COVAD COMMUNICATIONS GROUP INC
S-4, EX-99.2, 2000-08-10
TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH APPARATUS
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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2


Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

(a) Any stockholder of a corporation of this State who holds shares of stock on
the date of the making of a demand pursuant to subsection (d) of this section
with respect to such shares, who continuously holds such shares through the
effective date of the merger or consolidation, who has otherwise complied with
subsection (d) of this section and who has neither voted in favor of the merger
or consolidation nor consented thereto in writing pursuant to S 228 of this
title shall be entitled to an appraisal by the Court of Chancery of the fair
value of the stockholder's shares of stock under the circumstances described in
subsections (b) and (c) of this section. As used in this section, the word
"stockholder" means a holder of record of stock in a stock corporation and also
a member of record of a nonstock corporation; the words "stock" and "share" mean
and include what is ordinarily meant by those words and also membership or
membership interest of a member of a nonstock corporation; and the words
"depository receipt" mean a receipt or other instrument issued by a depository
representing an interest in one or more shares, or fractions thereof, solely of
stock of a corporation, which stock is deposited with the depository.

(b) Appraisal rights shall be available for the shares of any class or series of
stock of a constituent corporation in a merger or consolidation to be effected
pursuant to S 251 (other than a merger effected pursuant to S 251(g) of this
title), S 252, S 254, S 257, S 258, S 263 or S 264 of this title:

         (1) Provided, however, that no appraisal rights under this section
         shall be available for the shares of any class or series of stock,
         which stock, or depository receipts in respect thereof, at the record
         date fixed to determine the stockholders entitled to receive notice of
         and to vote at the meeting of stockholders to act upon the agreement of
         merger or consolidation, were either (i) listed on a national
         securities exchange or designated as a national market system security
         on an interdealer quotation system by the National Association of
         Securities Dealers, Inc. or (ii) held of record by more than 2,000
         holders; and further provided that no appraisal rights shall be
         available for any shares of stock of the constituent corporation
         surviving a merger if the merger did not require for its approval the
         vote of the stockholders of the surviving corporation as provided in
         subsection (f) of S 251 of this title.

         (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, appraisal rights
         under this section shall be available for the shares of any class or
         series of stock of a constituent corporation if the holders thereof are
         required by the terms of an agreement of merger or consolidation
         pursuant to SS 251, 252, 254, 257, 258, 263 and 264 of this title to
         accept for such stock anything except:

                  a. Shares of stock of the corporation surviving or resulting
                  from such merger or consolidation, or depository receipts
                  in respect thereof;

                  b. Shares of stock of any other corporation, or depository
                  receipts in respect thereof, which shares of stock (or
                  depository receipts in respect thereof) or depository receipts
                  at the effective date of the merger or consolidation will be
                  either listed on a national securities exchange or designated
                  as a national market system security on an interdealer
                  quotation system by the National Association of Securities
                  Dealers, Inc. or held of record by more than 2,000 holders;

                  c. Cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository
                  receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs a. and
                  b. of this paragraph; or

                  d. Any combination of the shares of stock, depository
                  receipts and cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional
                  depository receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs
                  a., b. and c. of this paragraph.

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         (3) In the event all of the stock of a subsidiary Delaware corporation
         party to a merger effected under S 253 of this title is not owned by
         the parent corporation immediately prior to the merger, appraisal
         rights shall be available for the shares of the subsidiary Delaware
         corporation.

(c) Any corporation may provide in its certificate of incorporation that
appraisal rights under this section shall be available for the shares of any
class or series of its stock as a result of an amendment to its certificate of
incorporation, any merger or consolidation in which the corporation is a
constituent corporation or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of
the corporation. If the certificate of incorporation contains such a provision,
the procedures of this section, including those set forth in subsections (d) and
(e) of this section, shall apply as nearly as is practicable.

(d) Appraisal rights shall be perfected as follows:

         (1) If a proposed merger or consolidation for which appraisal rights
         are provided under this section is to be submitted for approval at a
         meeting of stockholders, the corporation, not less than 20 days prior
         to the meeting, shall notify each of its stockholders who was such on
         the record date for such meeting with respect to shares for which
         appraisal rights are available pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) hereof
         that appraisal rights are available for any or all of the shares of the
         constituent corporations, and shall include in such notice a copy of
         this section. Each stockholder electing to demand the appraisal of such
         stockholder's shares shall deliver to the corporation, before the
         taking of the vote on the merger or consolidation, a written demand for
         appraisal of such stockholder's shares. Such demand will be sufficient
         if it reasonably informs the corporation of the identity of the
         stockholder and that the stockholder intends thereby to demand the
         appraisal of such stockholder's shares. A proxy or vote against the
         merger or consolidation shall not constitute such a demand. A
         stockholder electing to take such action must do so by a separate
         written demand as herein provided. Within 10 days after the effective
         date of such merger or consolidation, the surviving or resulting
         corporation shall notify each stockholder of each constituent
         corporation who has complied with this subsection and has not voted in
         favor of or consented to the merger or consolidation of the date that
         the merger or consolidation has become effective; or

         (2) If the merger or consolidation was approved pursuant to S 228 or S
         253 of this title, each consitutent corporation, either before the
         effective date of the merger or consolidation or within ten days
         thereafter, shall notify each of the holders of any class or series of
         stock of such constitutent corporation who are entitled to appraisal
         rights of the approval of the merger or consolidation and that
         appraisal rights are available for any or all shares of such class or
         series of stock of such constituent corporation, and shall include in
         such notice a copy of this section; provided that, if the notice is
         given on or after the effective date of the merger or consolidation,
         such notice shall be given by the surviving or resulting corporation to
         all such holders of any class or series of stock of a constituent
         corporation that are entitled to appraisal rights. Such notice may,
         and, if given on or after the effective date of the merger or
         consolidation, shall, also notify such stockholders of the effective
         date of the merger or consolidation. Any stockholder entitled to
         appraisal rights may, within 20 days after the date of mailing of such
         notice, demand in writing from the surviving or resulting corporation
         the appraisal of such holder's shares. Such demand will be sufficient
         if it reasonably informs the corporation of the identity of the
         stockholder and that the stockholder intends thereby to demand the
         appraisal of such holder's shares. If such notice did not notify
         stockholders of the effective date of the merger or consolidation,
         either (i) each such constitutent corporation shall send a second
         notice before the effective date of the merger or consolidation
         notifying each of the holders of any class or series of stock of such
         constitutent corporation that are entitled to appraisal rights of the
         effective date of the merger or


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          consolidation or (ii) the surviving or resulting corporation shall
          send such a second notice to all such holders on or within 10 days
          after such effective date; provided, however, that if such second
          notice is sent more than 20 days following the sending of the first
          notice, such second notice need only be sent to each stockholder who
          is entitled to appraisal rights and who has demanded appraisal of such
          holder's shares in accordance with this subsection. An affidavit of
          the secretary or assistant secretary or of the transfer agent of the
          corporation that is required to give either notice that such notice
          has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence
          of the facts stated therein. For purposes of determining the
          stockholders entitled to receive either notice, each constitutent
          corporation may fix, in advance, a record date that shall be not more
          than 10 days prior to the date the notice is given, provided, that if
          the notice is given on or after the effective date of the merger or
          consolidation, the record date shall be such effective date. If no
          record date is fixed and the notice is given prior to the effective
          date, the record date shall be the close of business on the day next
          preceding the day on which the notice is given.

(e) Within 120 days after the effective date of the merger or consolidation, the
surviving or resulting corporation or any stockholder who has complied with
subsections (a) and (d) hereof and who is otherwise entitled to appraisal
rights, may file a petition in the Court of Chancery demanding a determination
of the value of the stock of all such stockholders. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, at any time within 60 days after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, any stockholder shall have the right to withdraw such
stockholder's demand for appraisal and to accept the terms offered upon the
merger or consolidation. Within 120 days after the effective date of the merger
or consolidation, any stockholder who has complied with the requirements of
subsections (a) and (d) hereof, upon written request, shall be entitled to
receive from the corporation surviving the merger or resulting from the
consolidation a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not voted
in favor of the merger or consolidation and with respect to which demands for
appraisal have been received and the aggregate number of holders of such shares.
Such written statement shall be mailed to the stockholder within 10 days after
such stockholder's written request for such a statement is received by the
surviving or resulting corporation or within 10 days after expiration of the
period for delivery of demands for appraisal under subsection (d) hereof,
whichever is later.

(f) Upon the filing of any such petition by a stockholder, service of a copy
thereof shall be made upon the surviving or resulting corporation, which shall
within 20 days after such service file in the office of the Register in Chancery
in which the petition was filed a duly verified list containing the names and
addresses of all stockholders who have demanded payment for their shares and
with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been reached by
the surviving or resulting corporation. If the petition shall be filed by the
surviving or resulting corporation, the petition shall be accompanied by such a
duly verified list. The Register in Chancery, if so ordered by the Court, shall
give notice of the time and place fixed for the hearing of such petition by
registered or certified mail to the surviving or resulting corporation and to
the stockholders shown on the list at the addresses therein stated. Such notice
shall also be given by 1 or more publications at least 1 week before the day of
the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of
Wilmington, Delaware or such publication as the Court deems advisable. The forms
of the notices by mail and by publication shall be approved by the Court, and
the costs thereof shall be borne by the surviving or resulting corporation.

(g) At the hearing on such petition, the Court shall determine the stockholders
who have complied with this section and who have become entitled to appraisal
rights. The Court may require the stockholders who have demanded an appraisal
for their shares and who hold stock represented by certificates to submit their
certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery for notation thereon of the
pendency of the appraisal proceedings; and if any stockholder fails to comply
with such direction, the Court may dismiss the proceedings as to such
stockholder.

(h) After determining the stockholders entitled to an appraisal, the Court shall
appraise the shares, determining their fair value exclusive of any element of
value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger or
consolidation, together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid upon
the amount determined to be the fair value. In determining such fair value, the
Court shall take into account all relevant factors. In determining the fair rate
of


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interest, the Court may consider all relevant factors, including the rate of
interest which the surviving or resulting corporation would have had to pay to
borrow money during the pendency of the proceeding. Upon application by the
surviving or resulting corporation or by any stockholder entitled to participate
in the appraisal proceeding, the Court may, in its discretion, permit discovery
or other pretrial proceedings and may proceed to trial upon the appraisal prior
to the final determination of the stockholder entitled to an appraisal. Any
stockholder whose name appears on the list filed by the surviving or resulting
corporation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section and who has submitted
such stockholder's certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery, if such is
required, may participate fully in all proceedings until it is finally
determined that such stockholder is not entitled to appraisal rights under this
section.

(i) The Court shall direct the payment of the fair value of the shares, together
with interest, if any, by the surviving or resulting corporation to the
stockholders entitled thereto. Interest may be simple or compound, as the Court
may direct. Payment shall be so made to each such stockholder, in the case of
holders of uncertificated stock forthwith, and the case of holders of shares
represented by certificates upon the surrender to the corporation of the
certificates representing such stock. The Court's decree may be enforced as
other decrees in the Court of Chancery may be enforced, whether such surviving
or resulting corporation be a corporation of this State or of any state.

(j) The costs of the proceeding may be determined by the Court and taxed upon
the parties as the Court deems equitable in the circumstances. Upon application
of a stockholder, the Court may order all or a portion of the expenses incurred
by any stockholder in connection with the appraisal proceeding, including,
without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and the fees and expenses of
experts, to be charged pro rata against the value of all the shares entitled to
an appraisal.

(k) From and after the effective date of the merger or consolidation, no
stockholder who has demanded appraisal rights as provided in subsection (d) of
this section shall be entitled to vote such stock for any purpose or to receive
payment of dividends or other distributions on the stock (except dividends or
other distributions payable to stockholders of record at a date which is prior
to the effective date of the merger or consolidation); provided, however, that
if no petition for an appraisal shall be filed within the time provided in
subsection (e) of this section, or if such stockholder shall deliver to the
surviving or resulting corporation a written withdrawal of such stockholder's
demand for an appraisal and an acceptance of the merger or consolidation, either
within 60 days after the effective date of the merger or consolidation as
provided in subsection (e) of this section or thereafter with the written
approval of the corporation, then the right of such stockholder to an appraisal
shall cease. No twithstanding the foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the
Court of Chancery shall be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval
of the Court, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the Court
deems just.

(l) The shares of the surviving or resulting corporation to which the shares of
such objecting stockholders would have been converted had they assented to the
merger or consolidation shall have the status of authorized and unissued shares
of the surviving or resulting corporation.



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