<PAGE>
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) July 23, 1997
Integrated Technology USA, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 001-12127 22-3136782
(State or Other (Commission File number) (IRS Employer
Jurisdiction of Identification No.)
Incorporation)
107 West Tryon Avenue 07666
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (201) 837-8000
<PAGE>
Item 5. Other Events
Adoption of Rights Plan
On July 23, 1997, the Board of Directors of Integrated
Technology USA, Inc. (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one
Right for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of
the Company ("Common Stock"). The dividend is payable to holders of record of
Common Stock at the close of business on August 4, 1997. Except as described
below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder
to purchase from the Company one-quarter of one share of Common Stock at a price
of $1.50 (the "Purchase Price"). The description and terms of the Rights are set
forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and
American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificate will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock
and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 days following a
public announcement that, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Rights
Plan, a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring
Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of
15% or more (25% in the case of a person that is currently a 15% holder) of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Accusation Date") or (ii) 10
business days following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer
that would result in a person or group beneficially owning 15% or more of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights
will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with
and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates
issued after July 23, 1997 or new issuances will contain a notation
incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for
transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at the close of business on July 23, 2007, unless earlier redeemed
or extended by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the
close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights
Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Shares of Common Stock issued
after the
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Distribution Date will be issued with Rights if such shares are issued pursuant
to the exercise of stock options or under an employee benefit plan, or upon the
conversion of securities issued after adoption of the Rights Agreement. Except
as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, no other shares of Common
Stock issued after the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person (unless
such acquisition is made pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for all
outstanding shares of the Company, at a price determined by a majority of the
independent Directors of the Company who are not representatives, nominees,
Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person, after receiving advice from one
or more investment banking firms, to be fair and otherwise in the best interest
of the company and its stockholders), each holder of a Right will thereafter
have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Stock (or, in certain
circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company), having a
value equal to two times the Exercise Price of the Right. The Exercise Price is
the Purchase Price times the number of shares of Common Stock associated with
each Right (initially, one-quarter of one share). Notwithstanding any of the
foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this
paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null
and void. However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of any of
the events set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer
redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
In the event that following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not
the surviving corporation (other than a merger that follows a tender offer
determined to be fair to the stockholders of the Company, as described in the
preceding paragraph) or (ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning
power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which have
previously been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise of the Right, common stock of the acquiring company
having a value equal to two times the Exercise Price of the Right.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Common
Stock or other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution as provided in the
Rights Agreement. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued and, in
lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of
the Common Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
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At any time until 10 days following the Stock Acquisition
Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of
one-eighth of a cent per Right. Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price. The
foregoing notwithstanding, the Rights generally may not be redeemed for one
hundred eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of the Board as a
result of a proxy contest.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights
will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may,
depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the
Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of the
Company as set forth above.
The Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors
of the Company to the extent provided in the Rights Agreement.
The Rights Agreement, dated as of July 23, 1997, between the
Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent, specifying the
terms of the Rights is attached hereto as an exhibit and are incorporated herein
by reference. The foregoing description of the Rights is qualified in its
entirety by reference to such exhibits.
Item 7.
(c) Exhibits
4 Form of Rights Agreement, dated as of July 23, 1997,
between Integrated Technology USA, Inc. and American
Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent, including
all exhibits thereto.
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SIGNATURES
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 on this 24th day of July, 1997.
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.
By: /s/ Barry L. Eisenberg
----------------------
Name: Barry L. Eisenberg
Title: Secretary and Treasurer
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INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.
and
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO.
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of July 23, 1997
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Table of Contents
Section Page
<S> <C>
Section 1. Certain Definitions......................................................... 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent................................................. 6
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates................................................ 6
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates................................................. 8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration........................................... 10
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination
and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost
or Stolen Rights Certificates............................................... 10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price;
Expiration Date of Rights................................................... 12
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of
Rights Certificates......................................................... 14
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of
Common Stock................................................................ 15
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date.................................................... 17
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number
and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights...................................... 18
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price
or Number of Shares........................................................ 29
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or
Transfer of Assets or Earning Power......................................... 29
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares..................................... 33
Section 15. Rights of Action............................................................ 35
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders................................................. 35
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed
a Stockholder............................................................... 36
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent................................................. 36
</TABLE>
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Section Page
<S> <C>
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or
Change of Name of Rights Agent.............................................. 37
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent...................................................... 38
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent...................................................... 41
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates......................................... 42
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.................................................. 43
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events.................................................... 44
Section 25. Notices..................................................................... 45
Section 26. Supplements and Amendments.................................................. 46
Section 27. Successors.................................................................. 47
Section 28. Determinations and Actions
by the Board of Directors, etc.............................................. 47
Section 29. Benefits of This Agreement.................................................. 48
Section 30. Severability................................................................ 48
Section 31. Governing Law............................................................... 48
Section 32. Counterparts................................................................ 49
Section 33. Descriptive Headings........................................................ 49
Exhibit A -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit B -- Summary of Rights to Purchase
Common Stock
</TABLE>
ii
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of July 23, 1997 (the "Agreement"),
between INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on July 23, 1997 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") authorized and
declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each share of common stock,
par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding at the
close of business on August 4, 1997 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the
issuance of one Right (as such number may be hereinafter adjusted pursuant to
the terms hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between
the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's
treasury) and the Distribution Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof) and, in
certain circumstances, provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution
Date, each Right initially representing the right to purchase one-quarter of one
share of Common Stock upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter
set forth (the "Rights").
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes
of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding,
but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii)
any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company,
(iv) any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan; provided,
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however, that the foregoing definition shall be subject to the following
qualifications:
(i) an Exempted Person shall not be become an Acquiring Person
unless such Exempted Person, together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Exempted Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of
25% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding;
(ii) no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the
result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by
reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate
number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15% (25% in the
case of an Exempted Person) or more of the shares of Common Stock of
the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall
become the Beneficial Owner of 15%(25% in the case of an Exempted
Person) or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by
reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share
purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional
Common Stock of the Company constituting 1% or more of the Common Stock
outstanding as of the Close of business on the date that such Person
first becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15%(25% in the case of an
Exempted Person) or more of the Common Stock of the Company, then such
Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person"; and
(iii) if the Board determines in good faith that a Person who
would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" became such inadvertently
(including, without limitation, because (x) such Person was unaware
that it beneficially owned a percentage of Common Stock that would
otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring Person" or (y) such
Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial ownership of Common
Stock but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such
Beneficial ownership under this Agreement) and without any intention of
changing or influencing control of the company, and if such person as
promptly as practicable divested or divests itself of Beneficial
ownership of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that
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such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person, then such Person
shall not be deemed to be or to have become an "Acquiring Person" for
any purposes of this Agreement.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect
on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of
time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether
or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of,
or to "beneficially own," (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender
or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of
Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or
(C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the
occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the
Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) hereof or Section 22
hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in
connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of
or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3
of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including
pursuant to any
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agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing;
provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial
Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any security under this subpara-
graph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to
vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A)
arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public
proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with,
the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor
report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which
such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing),
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a
revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of
this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting securities of the
Company;
provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a person
engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial
Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any securities acquired through such
person's participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the
expiration of 40 days after the date of such acquisition.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is
not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
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(f) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value $.01
per share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with reference
to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person
with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity
interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.
(g) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning ascribed to
such term in Section 11(d) hereof.
(h) "Exempted Person" shall mean any Person who is the
Beneficial Owner, on the date hereof, of securities representing 15% or more of
the shares of Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof (excluding any such
Person who has failed to disclose such Beneficial Ownership in violation of any
provision of the Exchange Act).
(i) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm,
corporation, partnership or other entity.
(j) "Section 11 Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(k) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clause (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(l) "Stock Acquisition 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) under the Exchange
Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become
such.
(m) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least
a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(n) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11 Event or any
Section 13 Event.
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Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the
Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with
the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such
appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as
it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the
tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on the
Record Date) or (ii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such
later date as the Board shall determine) after the date that a tender or
exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given
within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding
(the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution
Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph
(b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in
the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common
Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate
certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with
the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to
the Company). As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company
will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign and the Company will
send or in writing instruct the Rights Agent to send by first-class, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the close of
business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the
form of Exhibit A hereto (the
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"Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so
held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment
in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to
Section 11(i) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates,
the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in
accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) and will provide written notice thereof to
the Rights Agent, so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of
Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of
and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such
Rights Certificates.
(b) At the request of any holder of Common Stock, the Company
will send to such holder a copy of a Summary of Rights attached hereto as
Exhibit B by first-class, postage prepaid mail to the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common
Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock and the registered
holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the
associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration
Date (as such term is defined in Section 7 hereof), the transfer of any
certificates representing shares of Common Stock in respect of which Rights have
been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with
such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or delivered from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date or, in certain circumstances provided
in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date. Certificates representing
such shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights,
and shall bear the following legend or such similar legend as the Company may
deem appropriate and as is not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law, with any
rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any
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stock exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market on which the Rights may from time to
time be listed or included:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
Integrated Technology USA, Inc., and the Rights Agent thereunder (the
"Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein
by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive
offices of Integrated Technology USA, Inc. Under certain circumstances,
as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by
separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. Integrated Technology USA, Inc., will mail to the holder
of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge
promptly upon receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to or
held by any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), whether then held by or on behalf of such Person or by any
subsequent holder, may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the
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provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market on which the
Rights may from time to time be listed or included, or to conform to usage.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights
Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on
their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of shares
of Common Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein
(the "Purchase Price"), but the number of shares or other property purchasable
upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject
to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring
Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoid-
ance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to
Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or
adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall
contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate
and the Rights represented hereby
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may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section
7(e) of the Rights Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the
Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Rights Certificates shall be 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 Rights Certificates
shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the
Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates,
nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered
by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed
such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and
any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who,
at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a
proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the
date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an
officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will
keep or cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face
by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights
Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and
Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e)
and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or
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prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or
Certificates (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that have
become void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) may be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling
the registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Common Stock (or,
following a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other
assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates
surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a
transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up,
combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such
request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the principal office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take
any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered
Rights Certificate or Certificates until the registered holder shall have
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment set
forth on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided
such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b),
Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person
entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Certificates, as the case may be, as
so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of
evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or
mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction,
of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's
request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute
and deliver a new
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Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and
delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost,
stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price;
Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of
any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)
hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon
surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and
the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent
at the principal office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total
number of shares of Common Stock (or other securities, cash or other assets, as
the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or
prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on July 23, 2007 (the "Final
Expiration Date") or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided
in Section 23 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as
the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one-quarter of a share of
Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $1.50 and
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and
13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on
the reverse side thereof duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to
each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(l)
hereof, thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares
of Common Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent
for the Common Stock) certificates for the total number of shares of
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Common Stock to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its
transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) requisition from the
Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares of
Common Stock in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such
certificates, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names
as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver
such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified
bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that
the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash
and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company
will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or
other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence
of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be
exercised so that only whole shares of Common Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the
Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of
such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated
by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person
becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person becom-
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ing such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or
not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests
in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further
action, and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with
respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or
otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the
provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but
shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as
a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring
Person or any of its respective Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form
of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate
surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise,
transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation
or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled
by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as
expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company
shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the
Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate
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<PAGE>
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.
The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company,
or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights
Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction
thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of
Common Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common
Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities) or out
of any authorized and issued shares held in its treasury, the number of shares
of Common Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of
Common Stock and/or other securi ties) that, as provided in this Agreement
including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise
in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Common Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of Common Stock and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be
listed on any national securities exchange or quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market,
the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the
Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it is reasonably likely
that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be
listed on such exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market upon official notice of
issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as
soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Section 11 Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this agreement (including
in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof), or as soon as is required by law
following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with
respect to the
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Common Stock or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an
appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as
soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration
statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of
which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such shares of Common Stock or
other securities, and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company will also take such
action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities
or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability
of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to
exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first
sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to
prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective.
Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating
that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well
as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is
required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend
the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has
been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration
statement shall not have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all
such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Common Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of Common Stock and/or
other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase
Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees
that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal
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<PAGE>
and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the
issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for
shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may
be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to
pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery
of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of
shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may
be) in respect of a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights
Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver
any certificates for shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered
holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax shall have been paid (any
such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificates at the time of
surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's satisfaction that
no such tax is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose
name any certificate for shares of Common Stock (or other securities, as the
case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be
deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares of Common Stock (or
other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evi-
dencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and
all applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of
such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Common Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company
are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such
shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day
on which the Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case
may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the
Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be
entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares
for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the
right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exer-
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cise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of
any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares
covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time
after the date of this Agreement (A) de clare a dividend on the Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding
Common Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Common Stock (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which
the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as
otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the
Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such
dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Common Stock or
capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised
after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the
Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares
of Common Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time
when the Common Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he would
have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of
such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided,
however, that if the record date for any such dividend, subdivision,
combination or reclassification shall occur prior to the Distribution
Date, the Company shall make an appropriate adjustment to the Purchase
Price (taking into account any additional Rights which may be issued as
a result of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification), in lieu of
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<PAGE>
adjusting (as described above) the number of shares of Common Stock (or
other capital stock, as the case may be) issuable upon exercise of the
Rights. If an event occurs which 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 any Person, at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date, shall be or become an Acquiring
Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring
Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or is an
acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or
exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price
and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the
Board who are not officers of the Company and who are not
representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring
Person, after receiving advice from one or more investment banking
firms, to be (A) at a price which is fair to stockholders (taking into
account all factors which such members of the Board deem relevant,
including, without limitation, prices which could reasonably be
achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis
designed to realize maximum value) and (B) otherwise in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders (a "Qualified Offer")
then, promptly following the occurrence of any such event, proper
provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as
provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase
Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of
shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result
obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then
number of quarter shares of Common Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11
Event, and (y) dividing that product (such product, following such
first occurrence, shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" with
respect to each Right for all purposes of this
19
<PAGE>
Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock
on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares is herein
called the "Adjustment Shares"); provided that the Purchase Price and
the number of Adjustment Shares shall be further adjusted as provided
in this Agreement to reflect any event occurring after the date of such
first occurrence.
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock
which is authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation but
not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full
of the Rights in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii), the Company shall:
(A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares
issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2)
the Purchase Price (such excess is herein called the "Spread"), and (B)
with respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for
the Adjustment Shares, upon exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or
units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board has deemed to have
the same value as shares of Common Stock (such shares or units of
shares of preferred stock are referred to herein as "common stock
equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets,
or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value
equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been
determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided,
however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to
deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days
following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event
and (y) the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to
Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to
herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall
be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
without requiring payment of
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<PAGE>
the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available)
and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an
aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board shall determine in
good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of
Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of
the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended
to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the
Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares
(such period, as it may be extended, the "Substitution Period"). To the
extent that the Company determines that some action should be taken
pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section
11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e)
hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding
Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the
expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any
authorization of additional securities and/or to de cide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first
sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that
the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of
the Common Stock shall be the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any
"common stock equivalent" shall be deemed to have the same value as the
Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to holders of
Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring
within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Common Stock (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Common Stock
("equivalent common stock")) or securities convertible into Common Stock or
equivalent common stock at a price
21
<PAGE>
per share of Common Stock or per share of equivalent common stock (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common Stock or
equivalent common stock) less than the Current Market Price per share of Common
Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record
date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the
number of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of shares of Common Stock and/or equivalent common stock so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so
to be offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator
of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Common Stock and/or
equivalent common stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible).
In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part
or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such
consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Shares of
Common Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed
outstand ing for the purpose of any such computation. Such ad justment shall be
made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that
such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record
date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Common Stock (including any such distribution
made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular
quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the
Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Common Stock, but including
any dividend payable in stock other than Common Stock) or subscription rights,
options or warrants
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<PAGE>
(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof that allow purchases for a
period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date),
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price per
share of Common Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent
and the holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences
of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights, options or
warrants applicable to a share of Common Stock and the denominator of which
shall be such Current Market Price per share of Common Stock. Such adjustments
shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the
event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record
date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereun der, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current Market
Price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average
of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30)
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current Market Price" per share of the Common Stock on
any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share
of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately
following such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current
Market Price per share of the Common Stock is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of the Common Stock of (i) any dividend
or distribution on such Common Stock, payable in shares of such Common Stock or
securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights),
or (ii) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock,
and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date
for such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall occur during the
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the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day period or ten (10) Trading Day period, as
set forth above, then, and in each such case, the "Current Market Price" shall
be properly adjusted by the Board in good faith to take into account ex-dividend
trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular
way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock Exchange or, if the shares
of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the American Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange
on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the
shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of
the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported on
the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are
not quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the average of the closing bid and asked
prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common
Stock selected by the Board. If on any such date no market maker is making a
market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term "Trading Day"
shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which
the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the
transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the
Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, "Current Market
Price" per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith
by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would
require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase
Price; provided, however, that any adjustments
24
<PAGE>
which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be
carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All
calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the
nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or
(ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Common
Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of
any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from
time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the
provisions with respect to the shares of Common Stock contained in Sections
11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of
Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Common Stock shall apply
on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number (or fraction) of shares of
Common Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
shares of Common Stock (calculated to the nearest ten-thousandth) obtained by
(i) multiplying (x) the number of shares covered by a Right immediately prior to
this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase
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Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any
adjustment in the number (or fraction) of shares of Common Stock purchasable
upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the
adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number (or
fraction) of shares of Common Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediate-
ly prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment
of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the
nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in
effect immediate ly after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall
make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights,
indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the
amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which
the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights
Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the
date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon
each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates
evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of
the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in
substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided
for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase
Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
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(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number (or fraction) of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per share and the number of
shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any
corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in
order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable shares of Common Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
the shares of Common Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the shares of Common Stock
and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment;
provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or
other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such
additional shares of Common Stock and other capital stock or securities upon
the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board
shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Common Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of
Common Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for
cash of shares of Common Stock or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, (iv) stock
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dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Common Stock shall
not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section
11(p) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), or
(iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(p) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instru ments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26
hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such
action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish
substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date consolidate
with, or merge with or into, any other Person for the primary purpose of a
change of domicile of the Company, and, in connection
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with such consolidation or merger, all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall be changed into or exchanged for shares of Common Stock of the surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger (the "Surviving Corporation"), then
proper provision shall be made so that Rights shall be associated with each
share of Common Stock of the Surviving Corporation, except as provided in
Section 7(e) hereof, such that the number of Rights associated with each share
of Common Stock of the Surviving Corporation following any such event shall
equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with
each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the
numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator
of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Surviving
Corporation which the shares of Common Stock were changed into or exchanged for
pursuant to the consolidation or merger. Following such a consolidation or
merger, this Agreement shall remain in effect and all references to the Company
shall be deemed to be references to the Surviving Corporation.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section
13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth
such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts and methodology accounting
for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each
transfer agent for the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) if
deemed appropriate by the Company, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder
of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder
of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section
25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such
certificate and on any adjustment therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or
Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
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transaction which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), and the Company shall not
be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y)
any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(p) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or
into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such
consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other
Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise
transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer),
in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of
which complies with Section 11(p) hereof), then, and in each such case (ex cept
as may be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made
so that (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely
tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is
hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first
refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of quarter shares of
Common Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11 Event has occurred prior
to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event by the
number of quarter shares of Common Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such first occurrence of a Section 11 Event) and (2)
dividing that product (such product following the first occurrence of a Section
13 Event shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all
purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock of
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such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii)
such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company
pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Com pany" shall thereafter be deemed
to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party
shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the
consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the
provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may
be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall
be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or
(y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
issuer of any securities for or into which shares of Common Stock of
the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no
securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such
merger or consolidation; and
(ii)in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is
and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person;
and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more
than one Person,
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the Common Stock of two or more of which are and have been so registered,
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the
Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event
unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares
of its Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to
permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13
and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have
executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing
for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further
providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any such Section 13
Event, the Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and
will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A)
become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B)
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights
and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under blue
sky laws of such jurisdictions, as may be necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical
financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates
which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on
Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Section 13 Event
shall occur at any time after the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event, the
Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become
exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
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(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock
pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of
Common Stock which complies with the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof (or
a wholly-owned Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons), (ii) the price per
share of Common Stock offered in such transaction is not less than the price per
share of Common Stock paid to all holders of shares of Common Stock whose shares
were purchased pursuant to such tender offer or exchange offer, and (iii) the
form of consideration being offered to the remaining holders of shares of
Common Stock pursuant to such transaction is the same as the form of
consideration paid pursuant to such tender offer or exchange offer. Upon
consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this Section 13(d), all
Rights hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional
Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.
In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders
of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the
current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional
Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for
any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale
takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transac-
tion reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading
on the American Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to
trading on the American Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to
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securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported on the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if on any
such date the Rights are not quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the average of
the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker
making a market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date no such
market maker is making a market in the Rights the fair value of the Rights on
such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares
of Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights
Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount
in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of
one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price per share of Common Stock
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
(d) Whenever a payment for fractional rights or fractional
shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare
and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth the facts related to
such payment and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such
payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of
fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully
protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect
to this Section 14 unless and until it shall have received such a certificate
and sufficient monies.
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Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent
pursuant to Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders
of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without
the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own
behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any
suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in
respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights
Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this
Agreement. Without limiting the fore going or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations
hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights
Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be transferable only in connection with the transfer
of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent and only if
surrendered at the principal office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer, with
the form of assignment set forth on the reverse side thereof and the certificate
contained therein duly completed and executed in a form reasonably acceptable to
the Rights Agent;
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem
and treat the person in whose name a Rights Certificate
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<PAGE>
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights
Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other
than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be required to be affected by any notice
to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enact ed by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its
best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise
overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to
vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the shares of
Common Stock or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything
contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the
holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of
the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any
matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other
actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 24 hereof), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
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(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 in the
absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the
Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection
with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs
and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights
Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it 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 counsel asset forth in Section 20 hereof.
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 stock transfer or corporate trust business of the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under
this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act
on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such
corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under
the provisions of Section 21
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hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the
agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Cer-
tificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been counter signed, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not
have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the
following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of
Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action
taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it reasonably necessary or desirable that
any fact, circumstance, calculation, or matter (including, without limitation,
the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
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determination of "Current Market Price") be proved or established by the Company
prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be
deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the
Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice
President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action
taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its
own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment or change in the exercisability
of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void) required under any of the
provisions of this Agreement, including Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or adjustment or
the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or
adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights
Certificates after actual notice of any such change or adjustment); nor shall it
by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authori-
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zation or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or other securities to be
issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any
shares of Common Stock or other securities will, when so issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing
by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the
President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the
Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company or any designee of any of
the foregoing, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in
connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or
suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any
such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securi ties of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction
in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from
acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents and may pay reasonable compensation to
such attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any
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such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, 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 perfor mance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its
rights unless indemnification is provided, reason ably satisfactory to the
Rights Agent, against such risk or liability and associated fees, costs, charges
and expenses.
(k) The Rights Agent shall have no responsibility to the
Company, any holders of Rights or any holders of Common Stock or other
securities for interest or earnings on any monies held by the Rights Agent
pursuant to this Agreement.
(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 the form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has
either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1
and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with
respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the
Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and
to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, by registered or certified mail, and
to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may
remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days'
notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the
case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become
incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.
If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty
(30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has
41
<PAGE>
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by any registered holder of a Rights Certificate
(who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by
the Company), then any registered holder of a Rights Certificate or the Rights
Agent may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a
new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company
or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or New Jersey (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business in the State of New York or New Jersey), in good standing, having
a principal office in the State of New York or New Jersey which is authorized
under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision
or examination by federal or state authority. 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
exe cute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary
for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent
and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give
any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein,
shall not affect the legality or validity of the Rights, Rights Agreement or the
resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the
contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evi-
dencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board to reflect any
adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of
shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates
made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in
connection with the
42
<PAGE>
issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and
prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall,
with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the
exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or
awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or
exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any
other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights
Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with
such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate
shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by
counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse
tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate
would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to
the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu
of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the
earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day following the Stock
Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to
the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth day following the Record
Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the
then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.00125 per Right, as such
amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend
or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price
being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be
exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11 Event until such time as
the Company's right of redemption set forth in the first sentence of this
Section 23(a) has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption
Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price of the
Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration
deemed appropriate by the Board.
43
<PAGE>
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, written evidence of which shall have been filed with
the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so
held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the
Rights, the Company shall give written notice of such redemption to the Rights
Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to
all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the registry
books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry
books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in
the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder
receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by
which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23(a) hereof, in
the event that a majority of the Board is elected by stockholder action by
written consent, or is comprised of persons elected at a meeting of stockholders
who were not nominated by the Board in office immediately prior to such meeting,
then for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days following the
effectiveness of such election the Rights shall not be redeemed if such
redemption is reasonably likely to have the purpose or effect of allowing any
Person to become an Acquiring Person or otherwise facilitating the occurrence of
a Triggering Event or a transaction with an Acquiring Person.
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Common Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Common Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Common
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Common Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights
or options, or
44
<PAGE>
(iii) to effect any reclassification of its Common Stock (other than a
reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Common
Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(p) hereof), 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 transaction or a series of related 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 (other than the Company and/or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section
11(q) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a
Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25
hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date
for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or
the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer,
liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Common Stock, if any such
date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the shares of Common Stock for purposes
of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20)
days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Common Stock, whichever
shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11 Event shall occur, then, in any
such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with
Section 25 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify
the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 25. Notices. Notices or demands
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
45
<PAGE>
Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company
shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered personally, sent by confirmed
telecopy, sent by overnight courier or sent by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
Rights Agent) as follows:
Integrated Technology USA, Inc.
107 West Tryon Avenue
Teaneck, New Jersey 07666
Attention: President
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
delivered personally, sent by confirmed telecopy, sent by overnight courier or
sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Co.
40 Wall Street
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 or on the holder of any Rights Certificate (or,
if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if delivered
personally, sent by confirmed telecopy, sent by overnight courier or 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 26. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the
Distribution Date the Company may and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approv-
al of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock and
associated Rights. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company may and
the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this
Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order to
(i) cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained
herein
46
<PAGE>
which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or
(iii) shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or otherwise change or
supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem
necessary or desirable; provided, however, that this Agreement may not be
supplemented or amended pursuant to this clause (iii)in any manner that would
adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery
of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company stating that the
proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section
26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock. The foregoing
notwithstanding, the Rights Agreement may not be amended at any time that the
Rights are not redeemable pursuant to Section 23(c)hereof.
Section 27. 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 here-
under.
Section 28. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors, etc. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of shares of Common Stock or any other class of capital stock outstanding
at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular
percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the
Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3d(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The
Board of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer
this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to
the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the
administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and
power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to
amend the Agreement). All such actions,
47
<PAGE>
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purpose of
clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or
made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on
the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties,
and may be fully relied upon by the Rights Agent and (y) not subject the Board
to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
Section 29. Benefits of This Agreement. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board determines
in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this
Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the
right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and
shall not expire until the close of business on the tenth day following the date
of such determination by the Board.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each
Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under
the laws of the 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 to be performed entirely within such state.
48
<PAGE>
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of
the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provi-
sions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.
By
-------------------------
Name:
Title:
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST CO.
By
-------------------------
Name:
Title:
49
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER July 23, 2007 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY. THE
RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.00125 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUM
STANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHT CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e)
OF SUCH AGREEMENT.](1)
Rights Certificate
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.
This certifies that , or registered
assigns, is the registered holder 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 July 23, 1997 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC., a Delaware corporation
(the "Com-
- --------
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be
inserted only if applicable and shall replace the
preceding sentence.
A-1
<PAGE>
pany"), and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M.
(New York City time) on July 23, 2007, at the principal office of the Rights
Agent designated for such purposes, one-quarter of one fully paid and
nonassessable share of common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common
Stock"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $1.50(the "Purchase Price"),
upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of
Election to Purchase set forth on the reverse hereof and the Certificate
contained therein duly executed. The Purchase Price shall be paid in cash. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, the number of shares of
Common Stock which may be purchased upon exercise thereof and the Purchase Price
set forth above are the number of Rights, number of shares of Common Stock and
Purchase Price as of the date the Rights Agreement was executed, based on the
Common Stock as constituted at such date, and are subject to adjustment upon the
happening of certain events as provided in the Rights Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11 Event (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Person, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in
the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, concurrently with or after
such transfer, became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any
such Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall
have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights from and after the
occurrence of such Section 11 Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and
the number of shares of Common Stock which may be purchased upon the exercise of
the Rights evidenced by this Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events (including a Section 11 Event).
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agree-
A-2
<PAGE>
ment, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is
hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights,
obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company
and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include
the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement
are on file at the office of the Company and are also available upon written
request to the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the
holder to purchase a like aggregate number of shares of Common Stock as the
Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered
shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be
exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof
another Rights Certificate or Certificates representing the number of whole
Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $.00125 per Right payable, at the election of the Company,
in cash, Common Stock, or such other consideration as the Board of Directors
may determine, at any time prior to the earlier of the close of business on (a)
the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition Date (as such time period may be
extended or shortened pursuant to the Rights Agreement) or (b) the Final
Expiration Date. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Rights generally may not be
redeemed for one hundred eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of
the Board as a result of a proxy contest.
The Company is not required to issue any fractional shares
of Common Stock upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but
in lieu thereof may make a cash payment, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
A-3
<PAGE>
No holder, as such, of this Rights Certificate shall be
entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
the shares of Common Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may
at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in
the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as
such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of ,
ATTEST: INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA,
INC.
By
- ------------------------------- ----------------------------
Secretary Title:
Countersigned:
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO.
By
----------------------------
Authorized Signature
A-4
<PAGE>
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
Please print social security or other
identifying number of the transferor: __________________________
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ______________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
__________________________________________________________________
(Please print social security or other
identifying number of the transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the
within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full
power of substitution.
Dated:__________________________
__________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:__________________________
Signature must be guaranteed by an Eligible
Guarantor Institution as defined by SEC Rule 17Ad-15 (17
C.F.R. 240.17-Ad-15).
<PAGE>
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold,
assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are de-
fined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated:__________________________
__________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoev-
er.
The signature must be guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor
Institution as defined by SEC Rule 17Ad-15 (17 C.F.R. 240.17-Ad-15).
<PAGE>
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if the registered holder desires to
exercise Rights represented by the Rights
Certificate.)
To: INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY USA, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _______ Rights represented
by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any
other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests
that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of and delivered to:
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
Please insert social security
or other identifying number: ___________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Please insert social security
or other identifying number: ___________________________________________________
Dated: ____________________
______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed: ______________________________
Signature must be guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor
Institution as defined by SEC Rule 17Ad-15 (17 C.F.R. 240.17-Ad-15).
<PAGE>
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [
] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: _______________ ______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed: ____________________________________________
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any
change whatsoever.
The signature must be guaranteed by an Eligible Guarantor
Institution as defined by SEC Rule 17Ad-15 (17 C.F.R. 240.17-Ad-15).
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
COMMON STOCK
On July 23, 1997, the Board of Directors of Integrated
Technology USA, Inc. (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one
Right for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of
the Company ("Common Stock"). The dividend is payable to holders of record of
Common Stock at the close of business on August 4, 1997. Except as described
below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder
to purchase from the Company one-quarter of one share of Common Stock at a price
of $1.50 (the "Purchase Price"). The description and terms of the Rights are
set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company
and American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificate will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock
and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 days following a
public announcement that, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Rights
Plan, a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an "Acquiring
Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of
15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition
Date") or (ii) 10 business days following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning 15% or
more of such outstanding shares of Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date,
(i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and will be
transferred with and only with such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common
Stock certificates issued after July 23, 1997 or new issuances will contain a
notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender
for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented by such certificate.
B-1
<PAGE>
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date
and will expire at the close of business on July 23, 2007, unless earlier
redeemed or extended by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the
close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights
Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Shares of Common Stock issued
after the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights if such shares are issued
pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under an employee benefit plan, or
upon the conversion of securities issued after adoption of the Rights
Agreement. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, no other
shares of Common Stock issued after the Distribution Date will be issued with
Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person (unless
such acquisition is made pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for all
outstanding shares of the Company, at a price determined by a majority of the
Directors of the Company who are not officers of the Company and who are not
representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring Person,
after receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms, to be fair and
otherwise in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders), each holder
of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common
Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the
Company), having a value equal to two times the Exercise Price of the Right. The
Exercise Price is the Purchase Price times the number of shares of Common Stock
associated with each Right (initially, one-quarter of one share).
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of any of the
events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any
Acquiring Person will be null and void. However, Rights are not exercisable
following the occurrence of any of the events set forth above until such time as
the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
In the event that following the Stock Acquisition Date,
(i) the Company is acquired in a merger or
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consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than
a merger that follows a tender offer determined to be fair to the stockholders
of the Company, as described in the preceding paragraph) or (ii) 50% or more of
the Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a
Right (except Rights which have previously been voided as set forth above) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise of the Right, common stock
of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the Exercise Price of
the Right.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Common
Stock or other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Common Stock, (ii) if holders of the Common Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Common Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to
holders of the Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding
regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other
than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no adjustments in the
Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least
1% of the Purchase Price. The Company is not required to issue any fractional
shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of any Right or Rights, but in lieu
thereof may make an adjustment in cash based on the market price of the Common
Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
At any time until 10 days following the Stock Acquisition
Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of
one-eighth of a cent per Right. Immediately upon the action of the Board of
Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the
only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price. The
foregoing notwithstanding, the Rights generally may not be redeemed for one
hundred eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of the Board as a
result of a proxy contest.
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Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights
will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may,
depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that
the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of the
Company as set forth above.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended
by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After
the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by
the Board in order to cure any ambiguity or to make changes which do not
adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interest of
any Acquiring Person). The foregoing notwithstanding, no amendment shall be made
prior to the Distribution Date if at such time the Rights are not redeemable
following a change in a majority of the Board as a result of a proxy contest.
A copy of the Rights Agreement is being filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form
8-K. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Rights
Agent. This Summary Description of the Rights does not purport to be complete
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
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