<PAGE>
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) SEPTEMBER 24, 1999
----------------------------
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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DELAWARE 0-28774 68-0070656
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer
of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
2320 MARINSHIP WAY, SUITE 300, SAUSALITO, CA 94965
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (415) 331-5281
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N/A
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(Former name and former address, if changed since last report.)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
This Report is filed pursuant to Item 5 to Form 8-K to report that Willis
Lease Finance Corporation has entered into a Rights Agreement with American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company in connection with the adoption by Willis Lease
Finance Corporation of a stockholder rights plan.
On September 14, 1999, the Board of Directors of Willis Lease Finance
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), authorized and declared a
dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (a "Right") for each share of
common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Shares").
The dividend is payable on October 12, 1999 (the "Record Date") to the holders
of record of outstanding Common Shares as of the close of business on such date.
The following is a brief description of the Rights. It is intended to
provide a general description only and is subject to the detailed terms and
conditions of the Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") dated as of
September 24, 1999 by and between Willis Lease Finance Corporation (the
"Company") and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent").
1. COMMON SHARE CERTIFICATES REPRESENTING RIGHTS
Until the Distribution Date (as defined in Section 2 below), (a) the Rights
shall not be exercisable, (b) the Rights shall be attached to and trade only
together with the Common Shares and (c) the stock certificates representing
Common Shares also shall represent the Rights attached to such Common Shares.
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date and prior to the
Distribution Date shall contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference.
2. DISTRIBUTION DATE
The "Distribution Date" is the earliest of (a) the tenth business day
following the date of the first public announcement that any person (other than
the Company or certain related entities, and with certain additional exceptions)
has become the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Voting
Shares (such person is a "15% Stockholder" and the date of such public
announcement is the "15% Ownership Date"), (b) the tenth business day (or such
later day as shall be designated by the Board of Directors) following the date
of the commencement of, or the announcement of an intention to make, a tender
offer or exchange offer, the consummation of which would cause any person to
become a 15% Stockholder or (c) the first date, on or after the 15% Ownership
Date, upon which the Company is acquired in a merger or other business
combination in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or in which
the outstanding Common Shares are changed into or exchanged for stock or assets
of another person, or upon which 50% or more of the Company's consolidated
assets or earning power are sold (other than in transactions in the ordinary
course of business). In calculating the percentage of outstanding Voting Shares
that are beneficially owned by any person, such person shall be deemed to
beneficially own any Voting Shares issuable upon the exercise, exchange or
conversion of any options, warrants or other securities beneficially owned by
such person; provided, however, that such Voting Shares issuable upon such
exercise shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of calculating the
percentage of Voting Shares that are beneficially owned by any other person.
Upon the close of business of the Distribution Date, the Rights shall
separate from the Common Shares, Right certificates shall be issued and the
Rights shall become exercisable to purchase Preferred Shares as described in
Section 5 below.
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No Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding
Voting Shares as of October 12, 1999 shall be deemed a 15% Stockholder unless or
until such Person shall acquire, without the prior approval of the Board of
Directors, Beneficial Ownership of an additional 1% of the Voting Shares then
outstanding and, following such acquisition, is the Beneficial Owner of more
than 15% of the Voting Shares then outstanding (Charles F. Willis, IV and his
affiliates and associates are exempt persons under the Rights Agreement). In
addition, any Person (a "Transferee") who purchases Voting Shares from such
Person shall not be deemed a 15% Stockholder if, after giving effect to such
acquisition, such Transferee holds no more than the sum of the Voting Shares so
acquired plus 1% of the Voting Shares then outstanding.
3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates representing only Rights shall be mailed to the holders of record
of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and such
separate Right certificates alone shall represent such Rights from and after the
Distribution Date.
4. EXPIRATION OF RIGHTS
The Rights shall expire on October 12, 2009 (the "Expiration Date"), unless
earlier redeemed or exchanged, unless the Distribution Date has previously
occurred and the Rights have separated from the Common Shares, in which case the
Rights will remain outstanding for ten years from the date they separate.
5. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS
Unless the Rights have expired or been redeemed or exchanged, they may be
exercised, at the option of the holders, pursuant to paragraphs (a), (b) or (c)
below. No Right may be exercised more than once or pursuant to more than one of
such paragraphs. From and after the first event of the type described in
paragraphs (b) or (c) below, each Right that is beneficially owned by a 15%
Stockholder or that was attached to a Common Share that is subject to an option
beneficially owned by a 15% Stockholder shall be void.
(a) RIGHT TO PURCHASE PREFERRED SHARES. From and after the close of
business on the Distribution Date, each Right (other than a Right that has
become void) shall be exercisable to purchase one one-hundredth (1/100) of a
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per
share, of the Company (the "Preferred Shares"), at an exercise price of $70.00
(Seventy Dollars) (the "Exercise Price"). Prior to the Distribution Date, the
Company may substitute for all or any portion of the Preferred Shares that would
otherwise be issuable upon exercise of the Rights, cash, assets or other
securities having the same aggregate value as such Preferred Shares. The
Preferred Shares are nonredeemable and, unless otherwise provided in connection
with the creation of a subsequent series of preferred stock, are subordinate to
any other series of the Company's preferred stock whether issued before or after
the issuance of the Preferred Shares. The Preferred Shares may not be issued
except upon exercise of Rights. The holder of a Preferred Share is entitled to
receive when, as and if declared, the greater of (i) cash and non-cash dividends
in an amount equal to 100 times the dividends declared on each Common Share or
(ii) a preferential annual dividend of $.01 per Preferred Share ($.0001 per one
one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share). In the event of liquidation, the
holders of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive a liquidation payment
in an amount equal to the greater of (1) $.01 per Preferred Share ($.0001 per
one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share), plus all accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions on the Preferred Shares, or (2) an amount equal to
100 times the aggregate
2
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amount to be distributed per Common Share. Each Preferred Share has one hundred
(100) votes per share (one vote per one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred
Share), voting together with the Common Shares. In the event of any merger,
consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged, the
holder of a Preferred Share shall be entitled to receive 100 times the amount
received per Common Share. The rights of the Preferred Shares as to dividends,
voting and liquidation preferences are protected by antidilution provisions. It
is anticipated that the value of one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share
should approximate the value of one Common Share.
(b) RIGHT TO PURCHASE COMMON SHARES OF THE COMPANY. From and after
the close of business on the tenth business day following the 15% Ownership
Date, each Right (other than a Right that has become void) shall be exercisable
to purchase, at the Exercise Price (initially $70.00), Common Shares with a
market value equal to two times the Exercise Price. If the Company does not have
sufficient Common Shares available for all Rights to be exercised, the Company
shall substitute for all or any portion of the Common Shares that would
otherwise be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, cash, assets or other
securities having the same aggregate value as such Common Shares.
(c) RIGHT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK OF A SUCCESSOR CORPORATION. If, on
or after the 15% Ownership Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or
other business combination in which the Company is not the surviving
corporation, (ii) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger or other
business combination in which all or part of the outstanding Common Shares are
changed into or exchanged for stock or assets of another person or (iii) 50% or
more of the Company's consolidated assets or earning power are sold (other than
in transactions in the ordinary course of business), then each Right (other than
a Right that has become void) shall thereafter be exercisable to purchase, at
the Exercise Price (initially $70.00), shares of common stock of the surviving
corporation or purchaser, respectively (the "Surviving Person"), with an
aggregate market value equal to two times the Exercise Price.
6. ADJUSTMENTS TO PREVENT DILUTION
The Exercise Price, the number of outstanding Rights and the number of
Preferred Shares or Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in the Rights Agreement in
order to prevent dilution. With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the
Exercise Price shall be required until cumulative adjustments require an
adjustment of at least 1%.
7. CASH PAID INSTEAD OF ISSUING FRACTIONAL SECURITIES
No fractional securities shall be issued upon exercise of a Right (other
than fractions of Preferred Shares that are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share and that may, at the election of the Company,
be evidenced by depositary receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash
shall be made based on the market price of such securities on the last trading
date prior to the date of exercise.
8. REDEMPTION
At any time prior to the earlier of (a) the tenth business day following
the 15% Ownership Date or (b) the first event of the type giving rise to
exercise rights under Section 5(c) above, the Board of Directors may, at its
option, direct the Company to redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a
price of $.001 per Right (the "Redemption Price"), and the Company shall so
redeem the Rights. Immediately upon such action by the Board of Directors (the
date of such action being the "Redemption Date"), the only right of the holders
of Rights thereafter shall be to receive the Redemption Price.
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9. EXCHANGE
At any time during the period of 180 days after the 15% Ownership Date, the
Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, authorize and direct the
exchange of all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding Rights for
Common Shares, one one-hundredths of Preferred Shares, debt securities of the
Company, other property or any combination of the foregoing, which, as of the
date of the Board of Directors' action, has a current market price equal to the
difference between the Exercise Price and the current market price of the shares
that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right on such date (the
"Exchange Ratio"), and the Company shall so exchange the Rights. Immediately
upon such action by the Board of Directors, the right to exercise Rights shall
terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights thereafter shall be to
receive the securities so designated by the Board of Directors in accordance
with the Exchange Ratio.
10. NO STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS PRIOR TO EXERCISE
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company (other than rights resulting from such
holder's ownership of Common Shares), including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
11. AMENDMENT OF RIGHTS AGREEMENT
The Board of Directors may, from time to time, without the approval of any
holder of Rights, direct the Company and the Rights Agent to supplement or amend
any provision of the Rights Agreement in any manner, whether or not such
supplement or amendment is adverse to any holder of Rights, and the Company and
the Rights Agent shall so supplement or amend such provision; provided, however,
that from and after the earliest of (a) the tenth business day following the 15%
Ownership Date, (b) the first event of the type giving rise to exercise rights
under Section 5(c) above or (c) the Redemption Date, the Rights Agreement cannot
be supplemented or amended in any manner that would materially and adversely
affect any holder of outstanding Rights other than a 15% Stockholder or a
Surviving Person.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: October 1, 1999 WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
By: /s/ Ray A. Caps
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Rae A. Capps, Esq.
Title: Senior Vice President, General Counsel
and Corporate Secretary
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
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<S> <C>
4.1 Rights Agreement dated September 24, 1999, by and
between Willis Lease Finance Corporation 4.1 and American
Stock transfer and Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
</TABLE>
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Exhibit 4.1
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of September 24, 1999
by and between
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY
as Rights Agent
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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<S> <C> <C>
Section 1. Certain Definitions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right
Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. . . . . .11
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.. . . . . . . .11
Section 10. Securities Record Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares Issuable Upon
Exercise of Rights or Number of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . .12
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares
Issuable Upon Exercise of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.. . . . . . . . . . .20
Section 15. Rights of Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Section 17. Right Holder and Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.. .23
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Section 23. Redemption of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Section 24. Exchange of Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Section 26. Notices.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Section 28. Certain Covenants.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Section 29. Successors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Section 31. Severability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 32. Governing Law.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 33. Counterparts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
</TABLE>
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TABLE OF DEFINED TERMS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
15% Ownership Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
15% Stockholder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Adjustment Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Affiliate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Associate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Beneficial Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Beneficially Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Business Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Certificate of Designations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Close of Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Closing Price. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Common Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Common Share Equivalent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Current Market Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Distribution Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exchange Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exchange Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Exempt Person. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exercise Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Expiration Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
NASDAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Preferred Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Preferred Share Equivalent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Record Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Redemption Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Redemption Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Right Certificate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Rights Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Rights Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Rights Expiration Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Section 11(a)(ii) Event. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Section 13(a) Event. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Securities Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Subsidiary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Surviving Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Trading Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Transferee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unavailable Adjustment Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Unavailable Exchange Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Voting Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
</TABLE>
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement (the "Agreement") is made and entered into as of
September 24, 1999 by and between WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY, a
trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, as rights agent
(the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared
a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common
Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at the Close of
Business (as hereinafter defined) on October 12, 1999 (the "Record Date"), each
Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share
(as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
herein, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with
respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record
Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the
Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
set forth herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
"Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings ascribed to
such terms in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the
date hereof.
A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be deemed to
"Beneficially Own" any securities:
(i) that such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of
Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the
Exchange Act, in each case as in effect on the date hereof;
(ii) that such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately, or only after the passage of time, compliance with regulatory
requirements, the fulfillment of a condition or otherwise) pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion
rights, exchange rights (other than these Rights), rights, warrants or
options, or otherwise, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed
the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities tendered
pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange;
<PAGE>
(iii) that such Person or any such Person's Affiliates or Associates
has the right to vote, whether alone or in concert with others, pursuant to
any agreement, arrangement or understanding, 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 (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given to such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates in response to a public proxy
solicitation made pursuant to and in accordance with the applicable rules
and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also
then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor report);
(iv) that 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 for the purpose
of acquiring, holding, voting (other than voting pursuant to a revocable
proxy as described in the proviso to clause (iii) of this definition of
"Beneficial Owner") or disposing of any securities of the Company; and
(v) that, on any day on or after the Distribution Date, evidence
Rights that prior to such date were represented by certificates for Common
Shares that such Person Beneficially Owns on such day.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section l(b), a Person engaged
in business as an underwriter of securities shall not be deemed to be the
Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any securities acquired through
such Person's participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting
until the expiration of 40 days after the date of such acquisition.
"Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day
on which banking institutions in the State of California are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
"Certificate of Designations" shall mean the certificate of designations
specifying the powers, designations, preferences and rights of the Preferred
Shares in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law and which shall
be in substantially the form of EXHIBIT A hereto.
"Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m., California
time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a Business Day,
it shall mean 5:00 p.m., California time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
"Closing Price" of a stock or other security on any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, per share of such stock or unit of such other security
on such day or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if such stock
or other security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the
2
<PAGE>
principal national securities exchange on which such stock or other security is
listed or admitted to trading or, if such stock or other security is 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 on the Nasdaq National Market
("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use or, if on any such date such stock
or other security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker that
makes a market in such stock or other security and that is selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company.
"Common Share" shall mean one share of the Common Stock, par value $.01 per
share, of the Company, unless used with reference to a Person other than the
Company, in which case it shall mean one share of each class of stock of such
Person having the right to vote generally in the election of directors or, if
such Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, one Common Share of the Person
that ultimately controls such Person.
"Common Share Equivalent" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Current Market Price" per share of a stock or unit of any other security
on any date shall mean the average of the daily Closing Prices of such stock or
other security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days through and including the
Trading Day immediately preceding the date in question; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
if any event shall have caused the Closing Price on any Trading Day during such
30-day period not to be fully comparable with the Closing Price on the date in
question (or, if no Closing Price is available on the date in question, on the
Trading Day immediately preceding the date in question), then each such
non-comparable Closing Price so used shall be appropriately adjusted by the
Board of Directors in order to make the Closing Price on each Trading Day during
the period used for the determination of the Current Market Price fully
comparable with the Closing Price on such date in question (or, if applicable,
the immediately preceding Trading Day). "Current Market Price" per share of any
stock or unit of such other security that is not publicly held or so listed or
traded, and "Current Market Price" of any other property, shall mean the fair
value per share of such stock or unit of such other security, or the fair value
of such other property, respectively, as determined in good faith by the Board
of Directors of the Company based upon such appraisals or valuation reports of
such independent experts as the Board of Directors shall in good faith determine
appropriate, which determination shall be described in a statement filed by the
Company with the Rights Agent.
"Distribution Date" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 3
hereof.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Exempt Person" shall mean the Company, any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the
Company, Charles F. Willis, IV or any of his Affiliates or Associates
(including, without limitation, CFW Partners, L.P.), any employee benefit plan
of the Company or of a Subsidiary of the Company and any Person holding Voting
Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit plan.
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"Exercise Price" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 7(c)
hereof.
"Expiration Date" shall mean October 12, 2009.
"15% Ownership Date" shall mean the first date of public announcement
(which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a
report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or a
15% Stockholder containing the facts by virtue of which a Person has become a
15% Stockholder.
"15% Stockholder" shall mean any Person that Beneficially Owns 15% or more
of the Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
the term "15% Stockholder" shall not include: (i) an Exempt Person; (ii) any
Person that would not otherwise be a 15% Stockholder but for a reduction in the
number of outstanding Voting Shares resulting from a stock repurchase program or
other similar plan of the Company or from a self tender offer of the Company,
which plan or tender offer commenced on or after the date hereof; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the term "15% Stockholder" shall include such Person from and
after the first date upon which (A) such Person, since the date of the
commencement of such plan or tender offer, shall have acquired Beneficial
Ownership of, in the aggregate, a number of Voting Shares of the Company equal
to 1% or more of the Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding and (B) such
Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall
Beneficially Own 15% or more of the Voting Shares of the Company then
outstanding; (iii) any Person that would not otherwise be a 15% Stockholder but
for its Beneficial Ownership of Rights; (iv) any Person that is the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding Voting Shares of the Company as of
October 12, 1999; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the term "15% Stockholder" shall
include such Person from and after the first date upon which (A) such Person,
since October 12, 1999, shall have acquired, without the prior approval of the
Board of Directors of the Company, Beneficial Ownership of, in the aggregate, a
number of Voting Shares of the Company equal to 1% or more of the Voting Shares
of the Company then outstanding and (B) such Person, together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall Beneficially Own 15% or more of
the Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding; or (v) any Person (a
"Transferee") that acquires Voting Shares from a Person described in clause (iv)
above that has not become a 15% Stockholder if, after giving effect to such
acquisition, such Transferee Beneficially Owns no more than the sum of the
Voting Shares so acquired plus 1% of the Voting Shares then outstanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the term "15% Stockholder" shall include such Transferee
from and after the first date upon which (A) such Transferee, since the date of
such acquisition, shall have acquired, without the prior approval of the Board
of Directors of the Company, Beneficial Ownership of, in the aggregate, a number
of Voting Shares of the Company equal to 1% or more of the Voting Shares of the
Company then outstanding and (B) such Transferee, together with all Affiliates
and Associates of such Transferee, shall Beneficially Own 15% or more of the
Voting Shares of the Company then outstanding. In calculating the percentage of
the outstanding Voting Shares that are Beneficially Owned by a Person for
purposes of this definition, Voting Shares that are Beneficially Owned by such
Person shall be deemed outstanding, and Voting Shares that are not Beneficially
Owned by such Person and that are subject to issuance upon the exercise or
conversion of outstanding conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants
or options shall not be deemed outstanding. Any determination
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made by the Board of Directors of the Company as to whether any Person is or is
not a 15% Stockholder shall be conclusive and binding upon all holders of
Rights.
"Person" shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, corporation,
association, group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 promulgated under the
Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof) or other entity, and shall include
any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
"Preferred Share" shall mean one share of the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company, which shall have the
rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designations for the
Preferred Shares.
"Preferred Share Equivalent" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in
Section 11(b) hereof.
"Record Date" all have the meaning ascribed to it in the recitals hereto.
"Redemption Date" shall mean the date of the action of the Board of
Directors of the Company authorizing and directing the redemption of the Rights
pursuant to Section 23(a) hereof or the exchange of the Rights pursuant to
Section 24(a) hereof.
"Redemption Price" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 23(a)
hereof.
"Right Certificate", as that term is used with respect to any period prior
to the Distribution Date, shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 3(b)
hereof, and, as that term is used with respect to any period on or after the
Distribution Date, shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 3(c) hereof.
"Rights Expiration Date" shall mean the Expiration Date, except if there
has been a Distribution Date, then it shall mean the tenth anniversary of the
Distribution Date.
"Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
"Section 13(a) Event" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in
Section 13(a) hereof.
"Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other Person of
which equity securities or equity interests representing a majority of the
voting power are owned, directly or indirectly, or which is effectively
controlled, by such Person.
"Surviving Person" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(a)
hereof.
"Trading Day" shall mean, as to any stock or other security, a day on which
the principal national securities exchange on which such stock or other security
is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if
such stock or other security is not listed or admitted to trading on any
national securities exchange, a Business Day.
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"Voting Share" shall mean (i) a Common Share of the Company and (ii) any
other share of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the
election of directors or entitled to vote together with the Common Shares in
respect of any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of the
Company's assets, liquidation, dissolution or winding up. References in this
Agreement to a percentage or portion of the outstanding Voting Shares shall be
deemed a reference to the percentage or portion of the total votes entitled to
be cast by the holders of the outstanding Voting Shares.
SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the
Company and the holders of Rights 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. ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) "Distribution Date" shall mean the date, after the date hereof, that
is the earliest of (i) the tenth Business Day (or such later day as shall be
designated by the Board of Directors of the Company) following the date of the
commencement of, or the first public announcement of the intent of any Person,
other than an Exempt Person, to commence a tender offer or exchange offer, the
consummation of which would cause any Person to become a 15% Stockholder,
(ii) the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event or (iii) the date of the
first Section 13(a) Event.
(b) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights shall be represented by
certificates for Common Shares (all of which certificates for Common Shares
shall be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right
Certificates, (ii) the record holder of the Common Shares represented by each of
such certificates shall be the record holder of the Rights represented thereby
and (iii) the Rights shall be transferable only in connection with the transfer
of Common Shares. Until the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption
Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for transfer of such certificates for
Common Shares shall also constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights
represented thereby.
(c) As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, and after
notification by the Company, the Rights Agent shall send, at the expense of the
Company, by first-class, postage-prepaid mail to each record holder of Common
Shares, 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
substantially in the form of EXHIBIT B hereto representing one Right for each
Common Share so held. From and after the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be
represented solely by such Right Certificates and may only be transferred by the
transfer of such Right Certificates, and the holders of such Right Certificates,
as listed in the records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for
such Rights, shall be the record holders of such Rights.
(d) Certificates for Common Shares issued at any time after the Record
Date and prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or
the Expiration Date, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or
otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
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This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement dated as of
September 24, 1999 by and between Willis Lease Finance Corporation and
American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agreement"), as amended to date, the terms and conditions of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which
is on file at the principal executive offices of Willis Lease Finance
Corporation. Under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement, such Rights will be represented by separate certificates
and will no longer be represented by this certificate. Under certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, Rights beneficially
owned by certain persons may become null and void. Willis Lease
Finance Corporation will mail to the record holder of this certificate
a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge promptly following
receipt of a written request therefor. As described in the Rights
Agreement, Rights Beneficially Owned by any Person who becomes a
15% Stockholder or any Affiliate or Associate of a 15% Stockholder (as
such capitalized terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) shall
become null and void.
(e) Certificates for Common Shares issued at any time on or after the
Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Rights
Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise
affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate does not represent any Right issued pursuant to the
terms of a Rights Agreement dated as of September 24, 1999 by and
between Willis Lease Finance Corporation and American Stock Transfer
and Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
(f) In the event that at any time on or after the earlier of the date of
the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event or the date of the first Section 13(a) Event
and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration Date,
the Company shall issue any Common Shares pursuant to the exercise of conversion
rights, exchange rights, rights (other than Rights), warrants or options that
shall have been issued or granted prior to the earlier of the date of the first
Section 11(a)(ii) Event or the date of the first Section 13(a) Event, then,
unless the Board of Directors of the Company shall have provided otherwise at
the time of the issuance or grant of such conversion rights, exchange rights,
rights (other than Rights), warrants or options, the Rights Agent shall, as soon
as practicable after the date of such event, send by first-class,
postage-prepaid mail to the record holder of such Common Shares, at the address
of such holder as shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate
substantially in the form of EXHIBIT B hereto representing one Right for each
Common Share so issued.
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section , the Rights
Agent shall not send any Right Certificate to any 15% Stockholder or any of its
Affiliates or Associates or to any Person if the Rights held by such Person are
Beneficially Owned by a 15% Stockholder or any of its Affiliates or Associates.
Any determination made by the Board of Directors of the Company as to whether
any Common Shares are or were Beneficially Owned at any time by a
15% Stockholder or an Affiliate or Associate of a 15% Stockholder shall be
conclusive and binding upon all holders of Rights.
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<PAGE>
SECTION 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
The Right Certificates and the form of assignment, including certificate,
and the form of election to purchase, including certificate, printed on the
reverse thereof, when, as and if issued, shall be substantially in the form of
EXHIBIT B hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and
such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement,
or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange upon which the Rights or the securities of the Company issuable upon
exercise of the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage.
Subject to Section 22 hereof, Right Certificates, whenever issued, that are
issued in respect of Common Shares that were issued and outstanding as of the
Close of Business on the Distribution Date, shall be dated as of the
Distribution Date.
SECTION 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
the Chairman of the Board, any Vice Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive
Officer or President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and may have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile
thereof attested by its Corporate Secretary or any Assistant Corporate
Secretary, 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 may nevertheless be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with
the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Right
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company. Any Right
Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who at the
actual date of such execution shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign
such Right Certificate, even though such person was not such an officer at the
date of the execution of this Agreement.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent shall keep or cause
to be kept at its principal offices books for registration and transfer of the
Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of Right Certificates, the number of Rights
represented on its face by each Right Certificate and the date of each Right
Certificate.
SECTION 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 6(c), 7(d) and 14 hereof, at
any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and so long as
the Rights represented thereby remain outstanding, any one or more Right
Certificates may be transferred, split-up, combined or exchanged for one or
more Right Certificates representing the same aggregate number of Rights as
the Right Certificates surrendered. Any registered holder desiring to
transfer, split up, combine or exchange one or more Right Certificates shall
make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall
surrender the Right Certificates to be transferred, split up,
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<PAGE>
combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent with the form of
assignment, including certificate, on the reverse side thereof completed and
duly executed, with signature guaranteed. Thereupon, the Rights Agent shall
countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto one or more Right
Certificates, 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.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a 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
such Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company shall issue and deliver to the
Rights Agent for delivery to the record holder of such Right Certificate a new
Right Certificate of like tenor in lieu of such lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated Right Certificate.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 6, the Rights
Agent shall not countersign and deliver a Right Certificate to any Person if
such Right Certificate represents, or would represent when held by such Person,
Rights that had become or would become null and void pursuant to Section 7(d)
hereof.
SECTION 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS.
(a) Until the Distribution Date, no Right may be exercised.
(b) Subject to Section 7(d) and (g) hereof and the other provisions of
this Agreement, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date
and prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the
Rights Expiration Date, the registered holder of any Right Certificate may
exercise the Rights represented thereby in whole or in part upon surrender of
such Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase, including
certificate, on the reverse side thereof completed and duly executed, with
signature guaranteed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent at
40 Wall Street, 46th Floor, New York, New York 10005, together with payment of
the Exercise Price for each Right exercised. Upon the exercise of an
exercisable Right and payment of the Exercise Price in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement, the holder of such Right shall be entitled to
receive, subject to adjustment as provided herein, one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share (or, following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or a
Section 13(a) Event, Common Shares and/or other securities).
(c) The "Exercise Price" for the exercise of each Right shall initially be
$70.00 and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in
accordance with Section 7(f) hereof. The Exercise Price and the number of
Preferred Shares (or, following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or a
Section 13(a) Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) to be acquired upon
exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided
in Sections 7(e), 11 and 13 hereof and the other provisions of this Agreement.
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(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and
after the earlier of the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event or the date
of the first Section 13(a) Event, any Rights that are or were Beneficially Owned
by a 15% Stockholder or any Affiliate or Associate of a 15% Stockholder at any
time on or after the Distribution Date shall be null and void, and for all
purposes of this Agreement such Rights shall thereafter be deemed not to be
outstanding, and any holder of such Rights (whether or not such holder is a
15% Stockholder or an Affiliate or Associate of a 15% Stockholder) shall
thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights.
(e) Prior to the Distribution Date, if the Board of Directors of the
Company shall have determined that such action adequately protects the interests
of the holders of Rights, the Company may, in its discretion, substitute for all
or any portion of the Preferred Shares that would otherwise be issuable (after
the Close of Business on the Distribution Date) upon the exercise of each Right
and payment of the Exercise Price (i) cash, (ii) other equity securities of the
Company, (iii) debt securities of the Company, (iv) other property or (v) any
combination of the foregoing, in each case having an aggregate Current Market
Price equal to the aggregate Current Market Price of the Preferred Shares for
which substitution is made. Subject to Section 7(d) hereof, in the event that
the Company takes any action pursuant to this Section 7(e), such action shall
apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights.
(f) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase, including certificate, completed and duly
executed, with signature guaranteed, accompanied by payment of the Exercise
Price for each Right to be exercised 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 hereof by certified check or cashier's check payable
to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly
(i) requisition from the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or, following
the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event or a Section 13(a) Event, Common
Shares and/or securities) certificates for the number of Preferred Shares (or
such other securities) to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably
authorizes such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, and/or, as
provided in Section 14 hereof, requisition from the depositary agent described
therein depositary receipts representing such number of one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share (or such other securities) as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the Preferred Shares (or such other securities) represented by
such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with such depositary
agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such
request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash
to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional Preferred Shares (or such other
securities) in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such
certificates, depositary receipts or cash, 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 thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order of
the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7, the
exercisability of the Rights shall be suspended for such period as shall
reasonably be necessary for the Company to register and qualify under the
Securities Act and any applicable securities law of any jurisdiction the
Preferred Shares and/or Common Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant
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to the exercise of the Rights; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing contained in this
Section 7 shall relieve the Company of its obligations under Section 9(c)
hereof.
(h) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise
less than all of the Rights represented thereby, a new Right Certificate
representing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be
issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or
to such holder's 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 canceled
form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no
Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted
by this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for
cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire,
any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than
upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Right
Certificates to the Company or shall, at the written request of the Company,
destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a
certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
SECTION 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.
(a) Subject to Sections 7(e) and 9(f) hereof, the Company shall cause to
be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued equity
securities (or out of its authorized and issued equity securities held in its
treasury), the number of such equity securities that will from time to time be
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) In the event that any securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights
are listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best
efforts, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, to cause all
such securities issued or reserved for such issuance to be listed on such
exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) If necessary to permit the issuance of securities upon exercise of the
Rights, the Company shall use its best efforts, from and after the Distribution
Date, to register and qualify such securities under the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act and any other applicable securities laws and to keep such
registration effective until the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Rights
Expiration Date.
(d) The Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to ensure
that all securities delivered upon exercise of the Rights shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates for such securities (subject to payment of the
Exercise Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable securities.
(e) The Company shall pay when due and payable any and all federal and
state transfer taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance
or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any securities upon the exercise of
Rights. The Company shall not, however, be
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required to pay any transfer tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer
or delivery of a Right Certificate to a Person other than, or the issuance or
delivery of a certificate for securities in respect of a name other than that
of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate representing Rights
surrendered for exercise, or to issue or deliver any certificate for securities
upon the exercise of any Right 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 satisfaction that
no such tax is due.
(f) With respect to the Common Shares and/or other securities issuable
pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) and (iii) hereof, the foregoing covenants shall be
applicable only upon and following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
SECTION 10. SECURITIES RECORD DATE.
Each Person in whose name any certificate for securities of the Company is
issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have
become the holder of record of the securities represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate
representing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Exercise 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 securities transfer
books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the
record holder of such securities on, and such certificate shall be dated, the
next succeeding Business Day on which the securities transfer books of the
Company are open.
SECTION 11. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES ISSUABLE UPON
EXERCISE OF RIGHTS OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS.
The Exercise Price, the number and kind of securities that may be purchased
upon exercise of a 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 that the Company shall at any time after the
Close of Business on the Record Date and prior to the Close of Business on
the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration Date
(A) declare or pay any dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in
Preferred Shares or Voting Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred
Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number
of Preferred Shares or (D) issue Preferred Shares or other securities of
the Company (other than those for which an adjustment is required under
Section 11(b) hereof) in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares
(including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) or
in a reorganization of the Company, then, and upon each such event, the
number and kind of Preferred Shares or other securities issuable upon the
exercise of a Right on the date of such event shall be proportionately
adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised on or after such date
shall be entitled to receive, upon the exercise thereof and payment of the
Exercise Price, the aggregate number and kind of Preferred Shares or other
securities or other property, as the case may be, that, if such Right had
been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when such Right
was exercisable and the transfer books of the Company were open, such
holder would have owned upon
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such exercise and would have been entitled to receive by virtue of such
dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs
that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this
Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) In the event that a 15% Ownership Date shall have occurred and
neither the Redemption Date nor the Expiration Date shall have occurred
prior to the tenth Business Day following such 15% Ownership Date (a
"Section 11(a)(ii) Event"), then, and upon each such Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, proper provision shall be made so that, except as provided in
Section 7(d) hereof, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement and payment of the then current Exercise Price,
such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result
obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Exercise Price by the then
number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such Section 11(a)(ii) Event (or, if the
Distribution Date shall not have occurred prior to the date of such
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
for which a Right would have been exercisable if the Distribution Date had
occurred on the Business Day immediately preceding the date of such
Section 11(a)(ii) Event), and (B) dividing that product by 50% of the
Current Market Price of a Common Share on the date of occurrence of the
relevant Section 11(a)(ii) Event (such number of shares being hereinafter
referred to as the "Adjustment Shares"). Successive adjustments shall be
made pursuant to this paragraph each time a Section 11(a)(ii) Event occurs.
(iii) In the event that on the date of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event the
aggregate number of Common Shares that are authorized by the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time, but not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise
of the Rights is less than the aggregate number of Adjustment Shares
thereafter issuable upon the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance
with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof (the excess of such number of Adjustment
Shares over and above such number of Common Shares being hereinafter
referred to as the "Unavailable Adjustment Shares"), then, and upon each
such event, the Company shall substitute for the pro rata portion of the
Unavailable Adjustment Shares that would otherwise be issuable thereafter
upon the exercise of each Right and payment of the Exercise Price (A) cash,
(B) other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation,
shares of preferred stock of the Company or units of such shares having the
same Current Market Price as one Common Share (a "Common Share
Equivalent")), (C) debt securities of the Company, (D) other property or
(E) any combination of the foregoing, in each case having an aggregate
Current Market Price equal to the aggregate Current Market Price of the
Unavailable Adjustment Shares for which substitution is made. Subject to
Section 7(d) hereof, in the event that the Company takes any action
pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii), such action shall apply uniformly to
all outstanding Rights.
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(b) In the event that the Company shall, at any time after the Close of
Business on the Record Date and prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of
the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration Date, fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them initially to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred
Shares ("Preferred Share Equivalents")) or securities convertible into Preferred
Shares or Preferred Share Equivalents, at a price per Preferred Share or
Preferred Share Equivalent (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Shares or Preferred Share Equivalents) less
than the Current Market Price per Preferred Share on such record date, then, and
upon each such event, the Exercise Price to be in effect after such record date
shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect immediately
prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be equal
to the sum of the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date
plus the number of Preferred Shares that the aggregate offering price of the
total number of Preferred Shares and/or Preferred Share Equivalents to be so
offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible
securities to be so offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and
the denominator of which shall be equal to the number of Preferred Shares
outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares
and/or Preferred Share Equivalents to be offered for subscription or purchase
(or into which the convertible securities to be so offered are initially
convertible); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such rights, options or warrants are
not exercisable immediately upon issuance but become exercisable only upon the
occurrence of a specified event or the passage of a specified period of time,
then the adjustment to the Exercise Price shall be made and become effective
only upon the occurrence of such event or such passage of time, and such
adjustment shall be made as if the record date for the issuance of such rights,
options or warrants had been the Business Day immediately preceding the date
upon which such rights, options or warrants became exercisable. Preferred
Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed
outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment to the
Exercise Price shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed,
and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Exercise
Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price that would then be in effect if
such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In the event that the Company shall, at any time after the Close of
Business on the Record Date and prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of
the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration Date, fix a record date for the
making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any
such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the surviving corporation) of assets (other than a distribution for
which an adjustment is required under Section 11(a)(i) or (b) hereof or a
regular quarterly cash dividend), then the Exercise Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be equal to the excess of the Current Market Price per Preferred Share on
such record date over and above the fair market value of the portion of the
securities or assets to be so distributed with respect to one Preferred Share,
and the denominator of which shall be equal to such Current Market Price per
Preferred Share. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed, and in the event that such a distribution is not
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so made, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted to be the Exercise Price that
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation under this Section 11, if the
Preferred Shares are not publicly held or traded, the "Current Market Price" per
Preferred Share shall be conclusively deemed to be the Current Market Price per
Common Share multiplied by 100.
(e) No adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the then
current Exercise Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments that by reason
of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be cumulated 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-thousandth of
a Common Share or other share or one-millionth of a Preferred Share, as the case
may be.
(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right shall, upon exercise thereof, be entitled to
receive any securities of the Company other than Preferred Shares, and if an
event occurs in respect of such securities that, if it were to occur in respect
of Preferred Shares, would require an adjustment under this Section 11 in
respect of Preferred Shares, then the number of such other securities 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 Preferred Shares contained in this Section 11, and
the other provisions of this Agreement with respect to Preferred Shares shall
apply on like terms to any such other securities.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Exercise Price hereunder shall represent the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share 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) below, upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price as a result of
the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right outstanding
immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter represent
the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, that number of
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one-millionth of
a Preferred Share) obtained by multiplying (i) the number of one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of one Right immediately prior to
such adjustment of the Exercise Price by (ii) the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such adjustment, and dividing the product so obtained by
the Exercise Price in effect immediately after such adjustment.
(i) The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Exercise Price, to adjust the number of Rights instead of making any adjustment
in the number of Preferred Shares 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 one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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 one-thousandth of a Right)
obtained by dividing
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the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the adjustment of the Exercise
Price by the Exercise Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the
Exercise Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), indicating the
record date for the adjustment and, if known at the time, the amount of the
adjustment to be made. Such record date may be the date on which the Exercise
Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if separate Right Certificates
have been issued, it shall be at least 10 days after the date of such public
announcement. If separate 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 representing,
subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall
be entitled as a result of such adjustment or, at the option of the Company,
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
such adjustment, and upon surrender thereof if required by the Company, new
Right Certificates representing all the Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates to be so distributed shall
be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may
bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Exercise 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 Exercise Price or the
number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of one
Right, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to
express the Exercise Price per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share and the
number of Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of one Right that were
expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Exercise Price below one one-hundredth of the then par value, if any, of the
Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take
any corporate action that may, in the advice or opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share at such adjusted Exercise
Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment
in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified
event, the Company may elect to defer, until the occurrence of such event, the
issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the
number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of
the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate
instrument representing 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 further adjustments in the number of one-
hundredths of a Preferred Share
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that may be purchased upon exercise of one Right, and such further adjustments
in the Exercise Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by
this Section 11, as and to the extent that the Company in its sole discretion
shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any
Preferred Shares at less than the Current Market Price thereof, (iii) issuance
wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities that by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv) dividends on
Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or (v) issuance of rights, options
or warrants referred to in Section 11(b) hereof, hereafter made by the Company
to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) In the event that the Company shall, at any time after the Close of
Business on the Record Date and prior to the Close of Business on the earliest
of the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the date of the first
Section 13(a) Event, the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration Date, (i) pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Shares, (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a
smaller number of Common Shares or (iv) issue Common Shares in a
reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
or surviving corporation), then, and upon each such event, the Exercise Price to
be in effect after such event shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise
Price in effect immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of
which shall be equal to the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately
prior to such event and the denominator of which shall be equal to the number of
Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event. Successive adjustments
shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(n) each time such a dividend is paid
or such a subdivision, combination or reclassification is effected. If an event
occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(n) and
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(n)
shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required
pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
SECTION 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED EXERCISE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES
ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF RIGHTS.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
and a brief statement of the facts giving rise to such adjustment, (b) file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the securities issuable upon
exercise of the Rights a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary
thereof to each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 25 hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such
certification or to give such notice shall not affect the validity or the force
and effect of such adjustment. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to
Sections 11 or 13 hereof shall be effective as of the date of the event giving
rise to such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying
on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained, and shall not
be obligated or responsible for calculating any adjustment nor shall it be
deemed to have knowledge of such an adjustment unless and until it shall have
received such certificate.
SECTION 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER.
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(a) In the event (a "Section 13(a) Event") that, at any time on or after
the 15% Ownership Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the
Rights Expiration Date, (1) the Company shall, directly or indirectly,
consolidate with or merge with and into any other Person and the Company shall
not be the continuing or surviving corporation in such consolidation or merger,
(2) any Person shall, directly or indirectly, consolidate with or merge with and
into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation in such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of
the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other
securities of any Person or cash or any other property, or (3) the Company
and/or any one or more of its Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, sell
or otherwise transfer, in one or more transactions (other than transactions in
the ordinary course of business), assets or earning power aggregating more than
50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as
a whole) to any Person or Persons other than the Company or one or more of its
wholly-owned Subsidiaries (such Persons, together with the Persons described in
clauses (1) and (2) above shall be collectively referred to in this Section as
the "Surviving Person"), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be
made so that:
(i) except as provided in Section 7(d) hereof, each holder of a
Right shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and payment of the then
current Exercise Price, in lieu of the securities or other property
otherwise purchasable upon such exercise, such number of validly authorized
and issued, fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares of the Surviving
Person (and if such Surviving Person has more than one class or series of
Common Shares, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
nonassessable Common Shares of each series or class) as shall be equal to a
fraction, the numerator of which is:
(A) if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has not occurred prior to such
Section 13(a) Event, the product of the then current Exercise Price
multiplied by the number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of one Right immediately prior to the
first Section 13(a) Event (or, if the Distribution Date shall not have
occurred prior to the date of such Section 13(a) Event, the number of
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share that would have been so
purchasable if the Distribution Date had occurred on the Business Day
immediately preceding the date of such Section 13(a) Event), or
(B) if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to such
Section 13(a) Event, the product of the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to such Section 11(a)(ii) Event multiplied by the
number of one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the
exercise of one Right immediately prior to such Section 11(a)(ii)
Event (or, if the Distribution Date shall not have occurred prior to
the date of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the number of one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share that would have been so purchasable if the
Distribution Date had occurred on the Business Day immediately
preceding the date of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event),
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<PAGE>
and the denominator of which is 50% of the Current Market Price per Common
Share of the Surviving Person on the date of consummation of such
Section 13(a) Event;
(ii) the Surviving Person 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 the
Surviving Person; and
(iv) the Surviving Person shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in
accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as
may be necessary to ensure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be
applicable to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of
Rights.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Section 13(a) Event is the sale
or transfer in one or more transactions of assets or earning power aggregating
more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole), but less than 100% thereof, then each Person acquiring all
or a portion thereof shall assume the obligations of the Company as to a
fraction of each of the Rights equal to the fraction of the assets of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) acquired by such Person, and the
obligations of the Company as to the remaining fraction of each of the Rights
shall continue to be the obligations of the Company.
(c) The Company shall not consummate a Section 13(a) Event unless prior
thereto the Company and the Surviving Person shall have executed and delivered
to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement confirming that such Surviving
Person shall, upon consummation of such Section 13(a) Event, assume this
Agreement in accordance with Section 13 hereof, that all rights of first refusal
or preemptive rights in respect of the issuance of Common Shares of such
Surviving Person upon exercise of outstanding Rights have been waived and that
such Section 13(a) Event shall not result in a default by such Surviving Person
under this Agreement, and further providing that, as soon as practicable after
the date of consummation of such Section 13(a) Event, such Surviving Person
shall:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities
Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise
of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after
such filing, use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements
of the Securities Act) until the Rights Expiration Date, and similarly
comply with all applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the
Rights and the Common Shares of the Surviving Person purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on a
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national securities exchange, or use its best efforts to cause the Rights
and such Common Shares to meet the eligibility requirements for quotation
on NASDAQ; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements
for such Surviving Person that comply in all respects with the requirements
for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.
(d) In the event that at any time after the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event some or all of the Rights shall not have been exercised
pursuant to Section 11 hereof prior to the date of a Section 13(a) Event, such
Rights shall thereafter be exercisable only in the manner described in
Section 13(a) hereof. In the event that a Section 11(a)(ii) Event occurs on or
after the date of a Section 13(a) Event, Rights shall not be exercisable
pursuant to Section 11 hereof but shall instead be exercisable pursuant to, and
only pursuant to, this Section 13.
(e) The provisions of this Section 13 shall apply to each successive
merger, consolidation, sale or other transfer constituting a Section 13(a)
Event.
SECTION 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to
distribute Right Certificates that represent fractional Rights. If the Company
shall determine not to issue such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to
the registered holders of the Right Certificates with respect to which such
fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, at the time such fractional
Rights would otherwise have been issued as provided herein, an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the Current Market Price of a whole Right on the
Business Day immediately prior to the date upon which such fractional Rights
would otherwise have been issuable.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares
or Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of Rights, or to distribute
certificates that represent fractional Common Shares or Preferred Shares (other
than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be
represented by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between
the Company and a depositary selected by it, provided that such agreement shall
provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights,
privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of
Preferred Shares. If the Company shall determine not to issue fractional Common
Shares or Preferred Shares (or depositary receipts in lieu of Preferred Shares),
the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates with
respect to which such fractional Common Shares or Preferred Shares would
otherwise be issuable, at the time such Rights are exercised as provided herein,
an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the Current Market Price of a
whole Common Share or Preferred Share, as the case may be. For purposes of this
Section 14(b), the Current Market Price of a whole Common Share or Preferred
Share shall be the Closing Price per share for the Trading Day immediately prior
to the date of such exercise.
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(c) The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of such Right, expressly
waives such holder's right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
Common Shares or Preferred Shares upon exercise of such Right, except as
permitted by this Section 14.
SECTION 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION.
All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, except the rights of
action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the
respective registered holders of the Right Certificates and certificates for
Common Shares representing Rights, and any registered holder of any Right
Certificate or of such certificate for Common Shares, without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate or any other
certificate for Common Shares may, in such holder's own behalf and for such
holder's own benefit, 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 the Rights represented by such Right Certificate
or by such certificate for Common Shares in the manner provided in such
Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any
remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged
that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any
breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance, and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations, of the obligations of
any Person under 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 every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be represented by
certificates for Common Shares registered in the name of the holders of such
Common Shares (which certificates for Common Shares shall also constitute Right
Certificates), and each such Right shall be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of such Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates shall only be
transferable 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 is registered as the absolute owner thereof and
of the Rights represented thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or
writing on the Right Certificate 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 HOLDER AND RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A
STOCKHOLDER.
No holder, as such, of any Right or Right Certificate shall be entitled to
vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right or 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
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thereof, to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, to receive notice
of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in
Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or
otherwise, in each case until such Right or the Rights represented by such Right
Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
SECTION 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation
for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of
the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and
other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability. The costs and expenses of enforcing this right of indemnification
shall also be paid by the Company. The indemnification provided for hereunder
shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the termination of this
Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent may conclusively rely upon and 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 Preferred Shares or
Common Shares 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, or otherwise upon the advice of
its counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, 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.
SECTION 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement
without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of
any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for
appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21
hereof. If, 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 if at that time any of the Right Certificates
shall not have been countersigned,
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<PAGE>
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 such Right Certificate and in this Agreement.
(b) If 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 if 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 such Right Certificate and in this Agreement.
SECTION 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations 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 Right Certificates, by their
acceptance of the Rights, shall be bound:
(a) Before the Rights Agent acts or refrains from acting, it may consult
with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or
opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection
to the Rights Agent 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 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 any one of the Chairman of the Board, any
Vice Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or President, any Vice
President, the Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer, the Corporate Secretary or
any Assistant Corporate Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights
Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for
any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any
other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement, or in the Right
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof), or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(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 authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any Right
23
<PAGE>
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
change in the exercisability of the Rights (including any Rights becoming null
and void pursuant to Section 7(d) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the
Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in
Sections 7, 11, 13 and 23 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts
that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the
exercise of Rights represented by Right Certificates after actual notice that
such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be
deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or
reservation of any Preferred Shares or Common Shares or other securities to be
issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate, or as to whether any
Preferred Shares or Common Shares or other securities 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 any
one of the Chairman of the Board, any Vice Chairman of the Board, the Chief
Executive Officer or President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer
or Treasurer, the Corporate Secretary or any Assistant Corporate Secretary 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 or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.
Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company
may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed
to be taken 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 ten Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually
receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in
writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the
effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received
written instructions from the Company in response to such application to the
contrary.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of
the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities
of the Company or become 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 the 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,
24
<PAGE>
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 that reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued
employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) The Rights Agent shall not be required to take notice or be deemed to
have notice of any fact, event or determination (including, without limitation,
any dates or events defined in this Agreement or the designation of any Person
as a 15% Stockholder, Affiliate or Associate) under this Agreement unless and
until the Rights Agent shall be specifically notified in writing by the Company
of such fact, event or determination.
(l) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has not been
completed, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to
such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
SECTION 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged
from its duties under this Agreement upon 30-days' notice in writing mailed to
the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares
by registered or certified mail, and, at the expense of the Company to the
holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove
the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30-days' notice in writing,
mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to
each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class
mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become
incapable of acting as such, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights
Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of
30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in
writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated
Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such
notice, submit such holder's Right Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then the Company shall become the Rights Agent and 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 States of New
York or California (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 States
of New York or California), in good standing, having a principal office in New
York or California, that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate
trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by
federal or state authority and that has at
25
<PAGE>
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 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 of this
Agreement and so that the successor Rights Agent may appropriately act as Rights
Agent hereunder. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent
and each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, and mail a
notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Riht 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 Right
Certificates to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right
Certificates in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors in order
to reflect any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price and the number or kind
or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of
the Rights in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
SECTION 23. REDEMPTION OF RIGHTS.
(a) Until the earliest of (i) the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, (ii) the date of the first Section 13(a) Event or (iii) the Rights
Expiration Date, the Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option,
authorize and direct the redemption of all, but not less than all, of the then
outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such redemption
price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend
or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (the "Redemption Price"),
and the Company shall so redeem the Rights.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
authorizing and directing the redemption of the Rights pursuant to
subsection (a) of this Section 23, or at such time and date thereafter as it may
specify, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of
Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. Within ten (10) Business Days
after the date of such action, the Company shall give notice of such redemption
to the holders of Rights by mailing such notice to all holders of Rights at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent
or, if prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer
agent for the Common Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein
provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives such notice,
but neither the failure to give any such notice nor any defect therein shall
affect the legality or validity of such redemption. Each such notice of
redemption shall 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,
directly or indirectly, redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights in any
manner other than that specifically set forth in Section 24 hereof or in this
Section 23, or in connection with the
26
<PAGE>
purchase of Common Shares prior to the earlier of the date of the first
Section 11(a)(ii) Event or the date of the first Section 13(a) Event.
(c) The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
Common Shares, Preferred Shares, other equity securities of the Company, debt
securities of the Company, other property or any combination of the foregoing,
in each case having an aggregate Current Market Price on the Redemption Date
equal to the Redemption Price.
SECTION 24. EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS.
(a) At any time during the period of 180 days after a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, the Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, authorize and
direct the exchange of all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding
Rights for Common Shares, one one-hundredths of Preferred Shares, debt
securities of the Company, other property, or any combination of the foregoing,
in each case having an aggregate Current Market Price equal to the result
obtained by (i) multiplying the Current Market Price per Common Share on the
record date for such exchange by the number of Common Shares for which a Right
is exercisable on such record date and (ii) subtracting from such product the
Exercise Price on such Record Date (the "Exchange Ratio"), and the Company shall
so exchange the Rights.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
authorizing and directing the exchange of the Rights pursuant to subsection (a)
of this Section 24, or at such time and date thereafter as it may specify, and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise Rights
shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be
to receive the securities described in Section 24(a) in accordance with the
Exchange Ratio. Within ten (10) Business Days after the date of such action,
the Company shall give notice of such exchange to the holders of Rights by
mailing such notice to all holders of Rights at their last addresses as they
appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, if prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common
Shares. Any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed
given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but neither the failure
to give any such notice nor any defect therein shall affect the legality or
validity of such exchange. Each such notice of exchange shall state the method
by which the Rights will be exchanged.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the aggregate number
of Common Shares that are authorized by the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended from time to time, but not outstanding or reserved for
issuance for purposes other than upon exercise or exchange of the Rights is less
than the aggregate number of Common Shares issuable upon the exchange of the
Rights in accordance with this Section 24 (the excess of such number of
authorized Common Shares over and above such number of issuable Common Shares
being hereinafter referred to as the "Unavailable Exchange Shares"), then the
Company shall substitute for the pro rata portion of the Unavailable Exchange
Shares that would otherwise be issuable upon the exchange of the Rights in
accordance with this Section 24 (i) cash, (ii) other equity securities of the
Company (including, without limitation, Common Share Equivalents), (iii) debt
securities of the Company, (iv) other property or (v) any combination of the
foregoing, in each case having an aggregate Current Market Price equal to the
aggregate Current Market Price of the Unavailable Exchange Shares for which
substitution is made. Subject to Section 7(d) hereof, in
27
<PAGE>
the event that the Company takes any action pursuant to this Section 24, such
action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights.
SECTION 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.
(a) In the event that the Company shall propose (i) to declare or pay any
dividend on or make any distribution with respect to its Common Shares or
Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer
to the holders of its Common Shares or Preferred Shares options, rights or
warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares thereof or shares
of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to
effect any reclassification of its Common Shares or Preferred Shares (other than
a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares),
(iv) to effect any consolidation or merger with or into, or to effect any sale
or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any
sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the
assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole)
to, any other Person or Persons, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Company, then and in each such case, the Company shall give
to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of such proposed action that shall specify the record date for the
purpose of such dividend or distribution, or the date upon 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 record of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, if any such
date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 20 days prior to the record date
for determining holders of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares for purposes of
such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 20 days prior to
the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, whichever date
shall be the earlier. The failure to give the notice required by this
Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of
the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.
(b) Upon the occurrence of each Section 11(a)(ii) Event and each
Section 13(a) Event, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to
each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, specifying the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Sections 11 and 13 hereof.
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:
Willis Lease Finance Corporation
2320 Marinship Way, Suite 300
Sausalito, California 94965
Attention: Corporate Secretary
28
<PAGE>
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made to or on the Rights Agent (i) by the
Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent, postage prepaid, by
registered or certified mail, addressed to the principal office of the Rights
Agent as set forth below (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company) or (ii) by the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently
given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the
principal office of the Rights Agent as set forth below (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company), and shall be deemed given upon actual
receipt. The Company hereby agrees that it shall encourage the holders of the
Right Certificates, in any and all writings to such holders regarding the Rights
or this Agreement, to give or make any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement by registered or certified mail, addressed to the principal office of
the Rights Agent as follows (until another address is filed in writing with the
Company):
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
40 Wall Street, 46th Floor
New York, New York 10005
Notices 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.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, from time to time, without
the approval of any holders of Rights, supplement or amend any provision of this
Agreement in any manner, whether or not such supplement or amendment is adverse
to any holder of Rights, and direct the Rights Agent so to supplement or amend
such provision, and the Rights Agent shall so supplement or amend such
provision; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that from and after the earliest of (i) the date
of the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event, (ii) the date of the first Section 13(a)
Event, (iii) the Redemption Date or (iv) the Expiration Date, this Agreement
shall not be supplemented or amended in any manner that would materially and
adversely affect any holder of outstanding Rights other than a 15% Stockholder
or a Surviving Person.
(b) From and after the earlier of the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii)
Event or the date of the first Section 13(a) Event and prior to the Rights
Expiration Date, the Company shall not effect any amendment to the Certificate
of Designations for the Preferred Shares that would materially and adversely
affect the rights, privileges or preferences of the Preferred Shares without the
prior approval of the holders of two-thirds or more of the then outstanding
Rights. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no
supplement or amendment that changes the rights and duties of the Rights Agent
under this Agreement in any manner adverse to the Rights Agent will be effective
against the Rights Agent without the execution of such supplement or amendment
by the Rights Agent.
SECTION 28. CERTAIN COVENANTS.
Subject to Section 27 hereof and the other provisions of this Agreement,
from and after the earlier of the date of the first Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
the date of the first Section 13(a)
29
<PAGE>
Event and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Rights Expiration
Date, the Company shall not (a) issue or sell, or permit any Subsidiary to issue
or sell, to a 15% Stockholder or a Surviving Person, or any Affiliate or
Associate of a 15% Stockholder or a Surviving Person, or any Person holding
Voting Shares of the Company that are Beneficially Owned by a 15% Stockholder or
a Surviving Person, (i) any rights, options, warrants or convertible securities
on terms similar to, or that materially adversely affect the value of, the
Rights or (ii) Preferred Shares, Common Shares or shares of any other class of
capital stock, if such sale is intended to or would materially adversely affect
the value of the Rights, or (b) take any other action that is intended to or
would materially adversely affect the value of the Rights.
SECTION 29. 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 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other
than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right
Certificates (other than those representing Rights that have become null and
void) and the certificates for Common Shares representing Rights (other than
those Rights that have become null and void) any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and such registered
holders of Right Certificates and certificates for Common Shares representing
Rights.
SECTION 31. SEVERABILITY.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held
by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall
in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
SECTION 32. 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 Delaware and for all
purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such
state applicable to contracts made and performed entirely within such state.
SECTION 33. COUNTERPARTS.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each such
counterpart shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original and all such
counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS.
Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Agreement are inserted
for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction
of any of the provisions hereof.
30
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
Attest:
By: /s/ Rae A. Capps By: /s/ Charles F. Willis, IV
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
Name: Rae A. Capps, Esq. Name: Charles F. Willis, IV
Title: Senior Vice President, Title: President and Chief Executive
General Counsel and Officer
Corporate Secretary
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST
COMPANY, as Rights Agent
Attest:
By: /s/ Susan Silber By: /s/ Herbert J. Lemmer
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
Name: Susan Silber Name: Herbert J. Lemmer
Title: Assistant Secretary Title: Vice President
31
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
OF
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING
PREFERRED STOCK
(PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE)
OF
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
--------------------------------
PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
--------------------------------
We, Charles F. Willis, IV, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Rae
A. Capps, Esq., Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
of Willis Lease Finance Corporation, a company organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the "COMPANY"), in accordance
with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the
Company (the "BOARD OF DIRECTORS") by the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Company (the "CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION"), and in accordance with the
provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, as amended (the "GCL"), the Board of Directors, on September 15, 1999,
adopted the following resolution creating a series of its Preferred Stock, par
value $.01 per share:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors of the Company by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of
Directors hereby designates 200,000 shares of the preferred stock, par value
$.01 per share, of the Company as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock" (the "PREFERRED SHARES"), and the powers, designations, preferences and
relative, participating, optional and other rights of the Preferred Shares and
the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, be, and they hereby
are, as set forth below:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the number of
shares constituting such series so designated shall be 200,000 (the "SERIES A
PREFERRED STOCK"). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by
resolution of the Board of Directors; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no decrease shall
reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than
the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for
issuance upon the
<PAGE>
exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of
any outstanding securities issued by the Company convertible into Series A
Preferred Stock.
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(a) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of
Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the
Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of Common
Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "COMMON STOCK"), of the Company, and of any
other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by
the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly
dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and
December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a "QUARTERLY
DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred
Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater
of (i) $.25 per share ($1.00 per annum) or (ii) subject to the provision for
adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend
payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock
since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect
to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any
share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the
Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such event the
amount to which the holder of each share of Series A Preferred Stock was
entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(b) The Company shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A
Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section 2 immediately after
it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, in the
event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock
during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $.25 per share ($1.00
per annum) on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such
shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, in which event dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue
2
<PAGE>
from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to
receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative
from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall
cumulate but shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board
of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days
prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(a) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Company. In the
event the Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination
or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification
or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the
number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying
such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended (the "CHARTER"), in any other certificate of
designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or by
law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares
of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Company having general voting
rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
stockholders of the Company.
(c) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders
of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote
with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.
Section 4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether
or not authorized or declared, on shares of Series
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<PAGE>
A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Company shall
not, directly or indirectly:
(i) authorize, declare or pay dividends on, or make any other
distributions with respect to, any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Stock;
(ii) authorize, declare or pay dividends on, or make any other
distributions with respect to, any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either
as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series
A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock
and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares
of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the
Company may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such
junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Company ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity
with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to
all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after
consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights
and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good
faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.
(b) The Company shall not permit any subsidiary of the Company to purchase
or otherwise acquire for consideration, directly or indirectly, any shares of
stock of the Company unless the Company could, under paragraph (a) of this
Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such
manner.
Section 5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever shall be
retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares
shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred
Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to
the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Charter, in
any other certificate of designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or
any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. Upon any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, no distribution shall be made to:
(i) the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
have received the greater of (A) $100.00 per share ($1.00 per one one-hundredth
of a share), plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, or
(B) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be
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<PAGE>
distributed per share of Common Stock to holders thereof; or (ii) the holders of
shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except
distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity
stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares
are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the
Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such event the
aggregate amount to which each holder of a share of Series A Preferred Stock was
entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (i) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR OTHER. In the event the Company shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property or otherwise changed, then in any
such event each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate
amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind),
as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged. In the event the Company shall at any time declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a
subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then
in each such event the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect
to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and
the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
not be redeemable.
Section 9. RANK. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series or
classes of the Company's Preferred Stock whether issued before or after the
issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 10. AMENDMENT. The Charter shall not be amended in any manner
that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights
of the Series A Preferred Stock, as set forth herein, so as to affect them
adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of
the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single
class.
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<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate is executed on behalf of the Company
by its President and Chief Executive Officer and attested by its Corporate
Secretary this ___ day of _____________, 1999.
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
By:
-----------------------------------
Name: Charles F. Willis, IV
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Attest:
By:
---------------------------
Title: Corporate Secretary
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<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. _____ __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER THE LATER OF OCTOBER 12, 2009 OR THE TENTH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISTRIBUTION DATE (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
REDEMPTION AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY
A 15% STOCKHOLDER OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF A 15% STOCKHOLDER
(AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT AND AS THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR ANY SUBSEQUENT
HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS
REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED TO A PERSON WHO WAS
A 15% STOCKHOLDER OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF A 15% STOCKHOLDER.
THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME
VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.](*)
Right Certificate
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
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 September 24, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement") between Willis
Lease Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and American
Stock Transfer and Trust Company, a trust company organized under the laws of
the State of New York (the "Rights 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 P.M., California time, on the later of October 12,
2009 or the tenth anniversary of the Distribution Date at the office or agency
of the Rights Agent at 40 Wall Street, 46th Floor, New York, New York 10005, or
at the office of its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully
paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, $.01
par value
- ---------------------------
(*) That portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
2
<PAGE>
(the "Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at an exercise price of $70.00 per
Right (the "Exercise Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right
Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Exercise Price and the number of
Preferred Shares that 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
Rights Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the
principal executive offices of Willis Lease Finance Corporation and the
above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office or agency of the Rights Agent at 40 Wall Street, 46th
Floor, New York, New York 10005, 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 Preferred Shares 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, but are not required to, be redeemed by the
Company at a redemption price of $.001 per Right.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions that are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election
of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof, a
cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of
any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until
the Right or Rights evidenced by this 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 _______________.
ATTEST: WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
---------------------------- ----------------------------
Corporate Secretary President
Countersigned:
3
<PAGE>
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY,
as Rights Agent
By:
------------------------------
Title:
------------------------------
4
<PAGE>
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 Certificate.)
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: ____________________, ____
-------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
The Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution
(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions with
membership in an approved Signature Guarantee Medallion Program) pursuant to SEC
Rule 17Ad-15.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by a 15% Stockholder or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
--------------------------------
Signature
(Signature must conform in all respects
to name of holder as specified on the
face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate.)
TO WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ___________________
Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares or
other securities issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that
certificates for such Preferred Shares or other securities be issued in the
following name:
(please print name, address and social security,
tax identification 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 print name, address and social security,
tax identification or other identifying number:
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
Dated:
---------------------
--------------------------------
Signature
(Signature must conform in all respects
to name of holder as specified on the
face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever)
6
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
Signature Guarantee:
The Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution
(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions with
membership in an approved Signature Guarantee Medallion Program) pursuant to SEC
Rule 17Ad-15.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not Beneficially Owned by a 15% Stockholder or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
--------------------------------
Signature
(Signature must conform in all respects
to name of holder as specified on the
face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signatures in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election 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.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Forms of Assignment
and Election is not completed, the Company will deem the Beneficial Owner of the
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be a 15% Stockholder or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the
case of an Assignment, will affix a legend to that effect on any Right
Certificates issued in exchange for this Right Certificate.
7
