidation, merger or share
exchange, such other Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof) controls the
Board of Directors of the Company and any term of or arrangement concerning the
treatment of shares of capital stock in such consolidation, merger or share
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exchange relating to such other Person is not identical to the terms and
arrangements relating to other holders of the Common Stock or (ii) the Company
shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell
or otherwise transfer) assets (A) aggregating more than 50% of the assets
(measured by either book value or fair market value) or (B) generating more than
50% of the operating income or cash flow of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any Person (other than the Company or one or more of its
wholly owned Subsidiaries) or to two or more such Persons which are Affiliates
or Associates or otherwise acting in concert if, at the time of the entry by the
Company (or any such Subsidiary) into an agreement with respect to such sale or
transfer or assets, such other Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof)
controls the Board of Directors of the Company.
"Market Price" per share of any securities on any date shall mean the
average of the daily closing prices per share of such securities (determined as
described below) on each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days through and
including the Trading Day immediately preceding such date; provided, however,
that if an event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section
2.4 hereof shall have caused the closing prices used to determine the Market
Price on any Trading Days during such period of 20 Trading Days not to be fully
comparable with the closing price on such date, each such closing price so used
shall be appropriately adjusted in order to make it fully comparable with the
closing price on such date. The closing price per share of any securities on any
date shall be the last reported sale price, regular way, or, in case no such
sale takes place or is quoted on such date, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices, regular way, for each share of such securities, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market or, if
the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market,
as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
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respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange or
quotation system which the securities are listed or admitted to trading or, if
the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the securities selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, that if on any such date
the securities are not listed or admitted to trading on a national securities
exchange or traded in the over-the-counter market, the closing price per share
of such securities on such date shall mean the fair value per share of
securities on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of
the Company, after consultation with a nationally recognized investment banking
firm and set forth in a certificate delivered to the Rights Agent. If the
Preferred Stock is not publicly held and listed or traded in a manner set forth
in this paragraph, the "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 or
capitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of
this Agreement) multiplied by the Market Price per share of Common Stock
determined as provided in this paragraph.
"Person" shall mean any individual, partnership, association, group (as
such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act, as such Rule
is in effect on the date of this Agreement), corporation or other entity.
"Preferred Stock" shall mean the series of Participating Preferred Stock,
no par value, of the Company created by the Articles of Amendment in
substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
"Redemption Price" shall mean an amount equal to one-tenth of one cent
($0.001).
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"Redemption Time" shall mean the time at which the right to exercise the
Rights shall terminate pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof.
"Separation Time" shall mean the close of business on the earlier of (i)
the tenth business day (or such later date as the Board of Directors of the
Company may from time to time fix by resolution adopted prior to the Separation
Time that would otherwise have occurred) after the date on which any Person
commences a tender or exchange offer which, if consummated, would result in such
Person's becoming an Acquiring Person and (ii) the Flip-in Date; provided, that
if the foregoing results in the Separation Time being prior to the Record Time,
the Separation Time shall be the Record Time and provided further, that if any
tender or exchange offer referred to in clause (i) of this paragraph is
canceled, terminated or otherwise withdrawn prior to the Separation Time without
the purchase of any shares of Common Stock pursuant thereto, such offer shall be
deemed, for purposes of this paragraph, never to have been made.
"Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public announcement
by the Company (by any means) that an Acquiring Person has become such.
"Subsidiary" of any specified Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which a majority of the voting power of the equity securities or a
majority of the equity interest is Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly,
by such Person.
"Trading Day", when used with respect to any securities, shall mean a day
on which The Nasdaq Stock Market is open for the transaction of business or, if
such securities are not listed or admitted to trading on The Nasdaq Stock
Market, a day on which the principal national securities exchange or quotation
system on which such securities are listed or admitted to trading, is open for
the transaction of business or, if such securities are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange or quotation system, a Business Day.
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"Transaction" shall mean any merger, consolidation, share exchange or sale
of assets as a result of which all of the holders of the Common Stock
immediately prior to the transaction do not hold in the same proportion all of
the voting power of the corporation surviving the transaction, or the Company
shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its subsidiaries
shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions assets
aggregating more than 50% of the assets (measured by either book value or fair
market value) or generating more than 50% of the operating income or cash flow
of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any person (other than
the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned subsidiaries).
ARTICLE II
THE RIGHTS
2.1 Summary of Rights. As soon as practicable after the Record Time, the
Company will mail a letter summarizing the terms of the Rights to each holder of
record of Common Stock as of the Record Time, at such holder's address as shown
by the records of the Company.
2.2 Legend on Common Stock Certificates. Certificates for the Common Stock
issued after the Record Time but prior to the Separation Time shall evidence one
Right for each share of Common Stock represented thereby and shall have
impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following
legend:
Until the Separation Time (as defined in the Rights Agreement referred to
below), this certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of August 9,
2000 (as such may be amended from time to time, the "Rights Agreement"),
between The Profit Recovery Group International, Inc. (the "Company") and
First Union National Bank, as Rights Agent, the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal executive offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as
set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights may be redeemed, may be
exchanged for shares of Common Stock or other securities or assets of the
Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, may expire, may become void (if
they are "Beneficially Owned" by an "Acquiring Person" or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof, as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement, or by
any transferee of any of the foregoing) or may be evidenced by separate
certificates and may no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail or arrange for the mailing of a copy of the Rights
Agreement to the holder of this certificate without charge within five days
after the receipt of a written request therefor.
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Certificates representing shares of Common Stock that are issued and outstanding
at the Record Time shall evidence one Right for each share of Common Stock
evidenced thereby notwithstanding the absence of the foregoing legend.
2.3 Exercise of Rights; Separation of Rights. (a) Subject to Sections 3.1,
5.1 and 5.10 and subject to adjustment as herein set forth, each Right will
entitle the holder thereof, after the Separation Time and prior to the
Expiration Time, to purchase, for the Exercise Price, one one-hundredth (1/100)
of a share of Preferred Stock.
(b) Prior to the Separation Time, (i) no Right may be exercised and (ii)
each Right will be evidenced by the certificate for the associated share of
Common Stock (together, in the case of certificates issued prior to the Record
Time, with the letter mailed to the record holder thereof pursuant to Section
2.1) and will be transferable only together with, and will be transferred by a
transfer (whether with or without such letter) of, such associated share.
(c) Subject to the terms hereof, after the Separation Time and prior to the
Expiration Time, the Rights (i) may be exercised and (ii) may be transferred
independent of shares of Common Stock. Promptly after the Company has notified
the Rights Agent of the occurrence of the Separation Time, the Rights Agent will
mail to each holder of record of Common Stock as of the Separation Time (other
than any Persons with respect to whom the Rights Agent has been notified that
their Rights have become void pursuant to Section 3.1(b)), at such holder's
address as shown by the records of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing to
furnish copies of such records to the Rights Agent for this purpose), (x) a
certificate (a "Rights Certificate") in substantially the form of Exhibit A
hereto appropriately completed, representing the number of Rights held by such
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holder at the Separation Time and having 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 law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any national
securities exchange or quotation system on which the Rights may from time to
time be listed or traded, or to conform to usage, and (y) a disclosure statement
describing the Rights.
(d) Subject to the terms hereof, Rights may be exercised on any Business
Day after the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time by submitting to
the Rights Agent the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights with an Election
to Exercise (an "Election to Exercise") substantially in the form attached to
the Rights Certificate duly completed, accompanied by payment in cash, or by
certified or official bank check or money order payable to the order of the
Company, a sum equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Rights
being exercised and a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or charge which
may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery
of Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for shares or
depository receipts (or both) in a name other than that of the holder of the
Rights being exercised.
(e) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate, with an Election to Exercise
accompanied by payment as set forth in Section 2.3(d), and subject to the terms
hereof, the Rights Agent will thereupon promptly (i)(A) requisition from a
transfer agent stock certificates evidencing such number of shares or other
securities to be purchased (the Company hereby irrevocably agrees that it will
authorize its transfer agents to comply with all such requisitions) and (B) if
the Company elects pursuant to Section 5.5 not to issue certificates
representing fractional shares, requisition from the depository selected by the
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Company depository receipts representing the fractional shares to be purchased
or requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of
fractional shares in accordance with Section 5.5 and (ii) after receipt of such
certificates, depository receipts and/or cash, deliver the same to or upon the
order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered (in the
case of certificates or depository receipts) in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder.
(f) In case the holder of any Rights shall exercise less than all the
Rights evidenced by such holder's Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised will be issued by the Rights Agent
to such holder or to such holder's duly authorized assigns.
(g) The Company covenants and agrees that it will (i) take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all shares delivered upon exercise of Rights
shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to
payment of the Exercise Price), be duly and validly authorized, executed, issued
and delivered and fully paid and nonassessable; (ii) take all such action as may
be necessary to comply with any applicable requirements of the Securities Act of
1933 and the Securities Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder,
and any other applicable law, rule or regulation, in connection with the
issuance of any shares upon exercise of Rights; and (iii) pay when due and
payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be
payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights
Certificates or of any shares issued upon the exercise of Rights, provided that
the Company shall not be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be
payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of
Rights Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for shares in a
name other than that of the holder of the Rights being transferred or exercised.
2.4 Adjustments to Exercise Price; Number of Rights. (a) In the event the
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Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior to the Separation Time
(i) declare or pay a dividend on Common Stock payable in Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock in to a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, (x) the Exercise Price
in effect after such adjustment will be equal to the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment divided by the number of shares of Common
Stock (the "Expansion Factor") that a holder of one share of Common Stock
immediately prior to such dividend, subdivision or combination would hold
thereafter as a result thereof and (y) each Right held prior to such adjustment
will become that number of Rights equal to the Expansion Factor, and the
adjusted number of Rights will be deemed to be distributed among the shares of
Common Stock with respect to which the original Rights were associated (if they
remain outstanding) and the share issued in respect of such dividend,
subdivision or combination, so that each such share of Common Stock will have
exactly one Right associated with it. Each adjustment made pursuant to this
paragraph shall be made as of the payment or effective date for the applicable
dividend, subdivision or combination.
In the event the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and prior
to the Separation Time issue any shares of Common Stock otherwise than in a
transaction referred to in the preceding paragraph, each such share of Common
Stock so issued shall automatically have one new Right associated with it, which
Right shall be evidenced by the certificate representing such share. To the
extent provided in Section 5.3, Rights shall be issued by the Company in respect
of shares of Common Stock that are issued or sold by the Company after the
Separation Time.
(b) In the event the Company shall at any time after the Record Time and
prior to the Separation Time issue or distribute any securities or assets in
respect of, in lieu of or in exchange for Common Stock (other than pursuant to a
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regular periodic cash dividend or a dividend paid solely in Common Stock)
whether by a dividend, in a reclassification or recapitalization (including any
such transaction involving a merger, consolidation or share exchange), or
otherwise, the Company shall make such adjustments, if any, in the Exercise
Price, number of Rights and/or securities or other property purchasable upon
exercise of Rights as the Board of Directors of the Company, in its sole
discretion, may deem to be appropriate under the circumstances in order to
adequately protect the interests of the holders of Rights generally, and the
Company and the Rights Agent shall amend this Agreement as necessary to provide
for such adjustments.
(c) Each adjustment to the Exercise Price made pursuant to this Section 2.4
shall be calculated to the nearest cent. Whenever an adjustment to the Exercise
Price is made pursuant to this Section 2.4, the Company shall (i) promptly
prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the
facts accounting for such adjustment, (ii) promptly file with the Rights Agent
and with each transfer account for the Common Stock a copy of such certificate
and (iii) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of Rights. The Rights
Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such
adjustment unless and until it shall have received such a certificate.
(d) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the securities purchasable
upon exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the securities so purchasable which were
expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
2.5 Date on Which Exercise is Effective. Each person in whose name any
certificate for shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all
purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares 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
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Exercise Price for such Rights (and any applicable taxes and other governmental
charges payable by the exercising holder hereunder) was made; provided, however
that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the 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 stock transfer books of the
Company are open.
2.6 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its
Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating
Officer, Vice Chairman of the Board, or Executive Vice President, under its
corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its Secretary or one of its
Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Rights
Certificates may be manual or facsimile.
Rights Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of
individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind
the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to
hold such offices prior to the countersignature and delivery of such Rights
Certificates.
Promptly after the Company learns of the Separation Time, the Company will
notify the Rights Agent of such Separation Time and will deliver Rights
Certificates executed by the Company to the Rights Agent for countersignature,
and, subject to Section 3.1(b), the Rights Agent shall manually countersign and
deliver such Rights Certificates to the holders of the Rights pursuant to
Section 2.3(c) hereof. No Rights Certificate shall be valid for any purpose
unless manually countersigned by the Rights Agent.
2.7 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange. (a) After the
Separation Time, the Company will cause to be kept a register (the "Rights
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Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe,
the Company will provide for the registration and transfer of Rights. The Rights
Agent is hereby appointed "Rights Registrar" for the purpose of maintaining the
Rights Register for the Company and registering Rights and transfers of Rights
after the Separation Time as herein provided. In the event that the Rights Agent
shall cease to be the Rights Registrar, the Rights Agent will have the right to
examine the Rights Register at all reasonable times after the Separation Time.
After the Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time, upon surrender
for registration of transfer or exchange of any Rights Certificate, and subject
to the provisions of Section 2.7(c) and (d), the Company will execute, and the
Rights Agent will countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the
designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder's
instructions, one or more new Rights Certificates evidencing the same aggregate
number of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so surrendered.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 3.1(b), all Rights issued upon
any registration of transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates shall be the
valid obligations of the Company, and such Rights shall be entitled to the same
benefits under this Agreement as the Rights surrendered upon such registration
of transfer or exchange.
(c) Every Rights Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or
exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of
transfer in form satisfactory to the Company or the Rights Agent, as the case
may be, duly executed by the holder thereof or such holder's attorney duly
authorized in writing. As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights
Certificate under this Section 2.7, the Company may require the payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in
relation thereto.
(d) The Company shall not be required to register the transfer or exchange
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of any Rights after such Rights have become void under Section 3.1(b), been
exchanged under Section 3.1(c) or been redeemed or terminated under Section 5.1.
2.8 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Rights Certificates. (a) If any
mutilated Rights Certificate is surrendered to the Rights Agent prior to the
Expiration Time, then, subject to Sections 3.1(b) and 5.1, the Company shall
execute and the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor
a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number of Rights as did the Rights
Certificate so surrendered.
(b) If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Rights Agent prior
to the Expiration Time (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction,
loss or theft of any Rights Certificate and (ii) such security or indemnity as
may be required by them to save each of them and any of their agents harmless,
then, subject to Sections 3.1(b) and 5.1 and in the absence of notice to the
Company or the Rights Agent that such Rights Certificate has been acquired by a
bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Rights
Agent shall countersign and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or
stolen Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the same number
of Rights as did the Rights Certificate so destroyed, lost or stolen.
(c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Rights Certificate under this
Section 2.8, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and
any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Rights Agent)
connected therewith.
(d) Every new Rights Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 2.8 in
lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall evidence an
original additional contractual obligation of the Company whether or not the
destroyed, lost or stolen Rights Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by
anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Agreement equally and
proportionately with any and all other Rights duly issued hereunder.
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2.9 Persons Deemed Owners. Prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate
(or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Stock certificate) for
registration or transfer, the Company, the Rights Agent and any agent of the
Company or the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Separation Time, such Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby for all purposes whatsoever, including the payment of the
Redemption Price and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected
by any notice to the contrary. As used in this Agreement, unless the context
otherwise requires, the term "holder" of any Rights shall mean the registered
holder of such Rights (or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated shares
of Common Stock).
2.10 Delivery and Cancellation of Certificates. All Rights Certificates
surrendered upon exercise or for registration of transfer or exchange shall, if
surrendered to any person other than the Rights Agent, be delivered to the
Rights Agent and, in any case, shall be promptly canceled by the Rights Agent.
The Company may at any time deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation of any
Rights Certificates previously countersigned and delivered hereunder which the
Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Rights Certificates
so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Rights Agent. No Rights
Certificates shall be countersigned in lieu of or in exchange for any Rights
Certificates canceled as provided in this Section 2.10, except as expressly
permitted by this Agreement. The Rights Agent shall destroy all canceled Rights
Certificates and deliver a Certificate of destruction to the Company.
2.11 Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of Rights by accepting the
same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every
other holder of Rights that:
(a) prior to the Separation Time, each Right will be transferable only
together with, and will be transferred by a transfer of, the associated share of
Common Stock;
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(b) after the Separation Time, the Rights Certificates will be transferable
only on the Rights Register as provided herein;
(c) prior to due presentment of a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Separation Time, the associated Common Stock certificate) for registration of
transfer, the Company, the Rights Agent and any agent of the Company or the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate
(or, prior to the Separation Time, the associated Common Stock certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary;
(d) Rights beneficially owned by certain Persons will, under the
circumstances set forth in Section 3.1(b), become void;
(e) this Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time
pursuant to Section 2.4(b) or 5.4 hereof; and
(f) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall have liability to any holder of a Right or
any 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 have used its best efforts to
have any such order, decree, or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as
promptly as practicable.
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ARTICLE III
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RIGHTS
IN THE EVENT OF CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
3.1 Flip-in. (a) In the event that prior to the Expiration Time a Flip-in
Date shall occur, the Company shall take such action as shall be necessary to
ensure and provide that, except as provided in this Section 3.1, each Right
shall constitute the right to purchase from the Company, upon exercise thereof
in accordance with the terms hereof (but subject to Section 5.10), that number
of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Market Price on the Stock
Acquisition Date equal to twice the Exercise Price for an amount in cash equal
to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately adjusted in order to
protect the interests of the holders of Rights generally in the event that on or
after such Stock Acquisition Date an event of a type analogous to any of the
events described in Section 2.4(a) or (b) shall have occurred with respect to
the Common Stock).
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Rights that are or were Beneficially
Owned on or after the Stock Acquisition Date by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof or by any transferee, direct or indirect, of any
of the foregoing shall become void and any holder of such Rights (including
transferees) shall thereafter have no right to exercise or transfer such Rights
under any provision of this Agreement. If any Rights Certificate is presented
for assignment or exercise and the Person presenting the same will not complete
the certification set forth at the end of the form of assignment or notice of
election to exercise and to provide such additional evidence of the identity of
the Beneficial Owner and its Affiliates and Associates (or former Beneficial
Owners and their Affiliates and Associates) as the Company shall reasonably
request, then the Company shall be entitled conclusively to deem the Beneficial
Owner thereof to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or
a transferee of any of the foregoing and accordingly will deem the Rights
evidenced thereby to be void and not transferable or exercisable.
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(c) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time
after a Flip-in Date and prior to the time that an Acquiring Person becomes the
Beneficial Owner of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock,
elect to exchange all (but not less than all) the then outstanding Rights (which
shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 3.1(b)) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of
Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted in order to protect the interests
of holders of Rights generally in the event that after the Separation Time an
event of a type analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.4(a) or
(b) shall have occurred with respect to the Common Stock (such exchange ratio,
as adjusted from time to time, being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange
Ratio").
Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
electing to exchange the Rights, without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and each Right (other
than Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 3.1(b)) will thereafter
represent only the right to receive a number of shares of Common Stock equal to
the Exchange Ratio. Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors electing
to exchange the Rights, the Company shall give notice thereof (specifying the
steps to be taken to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange for Rights) to
the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights (other than Rights that have
become void pursuant to Section 3.1(b)) outstanding immediately prior thereto by
mailing such notice in accordance with Section 5.9.
Each person in whose name any certificate for shares is issued upon the
exchange of Rights pursuant to this Section 3.1(c) shall for all purposes be
deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares 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 any applicable taxes
and other governmental charges payable by the holder was made; provided,
however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
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 stock transfer books of the
Company are open.
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(d) Whenever the Company shall become obligated under Section 3.1(a) or (c)
to issue shares of Common Stock upon exercise of or in exchange for Rights, the
Company, at its option, may substitute therefor shares of Preferred Stock, at a
ratio of one one-hundredth (1/100) of a share of Preferred Stock for each share
of Common Stock so issuable.
(e) In the event that there shall not be sufficient treasury shares or
authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock of the Company
to permit the exercise or exchange in full of the Rights in accordance with
Section 3.1(a) or (c), the Company shall either (i) call a meeting of
shareholders seeking approval to cause sufficient additional shares to be
authorized (provided that if such approval is not obtained, the Company will
take the action specified in clause (ii) of this sentence) or (ii) take such
action as shall be necessary to ensure and provide, to the extent permitted by
applicable law and any agreements or instruments in effect on the Stock
Acquisition Date to which it is a party, that each Right shall thereafter
constitute the right to receive, (x) at the Company's option, either (A) in
return for the Exercise Price, debt or equity securities or other assets (or a
combination thereof) having a fair value equal to twice the Exercise Price, or
(B) without payment of consideration (except as otherwise required by applicable
law), debt or equity securities or other assets (or a combination thereof)
having a fair value equal to the Exercise Price, or (y) if the Board of
Directors of the Company elects to exchange the Rights in accordance with
Section 3.1(c), debt or equity securities or other assets (or a combination
thereof) having a fair value equal to the product of the Market Price of a share
of Common Stock on the Flip-in Date times the Exchange Ratio in effect on the
Flip-in Date, where in any case set forth in (x) or (y) above the fair value of
such debt or equity securities or other assets shall be as determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, after consultation with a
nationally recognized investment banking firm.
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3.2 Flip-over. (a) Prior to the Expiration Time, the Company shall not
enter into any agreement with respect to, consummate or permit to occur any
Flip-over Transaction or Event unless and until it shall have entered into a
supplemental agreement with the Flip-over Entity, for the benefit of the holders
of the Rights, providing that, upon consummation or occurrence of the Flip-over
Transaction or Event (i) each Right shall thereafter constitute the right to
purchase from the Flip-over Entity, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the
terms hereof, that number of shares of Flip-over Stock of the Flip-over Entity
having an aggregate Market Price on the date of consummation or occurrence of
such Flip-over Transaction or Event equal to twice the Exercise Price for an
amount in cash equal to the Exercise Price (such right to be appropriately
adjusted in order to protect the interests of the holders of Rights generally in
the event that after such date of consummation or occurrence an event of a type
analogous to any of the events described in Section 2.4(a) or (b) shall have
occurred with respect to the Flip-over Stock) and (ii) the Flip-over Entity
shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Flip-over
Transaction or Event and such supplemental agreement, all the obligations and
duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement. The provisions of this Section
3.2 shall apply to successive Flip-over Transaction or Events.
(b) Prior to the Expiration Time, unless the Rights will be redeemed
pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof in connection therewith, the Company shall not
enter into any agreement with respect to, consummate or permit to occur any
Flip-over Transaction or Event if at the time thereof there are any rights,
warrants or securities outstanding or any other arrangements, agreements or
instruments that would eliminate or otherwise diminish in any material respect
the benefits intended to be afforded by this Rights Agreement to the holders of
Rights upon consummation of such transaction.
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ARTICLE IV
THE RIGHTS AGENT
4.1 General. (a) The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as
agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and
the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company 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, its officers,
employees, agents and directors for, and to hold each of them harmless against,
any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent for anything done or omitted
to be done by the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party in connection
with the acceptance or administration of this Agreement or the exercise or
performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability. The indemnity provided in this Section
shall survive the expiration of the Rights, the resignation or removal of the
Rights Agent and termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected by the Company and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Agreement or the exercise or
performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any certificate for
securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights, Rights Certificate, certificate
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 persons or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set
forth in Section 4.3(a).
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Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event
shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or
damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even
if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage
and regardless of the form of the action.
4.2 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 is a party, or any corporation succeeding to the shareholder services
business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, will 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 4.4 hereof. In case at the time
such successor Rights Agent succeeds to the agency created by this Agreement any
of the Rights Certificates have been countersigned but not delivered, any such
successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights
Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that
time any of the Rights Certificates have not been countersigned, any successor
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the
predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in
the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
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(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent is 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.
4.3 Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and
obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties or
obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent) upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
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 written advice or opinion of such counsel will
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 advice
or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent deems it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including,
without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person, Affiliate, Associate,
Beneficial Owner and the determination of 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 a person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman
of the Board, the President, 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 will 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.
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(c) The Rights Agent will be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent will not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
certificates for securities purchasable upon exercise of Rights or the Rights
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and will be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent is serving as an administrative agent and,
accordingly, will not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of
any provision of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the
due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any certificate for securities
purchasable upon exercise of Rights or Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereto); nor will it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any
Rights Certificate; nor will it be responsible for any change in the
exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to
Section 3.1(b) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights required
herein 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 after receipt of the
certificate contemplated by Section 2.4 describing any such adjustment); nor
will it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as
to the authorization or reservation of any securities purchasable upon exercise
of Rights or any Rights or as to whether any securities purchasable upon
exercise of Rights will, when issued, be duly and validly authorized, executed,
issued and delivered and fully paid and nonassessable.
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(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
person believed by the Rights Agent to be the Chairman of the Board, the
President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such
persons for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall
not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such person.
Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the
Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action
proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the
date on or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be
effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or
omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such
application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall
not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the Company
expressly referenced above actually receives such application, unless any such
officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to
taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the
Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such
application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
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(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of
the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in Common Stock, 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 will 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 the Rights Agent was not grossly negligent 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 assured to it.
4.4 Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent may resign and be discharged
from its duties under this Agreement upon 60 days' notice (or such lesser notice
as is acceptable to the Company) in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the
holders of the Rights in accordance with Section 5.9. The Company may remove the
Rights Agent upon 30 days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent and to
each transfer agent of the Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to
the holders of the Rights in accordance with Section 5.9. If the Rights Agent
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should resign or be removed or otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company
will appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company fails to make such
appointment within a period of 30 days after 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 any Rights (which holder shall,
with such notice, submit such holder's Rights Certificate for inspection by the
Company), then the holder of any Rights 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 Georgia, in good standing, an office in the State of
New York or Georgia, which is authorized under such laws to exercise the powers
of the Rights Agent contemplated by this Agreement and is subject to supervision
or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent will 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 delivery
any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not
later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company will 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 holders
of the Rights. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 4.4,
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.
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ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Redemption. (a) The Company (upon approval of its Board of Directors)
may, at its option, at any time prior to the Flip-in Date, elect to redeem all
(but not less than all) of the then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price
and the Company, at its option, may pay the Redemption Price either in cash or
shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company deemed by the Board of
Directors, in the exercise of its sole discretion, to be at least equivalent in
value of the Redemption Price.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
electing to redeem the Rights (or, if the resolution of the Board of Directors
election to redeem the Rights states that the redemption will not be effective
until the occurrence of a specified future time or event, upon the occurrence of
such future time or event), without any further action and without any notice,
the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and each Right will thereafter
represent only the right to receive the Redemption Price in cash or securities,
as determined by the Board of Directors. Promptly after the Rights are redeemed,
the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the
holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice in accordance with
Section 5.9.
(c) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 5.1, in the event
that the Board of Directors of the Company includes any Persons (or their
respective successors) elected at a meeting or by written consent of
shareholders who are not nominated by the Board of Directors in office
immediately prior to such meeting or action by written consent, then the Rights
may not be redeemed except with the approval of a majority of the Continuing
Directors then in office (and if there are no Continuing Directors remaining in
office, the Rights may not be redeemed).
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5.2 Expiration. The Rights and this Agreement shall expire at the
Expiration Time and no Person shall have any rights pursuant to this Agreement
or any Right after the Expiration Time, except, if the Rights are exchanged or
redeemed, as provided in Section 3.1(c), 3.1(d), 3.1(e), 3.2 or 5.1 hereof.
5.3 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 number or kind or class of shares of stock purchasable upon exercise of
Rights made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in
connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock by the Company
following the Separation Time and prior to the Redemption Time or Expiration
Time pursuant to the terms of securities convertible or redeemable into shares
of Common Stock or to options, in each case issued or granted prior to, and
outstanding at, the Separation Time, the Company shall issue to the holders of
such shares of Common Stock, Rights Certificates representing the appropriate
number of Rights in connection with the issuance or sale of such shares of
Common Stock; provided, however, in each case, (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 to the Person to whom such Rights
Certificates would be issued, (ii) no such Rights Certificates shall be issued
if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall have otherwise been
made in lieu of the issuance thereof, and (iii) the Company shall have no
obligation to distribute Rights Certificates to any Acquiring Person or
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of any of the
foregoing.
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5.4 Supplements and Amendments. The Company (upon approval of its Board of
Directors) and the Rights Agent may from time to time supplement or amend this
Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights (i) prior to the Flip-in
Date, in any respect and (ii) after the close of business on the Flip-in Date,
to make any changes that the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which
shall not materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights
generally or in order to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any
provision contained herein which may be inconsistent with any other provisions
herein or otherwise defective. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Company stating that the proposed supplement or
amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section, the Rights Agent
shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained
in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment that changes the
rights and duties of the Rights Agent under this Agreement shall be effective
without the consent of the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding anything contained in
this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Board of Directors
includes any Persons (or their respective successors) elected at a meeting or by
written consent of shareholders who are not nominated by the Board of Directors
in office immediately prior to such meeting or action by written consent, then
this Agreement shall not be amended or supplemented, and no approval may be
granted by the Board of Directors under clause (iii) of the definition of
"Acquiring Person" contained in Section 1.1 hereof except with the approval of a
majority of the Continuing Directors then in office (and if there are no
Continuing Directors remaining in office, such action may not be taken at all).
5.5 Fractional Shares. If the Company elects not to issue certificates
representing fractional shares upon exercise or redemption of Rights, the
Company shall, in lieu thereof, in the sole discretion of the Board of
Directors, either (a) evidence such fractional shares by depository receipts
issued pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depository
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selected by it, providing that each holder of a depository receipt shall have
all of the rights, privileges and preferences to which such holder would be
entitled as a beneficial owner of such fractional share, or (b) pay to the
registered holder of such Rights an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of
the Market Price of such share.
5.6 Rights of Action. Subject to the terms of this Agreement (including
Section 3.1(b)), rights of action in respect of this Agreement, other than
rights of action vested solely in the Rights Agent, are vested in the respective
holders of the Rights; and any holder of any Rights, without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights, may, on such holder's own
behalf and for such holder's own benefit and the benefit of other holders of
Rights, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder's
right to exercise such holder's Rights in the manner provided in such holder's
Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any
remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged
that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any
breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the
obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations
of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
5.7 Holder of Rights Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any
Rights shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose
the holder of shares or any other securities which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise of such Rights, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights, as
such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in Section 5.8 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights,
or otherwise, until such Rights shall have been exercised or exchanged in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
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5.8 Notice of Proposed Actions. In case the Company shall propose after the
Separation Time and prior to the Expiration Time (i) to effect or permit (in
cases where the Company's permission is required) occurrence of any Flip-in Date
or Flip-over Transaction or Event or (ii) 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 5.9 hereof, a notice of such
proposed action, which shall specify the Flip-in Date or the date on which such
Flip-over Transaction or Event, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to
take place, and such notice shall be so given to the extent practicable at least
20 Business Days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action.
5.9 Notices. Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights to or on the
Company shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
THE PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
2300 Windy Ridge Parkway
Suite 100 North
Atlanta, Georgia 30339-8426
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Any notice or demand authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights to or on the Rights Agent
shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first-class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company) as follows:
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FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
1525 West W.T. Harris Boulevard
3C3
Charlotte, North Carolina 28288-1153
Attention: Shareholder Services Group
Notices or demands authorized or required by this Agreement to be given or made
by the Company or the Rights Agent to or on the holder of any Rights shall be
sufficiently given or made if delivered or sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as it appears
upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Separation Time, 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.
5.10 Suspension of Exercisability. To the extent that the Company
determines in good faith that some action will or need be taken pursuant to
Section 3.1(a), (b), (d) or (e) or to comply with federal or state securities
laws, the Company may suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period of
up to ninety (90) days following the date of the occurrence of the Separation
Time or the Flip-in Date in order to take such action or comply with such laws.
In the event of any such suspension the Company shall issue as promptly as
practicable a public announcement stating that the exercisability or
exchangeability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended. Notice thereof
pursuant to Section 5.9 shall not be required.
Failure to give a notice pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement shall
not affect the validity of any action taken hereunder.
5.11 Costs of Enforcement. The Company agrees that if the Company or any
other Person, the securities of which are purchasable upon exercise of Rights,
fails to fulfill any of its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, then the
Company or such Person will reimburse the holder of any rights for the costs and
expenses (including legal fees) incurred by such holder in actions to enforce
such holder's rights pursuant to any Rights or this Agreement if such holder
prevails in such actions.
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5.12 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.
5.13 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
holders of the Rights any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this
Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Company, the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
5.14 Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. The Board of
Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to
administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in
the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right
and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement. All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations
(including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the
foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be
final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of
the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board of Directors of
the Company to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
5.15 Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings appear herein for
convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of
any of the provisions hereof.
5.16 Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND EACH RIGHT ISSUED HEREUNDER SHALL BE
DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA AND FOR ALL
PURPOSES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SUCH
STATE APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTS TO BE MADE AND PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH
STATE.
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5.17 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.
5.18 Severability. If any term or provision hereof or the application
thereof to any circumstance shall, in any jurisdiction and to any extent, be
invalid or unenforceable, such term or provision shall be ineffective as to such
jurisdiction to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability would
invalidate or rendering unenforceable the remaining terms and provisions hereof
or the application of such term or provision to circumstances other than those
as to which it is held invalid or unenforceable.
5.19 Interpretation. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms of
the text of this Agreement and the Summary which precedes such text, the text
shall control in the meaning of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the date first above written.
THE PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
By:______________________________________
Name:____________________________________
Title:___________________________________
FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK
By:______________________________________
Name:____________________________________
Title:___________________________________
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EXHIBIT A
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. W- ______ Rights
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION OR MANDATORY EXCHANGE, AT THE OPTION
OF THE COMPANY, ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. RIGHTS
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS OR AFFILIATES OR ASSOCIATES THEREOF
(AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR TRANSFEREES OF ANY
OF THE FOREGOING WILL BE VOID.
Rights Certificate
THE PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
This certifies that ______________ or registered assigns, is the registered
holder of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the
registered holder thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Shareholder Protection Rights Agreement, dated as of August 9, 2000 (as
amended from time to time, the "Rights Agreement"), between THE PROFIT RECOVERY
GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), and FIRST
UNION NATIONAL BANK as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent", which term shall
include any successor Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement), to purchase from
the Company at any time after the Separation Time (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement) and prior to the close of business on August 14, 2000, one
one-hundredth (1/100th) of a fully paid share of Participating Preferred Stock,
no par value (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Company (subject to adjustment as
provided in the Rights Agreement) at the Exercise Price referred to below, upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election
to Exercise duly executed at the principal office of the Rights Agent in
Charlotte, North Carolina. The Exercise Price shall initially be $100 per Right
and shall be subject to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
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In certain circumstances described in the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced hereby may entitle the registered holder thereof to purchase
securities of an entity other than the Company or securities or assets of the
Company other than Preferred Stock, all as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company and are
available without cost upon written request.
This Rights Certificates, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor
evidencing an aggregate number of Rights equal to the aggregate number of Rights
evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered. If this
Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the registered 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, each Right evidenced by
this Certificate may be (a) redeemed by the Company under certain circumstances,
at its option, at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, or (b) exchanged by
the Company under certain circumstances, at its option, for one share of Common
Stock or one one-hundredth (1/100th) of a share of Preferred Stock per Right
(or, in certain cases, other securities or assets of the Company), subject in
each case to adjustment in certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.
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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 any securities
which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything
contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the
holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereto or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised or exchanged 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.
Date: _________________________
The Profit Recovery Group
International, Inc.
ATTEST:
By: ________________________________
Name:_______________________________
_______________________________ Title: _____________________________
Secretary
Countersigned:
First Union National Bank
By: __________________________
Authorized Signature
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FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer this Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers
unto ______________________________ (Please print name and address of
transferee) this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest
therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated:____________, ____
Signature Guaranteed:
______________________________________
Signature
(Signature must correspond to name as
written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever)
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member form of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
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(To be completed if true)
The undersigned hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and
shares of Common Stock that the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are
not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially
Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associated thereof (as defined
in the Rights Agreement).
_______________________________________
Signature
NOTICE
In the event the certification set forth above is not completed in
connection with a purported assignment, the Company will deem the Beneficial
Owner of the Rights evidenced by the enclosed Rights Certificate to be an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) or a transferee of any of the foregoing and accordingly will deem the
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate to be void and not transferable or
exercisable.
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[To be attached to each Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ELECTION TO EXERCISE
(To be executed if holder desires
to exercise the Rights Certificate.)
TO: THE PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise whole Rights
represented by the attached Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of
Participating Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of:
_________________________________
Address:_________________________
_________________________________
Social Security or Other Taxpayer
Identification No:_______________
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:
Address:_________________________
_________________________________
Social Security or Other Taxpayer
Identification No:_______________
Dated: _________________, ____
Signature Guaranteed:
_________________________________
Signature
(Signature must correspond to name
as written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every particular,
without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever)
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or corespondent in
the United States
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(To be completed if true)
The undersigned hereby represents, for the benefit of all holders of Rights and
shares of Common Stock, that the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are
not, and, to the knowledge of the undersigned, have never been, Beneficially
Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in
the Rights Agreement).
______________________________________
Signature
NOTICE
In the event the certification set forth above is not completed in
connection with a purported assignment, the Company will deem the Beneficial
Owner of the Rights evidenced by the enclosed Rights Certificate to be an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) or a transferee of any of the foregoing and accordingly will deem the
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate to be void and not transferable or
exercisable.
