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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
CHATTEM, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
TENNESSEE 62-0156300
(State of Incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
1715 WEST 38TH STREET, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE 37409
(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)
If this form relates to the If this form relates to the
registration of a class of registration of a class of
securities pursuant to Section securities pursuant to Section
12(b) of the Exchange Act and 12(g) of the Exchange Act and
is effective pursuant to is effective pursuant to
General Instruction A.(c), General Instruction A.(d),
check the following box. check the following box.
( ) ( X )
----- -----
Securities Act registration statement file number to which this
form relates: N/A
(If applicable)
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
NONE
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS
(Title of Class)
<PAGE>
Item 1. Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered
On January 27, 2000, the Board of Directors of Chattem, Inc.
(the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each
outstanding share of Company Common Stock to shareholders of record at the close
of business on February 11, 2000 (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one
one-hundredth of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, without par value (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price
of $90 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights
are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement"), dated as of
January 27, 2000, between the Company and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, as Rights
Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. Subject to certain exceptions specified in the
Rights Agreement, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earliest to occur of (i) the tenth
business day following the date (the "Stock Acquisition Date") of the first
public announcement by the Company that any person or group has become the
beneficial owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding (other than
the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, and any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any subsidiary), (ii) the tenth business day following the
commencement of a tender or exchange offer if, upon its consummation, the
offeror would become the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock
then outstanding, or (iii) a merger or other business combination transaction
involving the Company. 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 the Record Date 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. Pursuant to the Rights
Agreement, the Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of
a Triggering Event (as defined below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will
be issued.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at 5:00 P.M. (Chattanooga, Tennessee time) on January 27, 2010,
unless earlier redeemed, exchanged, extended or terminated by the Company as
described below. At no time will the rights have any voting power.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the
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Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and,
thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights.
Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common
Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, except
pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock which the
independent directors determine to be fair and not inadequate to and to
otherwise be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, after
receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms (a "Qualifying
Offer"), 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. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of
the event set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain
circum stances 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 the event set forth above until such time as the
Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $90 per Right, each Right
not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an
event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase
$180 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $90.
Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $18 at such time, the
holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase ten (10) shares of
Common Stock for $90.
In the event that (i) the Company is acquired in a merger
(other than a "clean-up" merger which follows a Qualifying Offer) or other
business combination transaction (x) in which the Company is not the surviving
entity, (y) in which the Company is the surviving entity and the Common Stock is
changed or exchanged or the Common Stock remains outstanding but constitutes
less than 50% of the shares outstanding immediately following the merger, or
(ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is 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, common stock
of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of
the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding
paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more
of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than
Rights owned by such person or
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group which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one
share of Common Stock, or one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of
a share of a class or series of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent
rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).
At any time until ten business days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part,
at a price of $0.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors). 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 $0.01 redemption price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a shareholder 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 shareholders or to the Company, shareholders 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 or for common stock of the acquiring company or in the event of the
redemption of the Rights 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, to make changes which do not adversely
affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time
period under the Rights Agreement. The foregoing notwithstanding, no amendment
may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement is being filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to this Registration Statement
on Form 8-A. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the
Company. 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.
As of January 27, 2000, there were 9,730,991 shares of Common
Stock of the Company issued and outstanding and no shares of Common Stock of the
Company in the treasury. As of January 27, 2000, options to purchase 838,988
shares of Common Stock were outstanding. Each share of Common Stock of the
Company outstanding at the close of business on February 11, 2000 will receive
one Right. So long as the Rights are attached to the Common Stock, one
additional Right (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of
the Rights Agreement) shall be deemed to be delivered
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<PAGE>
for each share of Common Stock issued or transferred by the Company in the
future. In addition, following the Distribution Date and prior to the expiration
or redemption of the Rights, the Company may issue Rights when it issues Common
Stock only if the Board deems it to be necessary or appropriate, or in
connection with the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise
of stock options or under employee plans or upon the exercise, conversion or
exchange of certain securities of the Company. 200,000 shares of Preferred Stock
are initially reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.
The Rights may have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights
will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire
the Company in a manner which causes the Rights to become discount rights unless
the offer is conditional on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. The
Rights, however, should not affect any prospective offeror willing to make an
offer at a price that is fair and not inadequate and otherwise in the best
interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Rights should not
interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by the Board
since the Board may, at its option at any time until ten (10) business days
following the Stock Acquisition Date, redeem all but not less than all of the
then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price.
Item 2. Exhibits
1 Rights Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2000,
between Chattem, Inc. and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta,
including the form of Certificate of Designation,
Preferences and Rights as Exhibit A, the form of
Rights Certificates as Exhibit B and the Summary of
Rights as Exhibit C. Pursuant to the Rights Agree
ment, printed Rights Certificates will not be mailed
until after the Distribution Date (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement).
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<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be
signed on its behalf by the under signed, thereto duly authorized.
Date: February 1, 2000
_____________________________________
A. Alexander Taylor II
President and Chief Operating Officer
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<PAGE>
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. Exhibit
1 Rights Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2000,
between Chattem, Inc. and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta,
including the form of Certificate of Designation,
Preferences and Rights as Exhibit A, the form of
Rights Certificates as Exhibit B and the Summary of
Rights as Exhibit C. Pursuant to the Rights Agree
ment, printed Rights Certificates will not be mailed
until after the Distribution Date (as such term is
defined in the Rights Agreement).
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHATTEM, INC.
AND
SUNTRUST BANK, ATLANTA
AS RIGHTS AGENT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF JANUARY 27, 2000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SECTION PAGE
<S> <C>
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.....................................................................1
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT.............................................................5
Section 3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.........................................................6
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.............................................................7
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.......................................................8
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT-UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED,
DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHTS CERTIFICATES...........................................9
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS..........................10
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES....................................12
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK..........................................12
Section 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE...........................................................13
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS...........14
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE OR NUMBER OF SHARES............................22
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER..................22
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES...............................................25
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION......................................................................26
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHTS HOLDERS...........................................................26
Section 17. RIGHTS CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A SHAREHOLDER....................................27
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT...........................................................27
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.............................28
</TABLE>
i
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<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT................................................................28
Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT................................................................30
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES...................................................31
Section 23. REDEMPTION AND TERMINATION............................................................31
Section 24. EXCHANGE..............................................................................32
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS..............................................................33
Section 26. NOTICES...............................................................................34
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS............................................................35
Section 28. SUCCESSORS............................................................................36
Section 29. DETERMINATIONS AND ACTIONS BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ETC.............................36
Section 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT............................................................36
Section 31. SEVERABILITY..........................................................................36
Section 32. GOVERNING LAW.........................................................................37
Section 33. COUNTERPARTS..........................................................................37
Section 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS..................................................................37
</TABLE>
ii
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A -- Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and
Rights of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
Exhibit B -- Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C -- Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock
iii
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of January 27, 2000 (the
"Agreement"), between Chattem, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Company"),
and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, a Georgia banking corporation (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on January 27, 2000 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company ("Board") authorized and declared
a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each share of
common stock, without par value, of the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding
at the close of business on February 11, 2000 (the "Record Date"), and has
authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(i) or Section 11(p) 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 hereinafter defined) each Right initially representing the right to
purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock of the Company (the "Preferred Stock") having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the form of the Certificate of Designation, Preferences
and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, 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, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the
Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or (iv) any Person who
becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the number of shares
of Common Stock outstanding due to the repurchase of shares of Common Stock by
the Company unless and until such Person, after becoming aware that such Person
has become the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock, acquires beneficial ownership of additional
shares of Common Stock representing one percent (1%) or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding, or (v) any such Person who has reported or is
required to report such ownership (but less than 20%) on Schedule 13G under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date of
this Agreement (the "Exchange Act") (or any comparable or successor report) or
on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report)
which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to
control or influence the management or policies of the Company or
<PAGE>
engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule (other than
the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days of being
requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to the
Company that such Person acquired shares of Common Stock in excess of 14.9%
inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who, together
with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not acquire additional
shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares
of Common Stock then outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Person
requested to so certify fails to do so within 10 Business Days or breaches or
violates such certification, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person
immediately after such 10-Business-Day period or such breach or violation.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the
respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no Subsidiary of
the Company, employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company, Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan shall be deemed an Affiliate or
Associate.
(d) 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, owns or 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, 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, (B) securities issuable upon exercise of
Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as
hereinafter defined), 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 (as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to
Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to
Section 11(i) or Section 11(p) 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 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
subparagraph (ii)
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as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not
in writing, to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or
understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent 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 (d)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing in this paragraph (d) 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 or which such
person has the right to acquire, through such Person's participation in
good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty
days after the date of such acquisition, and then only if such securities
continue to be owned by such Person at such expiration of forty days.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than
a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of
Tennessee are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) "Close of business" on any given date shall
mean 5:00 P.M., Chattanooga, Tennessee time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Chattanooga,
Tennessee time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock,
without par value, 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.
(h) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Current Market Price" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(j) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
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(l) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(m) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 24 hereof.
(n) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(o) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(p) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm,
corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability
partnership, trust, syndicate or other entity and includes, without limitation,
an unincorporated group of persons who, by formal or informal agreement or
arrangement (whether or not in writing), have embarked on a common purpose or
act.
(q) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company, and, to the extent
that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the
Rights, any other series of preferred stock of the Company designated for such
purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(r) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 13(b) hereof.
(s) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 4(a) hereof.
(t) "Qualifying Offer" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(u) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(v) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in
the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(w) "Rights Agent" shall have the meaning set
forth in the parties clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(x) "Rights Certificate" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.
(y) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall
have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this
Agreement.
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(aa) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any
event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(bb) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event
described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(cc) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(dd) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the
first date of public announcement by the Company that any Person has become an
Acquiring Person.
(ee) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to
any Person, any corporation or other entity of which an amount of voting
securities (or other ownership interest having ordinary voting power) sufficient
to elect at least a majority of the directors (or other persons performing
similar functions) of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, or otherwise controlled by such person.
(ff) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(gg) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.
(hh) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(ii) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section
11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.
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. ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the earliest of (i) the close of
business on the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the
tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record
Date, the close of business on the Record Date), (ii) the close of business on
the tenth Business Day (or such specified or unspecified 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 or entity
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
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of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, (in the case of (i) and (ii),
other than pursuant to a Qualifying Offer made at a time when the Rights are
redeemable), or (iii) the date on which the Rights Certificates are distributed
in accordance with Section 13(e) hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii) and (iii)
being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be
evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph(s) (b) and (c) 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 Rights Agent will send by
first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common
Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more right certificates,
in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "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) and
Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates,
the Company shall not be required to issue Rights Certificates evidencing
fractional Rights, but may, in lieu thereof, make the necessary and appropriate
rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) 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) The Company will make available, as promptly
as practicable following the Record Date, a copy of a Summary of Rights, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of Rights") to
any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the
Expiration Date. 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(a) 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 from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, and to the extent provided in Section
22 hereof, in respect of shares of Common Stock issued after the Distribution
Date and prior to the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of
Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall, as
promptly as practicable following the Record Date, bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between
Chattem, Inc. (the "Company") and Rights Agent thereunder, dated as of
January 27, 2000 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file
at the principal offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances,
as set forth in the Rights
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Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and
will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail
to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as
in effect on the date of mailing, without charge, promptly after
receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set
forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or beneficially owned
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 currently 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 B hereto and may
have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights
may from time to time be listed, 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 one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set
forth therein (such exercise price per one one-hundredth of a share, as adjusted
from time to time hereunder, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type of
securities 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), Section 11(i) 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
(whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board, in its sole discretion, has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance
of the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued
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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 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 Chairman of the Board, 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 countersigned by the
Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, 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
Certificates 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 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 prior to the close of business on the
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights
Certificates representing Rights that may have been exchanged pursuant to
Section 24 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 one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities,
cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate
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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, with the forms of assignment and certificate contained therein duly
executed, at the principal office or offices 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 until the registered holder shall have completed and signed
the certificate contained in the form of assignment 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), Section 14 hereof and
Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.
The Company may require payment from the holder of a Rights Certificate 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
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
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. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may
require the owner of any lost, stolen or destroyed Rights Certificate, or his
legal representative, to give the Company a bond sufficient to indemnify the
Company against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged
loss, theft or destruction of any such Rights Certificate or the issuance of any
such new Rights Certificate.
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 contained therein duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to
the total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock, 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 earliest of (i) 5:00 P.M., Chattanooga,
Tennessee time, on January 27, 2010 (such date, the "Final Expiration Date"),
(ii) the time at which all of the Rights are redeemed or exchanged as provided
in Section 23 or Section 24 hereof, respectively, or (iii) the time at which all
of the rights expire pursuant to Section 13(d) hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii)
and (iii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date").
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(b) The Purchase Price for each one-hundredth of
a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially
be $90, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Section 11 and Section 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 duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so
exercised, of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) per one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be
purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax,
the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i)
(A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or
make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares)
certificates for the total number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its
transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall
have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable
upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from
the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which
case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the
Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of
fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of
such certificates or depositary receipts, 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 (including Common Stock) 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 Preferred 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 Rights equivalent to 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(a)(ii)
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
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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 the Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing)
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
ensure 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 any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with
respect to an Acquiring Person or its 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 of a Rights Certificate
upon the occurrence of any purported assignment or 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
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 purchased
or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights
Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company.
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL 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 Preferred 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 its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the
number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
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 Preferred Stock
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of
the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall
use
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all reasonable efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become
exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange
upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use reasonable efforts to
(i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be
delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in
accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, or as soon as required by law
following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement on
an appropriate form under the Act, with respect to the Common Stock or other
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, (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 Act) until the earlier of (A) the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and
(B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. 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 in other circumstances following the Distribution Date, the Company
similarly 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, 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 one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
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 non-assessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees
that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer
taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery
of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred 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 a number of one one-hundredths of
a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the
case may be) in 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 a number
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of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred 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
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the
Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each person in whose
name any certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock and/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 such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the 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 Preferred 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 (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be
dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred 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, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a
shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER AND KIND OF
SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares,
or fractions thereof, purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the number of
Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
this Section 11.
(a)(ii) In the event the Company shall at any time
after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the
Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide or
split the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine or consolidate the
outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D)
issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the
Preferred 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, split, combination, consolidation or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock
or other 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 Preferred 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 transfer books for the Preferred
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Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be) of the Company were
open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been
entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, split,
combination, consolidation or reclassification. 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 shall, at any
time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring
Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring
Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, or is an
acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer or an
exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price
and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the
Board who are not officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
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 the
Company's shareholders and not inadequate (taking into account all
factors which such members of the Board deem relevant, including,
without limitation, prices which could reasonably be achieved if the
Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed to
realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best interests of the
Company and its shareholders (a "Qualifying Offer");
then, promptly following the occurrence of 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, in lieu of a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock, 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 one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event (whether or not such Right was then issued or exercisable), and (y)
dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter
be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of
this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the date of such first
occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares
of Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, but which are 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 the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section
11(a), the Company acting by resolution of the Board shall (A)
determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of such Right (the "Current Value"), and (B) with respect to
each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision
to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right
and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity
securities
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of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of
shares, of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the
Board has deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights
as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock being
referred to 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, that 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(a)(ii) 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 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. For purposes
of the preceding sentence, the term "Spread" shall mean the excess of
(i) the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board
determines 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 shareholder approval for the authorization of such
additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended,
is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that action
is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this
Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to Section
7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding
Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the
expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek such
shareholder approval for such authorization of additional shares
and/or to decide 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 each Adjustment Share shall be the Current
Market Price (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the
Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share
or per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to
equal the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on such
date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for
the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares
having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred
Stock ("Equivalent Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred
Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or
per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share,
if a
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security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less
than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
per share of Preferred 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 Preferred Stock outstanding
on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the
aggregate subscription or offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred 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 Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred 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 Preferred Stock owned by
or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the
purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights 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 Preferred 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 periodic cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings
of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but
including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)
hereof), 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 (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred
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 conclusive for all purposes) of the cash,
assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription
rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator
of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred 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) (i) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, 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
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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 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 such
Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in
shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common
Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination,
consolidation, reverse stock split or reclassification of such Common Stock, and
the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for
such subdivision, combination, consolidation, reverse stock split or
reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the
requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth
above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly
adjusted 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 New York
Stock Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system or as quoted by the Nasdaq National
Market with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on another
national securities exchange or quoted by the Nasdaq National Market,
respectively, or if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange or quoted by the Nasdaq National
Market, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid
and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by The Nasdaq
Stock Market or such other quotation system then in use, or, if on any such date
the shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker
making a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board. If on any such date
the Common Stock is not publicly held and is not so listed, admitted to trading
or quoted, and no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, Current
Market Price shall mean the fair value of such shares on such date as determined
in good faith by the Board, which determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
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.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be
determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause
(i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current
Market Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner
provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or
admitted to trading or quoted in a manner described in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be
conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 100 (as such number may be
appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of
this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the Common
Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or
so listed or admitted to trading or quoted, the Current Market Price per share
of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined
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<PAGE>
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.
For all purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market Price of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be equal to the Current Market
Price of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 100.
(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 in the Purchase Price of
at least one percent (1%); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by
reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried
forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations
under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest
ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one- millionth of a
share of Preferred 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)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right
thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital
stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so
receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof (or the
number of Rights) 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 Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h),
(i), (j), (k) and (m) hereof, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14
hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such
other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company
subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence
the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred 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) hereof, upon each adjustment of the
Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c)
hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such
adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted
Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
(calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the
number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to
this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date
of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu
of any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
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
of one one-
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hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one-ten-thousandth of a Right) obtained by dividing
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and,
if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date
may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any 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.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates
theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per
one one-hundredths of a share and the number of one one-hundredth of a share
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 stated value, if any, of
the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Rights, the Company shall use all reasonable efforts to 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 non-assessable
such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred 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 of the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable
upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred 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
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<PAGE>
right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) 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 adjustments in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in its good faith judgment the Board shall
determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of
the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred
Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of
shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v)
issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11,
hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be
taxable to such shareholders.
(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(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) 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(o) hereof), if (x) at the
time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer there
are any rights, warrants or other instruments 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, sale, or
transfer the shareholders 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 (i) declare
a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine
or consolidate the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then
outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution
Date (or issued or delivered on or after the Distribution Date pursuant to
Section 22 hereof), shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of
Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock 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
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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 outstanding immediately following the occurrence of
such event.
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 accounting for such
adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer
agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate
and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail or cause the Rights Agent to
mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in
accordance with Section 26 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, directly or indirectly,
(x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person
or Persons (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing
or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person or
Persons (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) 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 the shares of Common Stock held by shareholders of the
Company immediately prior to the consummation of the transaction which remain
outstanding shall constitute less than 50% of the total number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding immediately following consummation of the transaction,
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, cash flow or earning power aggregating more
than 50% of the assets, or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole and calculated on the basis of the Company's most recent
regularly prepared financial statements) 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(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except
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, from and after the later of (A) the date of the first occurrence of any
such Section 13 Event or (B) the date of the expiration of the period within
which the Rights may be redeemed pursuant to Section 23 hereof (as the same may
be amended), 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 one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior
to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event
has occurred prior to the first occurrence
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of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one one-hundredths of a
share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such first occurrence), and (2) dividing that product
(which product, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall,
for all purposes of this Agreement, mean and be referred to as the "Purchase
Price" for each Right) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of 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 "Company" 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 into which shares of
Common Stock of the Company are converted, changed or exchanged in
such merger or consolidation, or, if no securities are so issued, the
Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation, or, if
the other party to the merger does not survive the merger, the person
that does survive the merger (including the Company, if it survives);
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) if the Common Stock of such Person is not and has not been so registered
and such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one
Person, the Common Stocks 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 such
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
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delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement confirming that the
requirements of Section 13(a) and Section 13(b) hereof shall promptly be
performed in accordance with their terms, 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 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 Act) until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) take all such other action as may be
necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to
the registration or qualification of such securities under all
requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and
the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets
as may be necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) 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 (or any successor form) 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 occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the
Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become
exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement
to the contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described
in subparagraph (x) or (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is
consummated with a Person or Persons, or a wholly owned subsidiary of any such
Person or Persons, who acquired shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Qualifying
Offer (as such term is defined in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), (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 Qualifying 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 Qualifying Offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction
contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees not to
consummate a transaction constituting a Section 13 Event, unless a Distribution
Date shall have occurred as a result of the actions described in clauses (i) or
(ii) of Section 3(a) hereof or as a result of the Board taking all actions as
may be necessary to cause Rights Certificates to be distributed as contemplated
by clause (iii) of Section 3(a) hereof.
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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(i) and Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates
which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of any 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 Trading 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 on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system or The Nasdaq National Market with
respect to securities listed on another national securities exchange or quoted
by The Nasdaq National Market, respectively, or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange or quoted by The Nasdaq
National Market, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the
high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by The
Nasdaq National Market or such other quotation system then in use or, if on any
such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making
a market in the Rights, selected by the Board. 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 Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the
option of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts) upon exercise of the
Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share
of Preferred 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
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b),
the current market value of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock
shall be one one-hundredth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock
(or, if unavailable, the appropriate alternative price (in each case, as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, 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 (1) share of Common Stock. For
purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share
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of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of
such Right expressly waives such holder's right to receive any fractional Rights
or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this
Section 14.
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement 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 such holder's own behalf and
for such holder's own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit,
action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect
of, such holder's right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights
Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this
Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
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 shares of Common
Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights
Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of
transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates contained therein duly
executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f)
hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose
name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated
Common Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the
Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing
on the 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, subject to the last sentence of
Section 7(e) hereof, 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
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permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the Company must use its
reasonable 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
SHAREHOLDER. 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 number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the
Company which may at any time be issuable upon 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 shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in Section 25 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.
(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, reimbursement for its
reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements
incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise
and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify
the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or
expense, incurred without 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 good faith 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, or any instrument of assignment or
transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction,
consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document reasonably believed
by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or
acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF
RIGHTS AGENT.
(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
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succeeding to the corporate trust, stock transfer or other shareholder services
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,
but only if such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor
Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. If at the time such
successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement,
any of the 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 Certificates so countersigned; and in case
at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned,
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) If 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 necessary or desirable that
any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring
Person and the 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 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, nor shall it be
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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 required
under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates
after receipt of a certificate describing any such adjustment); nor shall it by
any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to
be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform,
execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed,
acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and
assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying
out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and
directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties
hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of
the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in
connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or
suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any
such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder,
director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any
of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily
interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or
contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely
as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall
preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or
for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise
any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder
either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent
shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or
misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company
resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
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(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require
the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any
financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder (other
than internal costs incurred by the Rights Agent in providing services to the
Company in the ordinary course of its business as Rights Agent) or in the
exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate
surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate
attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case
may be, has 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 and Preferred Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date, to
the registered 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 and
Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs
after the Distribution Date, 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
been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall,
with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor
Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a)
a legal business entity organized and doing business under the laws of the
United States or of any state of the United States, in good standing, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to
supervision and examination by a Federal or state authority and which has at the
time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at
least $100,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate of a legal business entity described in
clause (a) of this sentence. 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 shall execute and
deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for that
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 the Preferred Stock, and, if such
appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, 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,
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however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the
resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHTS CERTIFICATES.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the
contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the 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 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 hereafter 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 fifteenth Business 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
Business 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 $.01 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(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder
has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price as defined in Section
11(d) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form
of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board
directing the Company to make the redemption of the Rights, 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 directing
the Company to make the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice
of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders
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of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to each such holder at
such 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.
Section 24. EXCHANGE.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time
after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, exchange all or part of
the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common
Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred
to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall not
be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than
the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Stock for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the
Common Stock then out standing.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board
ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section
24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise
such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such
Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the
number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The
Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not
affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice
of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice
which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or
not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the
method by which the exchange of the Common Stock for Rights will be effected
and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be
exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number
of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions
of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24,
the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Stock (or Equivalent
Preferred Stock, as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11 hereof)
for Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred Stock) for
each share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect stock splits,
stock dividends and other similar transactions after the date hereof.
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(d) In the event that the number of shares of
Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation but which are not outstanding or reserved for
issuance for purposes other then upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient
to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this
Section 24, the Board shall take all such action as may be necessary to
authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the
Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue
fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common
Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates
with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of this subsection (e),
the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing
price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence
of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. 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 Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to
the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend out
of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the
holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase
any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of
its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the
subdivision or split of outstanding shares of Preferred 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(o)
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 50% or more the of the assets, or earning
power of the Company and/or 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(o) 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 26 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 Preferred 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 Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to
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the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever shall be the
earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall
occur, then, in any such case, (i) 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 26 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, and (ii) all references in the
preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to
Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in
writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:
Chattem, Inc.
1715 West 38th Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409
Attention: Corporate Secretary
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
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is
filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:
SunTrust Bank, Atlanta
58 Edgewood Ave., Ste. 225
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Attention: Department Manager
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Company or the Rights Agent to 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 sent
by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS.
(a) Prior to the Distribution Date, and subject
to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27(a), the Rights Agent shall, if
the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement
(including, without limitation, any extension of the period in which the Rights
may be redeemed, any increase in the Purchase Price and any extension of the
Final Maturity Date) without the approval of any holders of certificates
representing shares of Common Stock. From
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and after the Distribution Date, and subject to the penultimate sentence of this
Section 27(a), the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, supplement or amend this Agreement, so long as the duties, liabilities
and indemnification of the Rights Agent are not affected, without the approval
of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii)
to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective
or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen
any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions
hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and
which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights
Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person); PROVIDED, that this Agreement may not be supplemented or
amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time
period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed, or to modify the ability (or
inability) of the Board to redeem the Rights, in either case at such time as the
Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such
lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights
of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring
Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment
shall be made which changes the Redemption Price or the number of one
one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable.
Prior to the Distribu tion Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be
deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock.
(b) Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or
amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, 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.
Section 28. SUCCESSORS. All the covenants and provisions of
this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall
bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns
hereunder.
Section 29. 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 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-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board, and the Executive Committee
of the Board, when the Board is not in session, 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, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing)
34
<PAGE>
which are done or made by the Board or the Executive Committee in good faith,
shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the
holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board, or
any of the directors on the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the 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 31. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
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 Business Day following the
date of such determination by the Board of Directors. Without limiting the
foregoing, if any provision requiring a specific group of Directors of the
Company to act is held to by any court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, such determination shall then be
made by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with applicable law
and the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws.
Section 32. 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 Tennessee 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.
Section 33. 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 34. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of
the several sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
35
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: Chattem, Inc.
By By
------------------------- -------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Attest: SunTrust Bank, Atlanta
By By
------------------------- -------------------
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
36
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND
RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
Chattem, Inc.
Pursuant to Section 48-16-102 of the
Tennessee Code Annotated
We, Zan Guerry, Chairman of the Board, and Hugh F. Sharber,
Secretary of Chattem, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
Business Corporation Act of the State of Tennessee ("Tennessee Act"), in
accordance with the provisions thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors by the Restated Charter of the Corporation, the said Board of
Directors on January 27, 2000, duly adopted the following resolution creating a
series of 200,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board
of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its
Charter of the Corporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be
and it hereby is created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the
voting powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other
special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations
or restrictions thereof are as follows:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series shall be 200,000.
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to
dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of
Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends
payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each
year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first
<PAGE>
issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to
the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all
non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, without
par value, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") since the immediately
preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after January 27, 2000 (the "Rights
Dividend Declaration Date") (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii)
combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in
each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution
on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph
(A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on
the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock);
provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared
on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of
$1.00 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of
such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date
of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a
quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of
which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend
2
<PAGE>
or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30
days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle
the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time
after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding
Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller
number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled
immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by
a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of
shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted
to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal
to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such
contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a
"default period") which shall extend until such time when all accrued
and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and
for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been
declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default
period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in
arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon,
voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to
elect two (2) directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of
the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be
exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to
subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of
shareholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of shareholders,
provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders
of any other series of Preferred Stock, if any, to increase, in
certain cases, the authorized number of directors shall be exercised
unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of
Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.
The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not
affect the exercise
3
<PAGE>
by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right. At any meeting
at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting
right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the
right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill such vacancies,
if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2)
directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to
elect two (2) directors. If the number which may be so elected at any
special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of
the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the
number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by
them of the required number. After the holders of the Preferred Stock
shall have exercised their right to elect directors in any default
period and during the continuance of such period, the number of
directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the
holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the
rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or PARI PASSU with
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall,
during an existing default period, have previously exercised their
right to elect directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any
shareholder or shareholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten
percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock
outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of a
special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall
thereupon be called by the President, a Vice-President or the Secretary
of the Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at
which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this
Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred
Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last address as
the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such meeting shall be
called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days
after such order or request or in default of the calling of such
meeting within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be
called on similar notice by any shareholder or shareholders owning in
the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of
shares of Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this Paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called
during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed
for the next annual meeting of the shareholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common
Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable,
shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors
until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right
to elect two (2) directors voting as a class, after the exercise of
which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred
Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been
elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period,
and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided
in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority
of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the holders of the
class of
4
<PAGE>
stock which elected the director whose office shall have become
vacant. References in this Paragraph (C) to directors elected by the
holders of a particular class of stock shall include directors elected
by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the
foregoing sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default
period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to
elect directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by
the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the
number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the
certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase
made pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3
(such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any
manner provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation or
by-laws). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the
provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be
filled by a majority of the remaining directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by
law, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no
special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the
extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as
provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and
unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full,
the Corporation shall not
(i) declare or pay dividends on or, make
any other distributions on, any shares of stock ranking junior (either
as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make
any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except
dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in
arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all
such shares are then entitled;
5
<PAGE>
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise
acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided
that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise
acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any
stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise
acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance
with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined
by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such
terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective
annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the
respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will
result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section 5. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation
in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the
acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock without designation as to
series and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be
created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors as permitted by
the Charter or as otherwise permitted under Tennessee law.
Section 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. (A) Upon
any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have received an amount equal to $100 per share of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the
"Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made
to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received
an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by
dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 100 (as appropriately
adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations
6
<PAGE>
with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment
Number"). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively,
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares
of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the
remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1
with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis,
respectively.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred
stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the
holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation
preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such
remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares,
then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such
event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of
stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case
may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Dividend Declaration Date declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation
of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than
by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser
number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in
the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying
such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.
7
<PAGE>
Section 8. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. RANKING. The Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's
Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets,
unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. AMENDMENT. The Charter shall not be amended in any
manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special
rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect the
holders thereof adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at
least a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the
holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting
rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit
of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this
Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury
this __ day of ________, 2000.
CHATTEM, INC.
---------------------------
Chairman of the Board
Attest:
- ------------------------------
Secretary
8
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EXHIBIT B
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JANUARY 27, 2010, SUBJECT TO EARLIER REDEMPTION OR
EXPIRATION PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO
REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET
FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF ANY SUCH PERSON (AS
SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF
SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
Rights Certificate
Chattem, Inc.
<PAGE>
This certifies that, or registered assigns, is the registered
owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner
thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2000 (the "Rights Agreement"), between
Chattem, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Company"), and SunTrust Bank,
Atlanta, a Georgia banking corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from
the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (Chattanooga, Tennessee time) on
January 27, 2010 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully
paid, non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price of $90 per one
one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender
of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related
Certificate duly completed and executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon
exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are
the number and Purchase Price as of January 27, 2000, based on the Preferred
Stock as constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to require
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares
of Preferred Stock will be issued.
As more fully set forth in the Rights Agreement, from and
after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) 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 Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement),
(ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii)
under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of
such Acquiring Person, or of any such Affiliate or Associate who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with such Acquiring Person becoming such,
such Rights shall become null and void without any further action and no holder
hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the
occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and
the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, which may
be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of
certain events, including Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and
conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof
and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of
the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder
of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates,
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
above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written
request to the Rights Agent.
2
<PAGE>
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices 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 one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred 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 Rights Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the
close of business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition
Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement), and
(ii) the Final Expiration Date. In addition, under certain circumstances
following the Stock Acquisition Date, the Rights may be exchanged, in whole or
in part, for shares of the Common Stock, or shares of preferred stock of the
Company having essentially the same value or economic rights as such shares.
Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing
any such exchange, and without any further action or any notice, the Rights
(other than Rights which are not subject to such exchange) will terminate and
the Rights will only enable holders to receive the shares issuable upon such
exchange.
If the Company so determines, fractional shares of Preferred
Stock will not be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced
hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth
of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be
evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be
made, as provided in the Rights Agreement. The Company, at its election, may
require that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of
Preferred Stock would be issued.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be
entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of
shares of Preferred 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 shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give consent to or withhold consent from any corporate
action, or, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive
dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the 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.
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<PAGE>
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated:
--------------
ATTEST: Chattem, Inc.
By
- -------------------------------- -----------------------
Secretary Title:
Countersigned:
SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, as Rights Agent
By
-------------------------------------
Authorized Officer
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.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED
-------------------------------
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
----------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest herein, 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 Medallion Guaranteed:
<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 Acquiring Person
(as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, the undersigned [ ] 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 an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
----------- ------------------
Signature
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
<PAGE>
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 whatsoever.
<PAGE>
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights
represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: Chattem, Inc.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
__________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares
of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other Person which may be issuable or such
other assets which may be deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights) and
requests that certificates for any such shares or securities be issued in the
name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
<PAGE>
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated:
-------------
--------------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Medallion Guaranteed:
<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 Acquiring Person (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated:
------------ ------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
<PAGE>
NOTICE
The signature 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.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED STOCK
On January 27, 2000, the Board of Directors of Chattem, Inc.
(the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each
outstanding share of Company Common Stock to shareholders of record at the close
of business on February 11, 2000 (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one
one-hundredth of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock, without par value (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price
of $90 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights
are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement"), dated as of
January 27, 2000, between the Company and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, as Rights
Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. Subject to certain exceptions specified in the
Rights Agreement, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earliest to occur of (i) the tenth
business day following the date (the "Stock Acquisition Date") of the first
public announcement by the Company that any person or group has become the
beneficial owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding (other than
the Company, any subsidiary of the Company, and any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any subsidiary), (ii) the tenth business day following the
commencement of a tender or exchange offer if, upon its consummation, the
offeror would become the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock
then outstanding, or (iii) a merger or other business combination transaction
involving the Company. 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 the Record Date 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. Pursuant to the Rights
Agreement, the Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of
a Triggering Event (as defined below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will
be issued.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at 5:00 P.M. (Chattanooga, Tennessee time) on January 27, 2010,
unless earlier redeemed, exchanged, extended or terminated by the Company as
described below. At no time will the rights have any voting power.
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. Except as otherwise determined by
the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
<PAGE>
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, except
pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock which the
independent directors determine to be fair and not inadequate to and to
otherwise be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, after
receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms (a "Qualifying
Offer"), 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. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of
the event 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 the event set forth above until such time as the
Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $90 per Right, each Right
not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an
event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase
$180 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $90.
Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $18 at such time, the
holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase 10 shares of Common
Stock for $90.
In the event that (i) the Company is acquired in a merger
(other than a "clean-up" merger which follows a Qualifying Offer) or other
business combination transaction (x) in which the Company is not the surviving
entity, (y) in which the Company is the surviving entity and the Common Stock is
changed or exchanged or the Common Stock remains outstanding but constitutes
less than 50% of the shares outstanding immediately following the merger, or
(ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is 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, common stock
of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of
the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding
paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more
of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than
Rights owned by such person or group which have become void), in whole or in
part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or one one-hundredth of
a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class or series of the Company's
preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right
(subject to adjustment).
At any time until ten business days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part,
at a price of $0.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors). 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 $0.01 redemption price.
<PAGE>
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a shareholder 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 shareholders or to the Company, shareholders 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 or for common stock of the acquiring company or in the event of the
redemption of the Rights 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, to make changes which do not adversely
affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time
period under the Rights Agreement. The foregoing notwithstanding, no amendment
may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement is being filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on
Form 8-A. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the
Company. 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.
3
