SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
_______________________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 24, 1999
CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE 001-11590 51-0064146
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(State or other (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.)
incorporation)
909 SILVER LAKE BOULEVARD, DOVER, DELAWARE 19904
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(Address of principal executive offices, including Zip Code)
(302) 734-6799
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(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
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(Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
if changed since last report.)
<PAGE>
ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
On August 20, 1999, the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation
(the "Corporation") declared a dividend distribution of one preferred share
purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value
$0.48 2/3 per share (a "Common Share"), of the Corporation. The dividend is
payable to the stockholders of record on September 3, 1999 (the "Record Date").
One Right also will be issued with each Common Share issued thereafter until the
Distribution Date (as defined below) and, in certain circumstances, with each
Common Share issued after the Distribution Date. Except as set forth below, each
Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase
from the Corporation one-fiftieth of a share of Series A Participating
Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Preferred Shares"),
of the Corporation at a price of $54.56 per one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share
(the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the
Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the
Corporation and BankBoston, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent"), dated as
of August 20, 1999.
The following summary of the material terms of the Rights Agreement is a general
description only and is subject to the detailed terms and conditions set forth
in the Rights Agreement. A copy of the Rights Agreement is attached as Exhibit
4.1 to this Form 8-K, and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Rights Are Evidenced by Common Share Certificates until Distribution Date
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Initially, the Rights will be attached to all certificates representing Common
Shares then outstanding, and no separate Right Certificates will be distributed.
The Rights will separate from the Common Shares upon the earliest to occur of
(i) the date of a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or
associated persons have acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares (except pursuant to a tender or exchange offer that is
for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms which a majority of
the members of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the Corporation
and who are not affiliated with the Acquiring Person (as defined below)
determines to be adequate and in the best interests of the Corporation and its
stockholders other than such Acquiring Person and its affiliates and associates
(a "Permitted Offer") or (ii) 10 days (or such later date as the Board may
determine) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to
make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in
a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person (as hereinafter defined) (the
earliest of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"). A person or group
whose acquisition of Common Shares causes a Distribution Date pursuant to clause
(i) above is an "Acquiring Person." The date that a person or group becomes an
Acquiring Person is the "Shares Acquisition Date."
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will
be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date
(or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share
certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of
Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of
the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, with or without such notation or a copy of
this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate.
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates
evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record
of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date (and
to each initial record holder of certain Common Shares issued after the
Distribution Date), and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.
Expiration of Rights
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The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at
the close of business on August 20, 2009, unless earlier redeemed by the
Corporation as described below.
Flip-In Events
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In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person (the "Flip-In Event"),
each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise,
the number of Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances, other securities of
the Corporation) having a value (immediately prior to such triggering event)
equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, following the occurrence of such an event, all Rights that are, or
(under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were,
beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any affiliate or associate thereof
will be null and void.
Flip-Over Events
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A Flip-Over Event will occur in the event that, at any time following the Shares
Acquisition Date, (i) the Corporation is involved in a merger or other business
combination transaction (whether or not the Corporation is the surviving entity)
with, or (ii) more than 50% of the Corporation's assets or earning power is sold
or transferred to, in either case an Acquiring Person or any of its affiliates
or associates or, if the holders of the outstanding Common Shares are not
treated alike, any other entity. Upon the occurrence of a Flip-Over Event, each
holder of a Right (except for the Rights of an Acquiring Person or any of its
affiliates and associates which, as described above, shall have become null and
void) generally shall have the right to receive, upon exercise, common shares of
the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of
the Right.
Exchange Provision
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At any time after an Acquiring Person obtains 15% or more of the Common Shares
and prior to the acquisition by an Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors may elect to exchange the
Rights (other than the Rights owned by the Acquiring Person and any of its
affiliates and associates), in whole or in part, for Common Shares at an
exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
Adjustment of the Purchase Price and Securities Issuable upon Exercise of Rights
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The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares, Common Shares or
other securities issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment
from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on,
or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Shares, (ii)
upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights or warrants
to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or securities
convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than the then
current market price of the Preferred Shares, or (iii) upon the distribution to
holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments
require an adjustment of at least 1% in the Purchase Price.
Terms of the Preferred Stock
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The Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. Each Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum preferential
quarterly dividend payment equal to the greater of (i) $13.00 per share (or
$.26 per 1/50th of a Preferred Share) and (ii) an aggregate dividend per share
of 50 times Share (subject to adjustment) the dividend declared per Common. In
the event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled
to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $ 900.00 per share (or $18.00
per 1/50th of a Preferred Share); thereafter, and after the holders of the
Common Shares receive a liquidation payment of $18.00 per share, the holders of
the Preferred Shares and the holders of the Common Shares will share the
remaining assets in the ratio of 50 (subject to adjustment) to one for each
Preferred Share and Common Share so held, respectively. In the event of any
merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged,
each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 50 times (subject to
adjustment) the amount received per Common Share. The holders of Preferred
Shares will be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Common
Shares (with the Preferred Shares being entitled to 50 votes per share). In the
event that the amount of accrued and unpaid dividends on the Preferred Shares is
equivalent to six full quarterly dividends or more, the holders of the Preferred
Shares shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect two directors in
addition to the directors elected by the holders of the Common Shares until all
cumulative dividends on the Preferred Shares have been paid through the last
quarterly dividend payment date. These rights are protected by customary
antidilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the dividend, liquidation and voting rights of the
Preferred Shares, the value of a one-fiftieth interest in a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right should approximate the value of one
Common Share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than fractions which are
one-fiftieth or integral multiples of one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share, which
may, at the election of the Corporation, be evidenced by depositary receipts)
and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market
price of the Preferred Shares.
Because of the nature of the dividend, liquidation and voting rights of the
Preferred Shares, the value of a one-fiftieth interest in a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right should approximate the value of one
Common Share.
Redemption of Rights
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At any time prior to the earlier to occur of (i) a person becoming an Acquiring
Person or (ii) the expiration of the Rights, the Corporation may redeem the
Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption
Price"), which redemption shall be effective upon the action of the Board of
Directors. Additionally, following a Flip-In Event and prior to a Flip-Over
Event, the Corporation may redeem the then outstanding Rights in whole, but not
in part, at the Redemption Price, provided that such redemption is in connection
with a merger or other business combination transaction or series of
transactions involving the Corporation in which all holders of Common Shares are
treated alike but not involving an Acquiring Person or any of its affiliates or
associates.
Amendment of Rights Agreement
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All of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation at any time prior to the Distribution Date without
the approval of the holders of the Rights. After the Distribution Date, the
provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors
without the approval of the holders of the Rights to cure any ambiguity, defect
or inconsistency or to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests
of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person or its
affiliates or associates).
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENT EXHIBITS.
(a) Not applicable
(b) Not applicable
(c) Exhibits
4.1 Rights Agreement, dated as of August 20, 1999, between
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and BankBoston, N.A., as
Rights Agent, including (i) the form of Certificate of Voting
Powers, Designations, Preferences and Rights of Series A
Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock attached thereto as
Exhibit A, (ii) the form of Rights Certificate attached thereto
as Exhibit B, and (iii) the Summary of Rights to Purchase
Preferred Shares attached thereto as Exhibit C.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation
By: /s/ JOHN R. SCHIMKAITIS
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John R. Schimkaitis
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated: August 24, 1999
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of August 20, 1999 (the "Agreement"), between
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"),
and BankBoston, N.A., a national banking association (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Corporation has authorized and declared a
dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share
(as hereinafter defined) of the Corporation outstanding at the close of business
on September 3, 1999 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to
purchase one-fiftieth (1/50) of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon
the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further
authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common
Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of
the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date (as each
such term is hereinafter defined); provided, however, that Rights may be issued
with respect to Common Shares that shall become outstanding after the
Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final
Expiration Date in accordance with the provisions of Section 22 of this
Agreement.
Accordingly, 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 then outstanding Common Shares (other than as a result of a
Permitted Offer (as hereinafter defined)) or was such a Beneficial Owner at any
time after the date hereof, whether or not such Person continues to be the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) the term "Acquiring Person" shall not include
(i) the Corporation, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Corporation, (iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary of the Corporation, (iv)
any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Corporation for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, or (v) any Person, who or which
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares as a
result of the acquisition of Common Shares directly from the Corporation, and
(B) no Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" either (x) as a result
of the acquisition of Common Shares by the Corporation which, by reducing the
number of Common Shares outstanding, increases the proportional number of shares
beneficially owned by such Person together with all Affiliates and Associates of
such Person; except that if (i) a Person would become an Acquiring Person (but
for the operation of this subclause (x) as a result of the acquisition of Common
Shares by the Corporation, and (ii) after such share acquisition by the
Corporation, such Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of such Person, becomes
the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares, then such Person shall be
deemed an Acquiring Person, or (y) if (i) within eight (8) days after such
Person would otherwise have become an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of
this subclause Y), such Person notifies the Board of Directors that such Person
did so inadvertently and (ii) within two (2) days after such notification, such
Person is the Beneficial Owner of less than of the outstanding Common Shares.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and as in
effect on the date of this Agreement.
(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
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date of this
Agreement (the "Exchange Act")
.
(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
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights,
exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial
Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or
exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for
purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the
agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely
from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public
proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is
not also then reportable 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 (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities)
relating to the acquisition, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated
by the proviso to Section 1(d)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the
Corporation.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the
contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used with reference to a Person's
Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Corporation, shall mean the number of
such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such
securities not then actually issued and outstand-ing which such Person would be
deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a
day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 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., New York
time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day
it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Corporation shall mean
the shares of Common Stock, par value $0.48 2/3 per share, of the Corporation
or, in the event of a subdivision, combination or consolidation with respect to
such shares of Common Stock, the shares of Common Stock resulting from such
subdivision, combination or consolidation. "Common Shares" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Corporation shall mean the capital stock
(or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if
such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(h) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3
hereof.
(i) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7
hereof.
(j) "Interested Stockholder" shall mean any Acquiring Person or any
Affiliate or Associ-ate of an Acquiring Person or any other Person in which any
such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate has an interest, or any other
Person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of or in concert with any such
Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate.
(k) "Permitted Offer" shall mean a tender or exchange offer which is for
all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms determined, prior to the
purchase of shares under such tender or exchange offer, by at least a majority
of the members of the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Corporation
and who are not Acquiring Persons or Affiliates, Associates, nominees or
representatives of an Acquiring Person, to be adequate (taking into account all
factors that such directors deem relevant including, without limitation, prices
that could reasonably be achieved if the Corporation or its assets were sold on
an orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and otherwise in the best
interests of the Corporation and its stockholders (other than the Person or any
Affiliate or Associate thereof on whose basis the offer is being made) taking
into account all factors that such directors may deem relevant.
(1) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, corporation,
trust, association, joint venture or other entity, and shall include any
successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(m) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Participating Cumulative
Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation having the
relative rights, preferences and limitations set forth in the Form of
Certificate of Amendment attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A.
(n) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(o) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
(p) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause (x), (y) or
(z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(q) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act) by the Corporation or
an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, provided, that, if
such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring
Person pursuant to Section 1(b)(y) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall
be deemed to have occurred.
(r) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other Person
of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or
equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
(s) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any
Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Corporation hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Corporation and the holders of the Rights
(who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date
also be the holders of Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Corporation may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable, upon ten days' prior written notice to the Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be
liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. Issuance of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the close
of business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action
of the Corporation's Board of Directors) after the date of the commencement by
any Person (other than the Corporation, any Subsidiary of the Corporation, any
employee benefit plan of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary of the Corporation
or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Corporation
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first public
announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Corporation, any
Subsidiary of the Corporation, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or
of any Subsidiary of the Corporation or any Person or entity organized,
appointed or established by the Corporation for or pursuant to the terms of any
such plan) to commence (which intention to commence remains in effect for five
Business Days after such announce-ment), a tender or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person
(including, in the case of both (i) and (ii), any such date which is after the
date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights), the earlier of
such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date," (x) the Rights
will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the
certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof
(which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by
separate Right Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Right Certificates
will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying
Common Shares (including a transfer to the Corporation); provided, however, that
if a tender offer is terminated prior to the occurrence of a Distribution Date,
then no Distribution Date shall occur as a result of such tender offer. As soon
as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Corporation will prepare and
execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Corporation will send or
cause to be sent by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of
Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Corporation, a Right
Certificate, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Right
Certificate"), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held. As of and
after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the Corporation
will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in
substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by
first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of
the close of business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on
the records of the Corporation. With respect to certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will
be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof
together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto. Until the
Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration
Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares
outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights
attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with such Common Shares.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including,
without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of
this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the
Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, shall be
deemed also to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entities the holder hereof to certain
rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Chesapeake Utilities
Corporation (the "Corporation") and BankBoston, N.A., dated as of August 20,
1999 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorpo-rated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive
offices of the Corporation. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and
will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Corporation will mail to
the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge
after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set
forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is,
was or becomes an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as
defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain related persons, 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 Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented
by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In
the event that the Corporation purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the
Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Corporation
shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares
which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificate. (a) The Right Certificates (and the
forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse
thereof) shall 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 Corporation 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 Right Certificates shall
entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one-fiftieths of a
Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one-fiftieth of a
Preferred Share set forth therein (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 Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof that represents Rights which are null and void pursuant to Section 7(e)
of this Agreement and any Right Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or
Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any
other Right Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the
extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Right Certificate are or were beneficially
owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement). Accordingly, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented
hereby are null and void.
Provisions of Section 7(e) of this Rights Agreement shall be operative
whether or not the foregoing legend is contained on any such Right Certificate.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Right Certificates shall
be executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief
Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, or its Treasurer,
either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the
Corporation's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights
Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case
any officer of the Corporation who shall have signed any of the Right
Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Corporation before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the
Corporation, such Right Certificates may nevertheless be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Corporation with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to
be such officer of the Corporation; and any Right Certificate may be signed on
behalf of the Corporation by any person who, at the actual date of the execution
of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Corporation to sign
such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
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 such Right Certificate or transfer, books for registration and
transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the
names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the
number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the
certificate number and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificate. 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 earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration
Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates may be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one-fiftieths of a
Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, as the case
may be) as the Right Certificate or Right 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 Right
Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered
to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal
office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the
Rights Agent nor the Corporation shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Right 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 Corporation shall reasonably request. Thereupon the
Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof,
countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or
Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Corporation may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that
may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or
exchange of Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Corporation and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfac-tory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Corporation's request,
reimbursement to the Corporation and the Rights Agent of all reason-able
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Corporation will make
and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for
countersignature and delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right
Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Right
Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise
provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date
upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase
and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the total
number of one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share (or other securities, as the case
may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are exercised, at or prior to the
earliest of (i) the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the date of
this Agreement (the "Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the time at which the
Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share pursuant
to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $54.56 shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in the next sentence and in Sections 11
and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstand-ing, in the event that
at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date,
the Corporation shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares
payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or
consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common
Shares, then in any such case, each Common Share outstanding following such
subdivision, combination or consolidation shall continue to have a Right
associated therewith and the Purchase Price following any such event shall be
proportion-ately adjusted to equal the result obtained by multiplying the
Purchase Price immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of
which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior
to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total
number of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such
event. The adjustment provided for in the preceding sentence ' shall be made
succes-sively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a
subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the Preferred Shares (or other
securities, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Right
Certificate in accordance with Section 6 hereof by certified check, cashier's
check or money order payable to the order of the Corporation, the Rights Agent
shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the
Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased
and the Corporation hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply
with all such requests, or (B) if the Corporation, in its sole discretion, shall
have elected to deposit the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the
Rights hereunder into a depositary, requisition from the depositary agent
depositary receipts representing such number of one-fiftieths of a Preferred
Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred
Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent
with the depositary agent) and the Corporation will direct the depositary agent
to comply with such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Corporation the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance 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 Right Certificate, registered in such
name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when appropriate,
after receipt thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered
holder of such Right Certificate. In the event that the Corporation is obligated
to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of the Corporation pursuant
to Section 11(a) hereof, the Corporation will make all arrangements necessary so
that such other securities are available for distribution by the Rights Agent,
if and when appropriate.
In addition, in the case of an exercise of the Rights by a holder pursuant
to Section 11 (a)(ii), the Rights Agent shall return such Right Certificate to
the registered holder thereof after imprinting, stamping or otherwise indicating
thereon that the rights represented by such Right Certificate no longer include
the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement and if less
than all the Rights represented by such Right Certificate were so exercised, the
Rights Agent shall indicate on the Right Certificate the number of Rights
represented thereby which continue to include the rights provided by Section
11(a)(ii).
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise
less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing
Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the
Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly
authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, or the
Rights Agent shall place an appropriate notation on the Right Certificate with
respect to those Rights exercised.
(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 Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Affiliate
or Associate thereof) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person
becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Affiliate
or Associate thereof) 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 a continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors
of the Corporation 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
Corporation shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of
this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no
liability to any holder of Right Certificates or 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 Corporation shall be obligated to undertake any action with
respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as
set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i)
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right 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 Corporation shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up.
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Corporation or to 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
Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted
by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Corporation shall deliver
to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall
so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Corporation otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall
deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Corporation, or shall, at the
written request of the Corporation, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates,
and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the
Corporation.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares. The
Corporation covenants and agrees that at all times prior to the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of
its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares, or any authorized and issued
Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will
be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights and,
after the Occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, shall, to the extent
reasonably practicable, so reserve and keep available a sufficient number of
Common Shares (and/or other securities) which may be required to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights pursuant to this Agreement.
So long as the Preferred Shares (and, after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, Common Shares or any other securities) issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the
Corporation shall use its best 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.
The Corporation covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as
may be
necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or Common Shares 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 or other securities (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be
duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and non-assessable shares
or securities.
The Corporation further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and
payable any and all U.S. federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may
be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or
of any Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case
may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Corporation shall not, however, be
required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer
or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or
delivery of certificates or depository receipts for the Preferred Shares (or
Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than
that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights
surrendered for exercise, or to issue or to deliver any certificates or
depositary receipts for Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of any Rights, until any such
tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Right
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the
Corporation's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
The Corporation shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the Shares Acquisition Date, a registration statement
under the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the require-ments of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder)
until the date of the expiration of the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii).
The Corporation will also take such action as may be appropriate under the blue
sky laws of the various states.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each person in whose name any
certificate for Preferred Shares (or Common Shares 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 the Preferred Shares (or Common
Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and
such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
(and any applicable transfer taxes) was made: provided, however, that, if the
date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or
Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the
Corporation are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record
holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or
other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Corporation are
open.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or
Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in
Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares, or
(D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred
Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation
or merger in which the Corporation is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the
Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of
the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the
number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of
capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Corporation
were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to
receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to
be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of
the shares of capital stock of the Corporation issuable upon exercise of one
Right. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section
11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), 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).
(ii) In the event any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates
and Associates, shall become an Acquiring Person, then proper provision shall be
made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section
7(e) hereof) shall have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price
equal to the then current Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, such number of Common Shares (or, in the discretion of the Board of
Directors, one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share) as shall equal the result
obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number
of one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and
dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of
the Corporation's Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on
the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares being referred to as
the "Adjustment Shares"); provided, however, that if the transaction that would
otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is also subject to the
provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions of Section 13 hereof
shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii);
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient treasury shares
or authorized but unissued (and unreserved) Common Shares to permit the exercise
in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) and the
Rights become so exercisable (and the Board has determined to make the Rights
exercisable into fractions of a Preferred Share), notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, to the extent necessary and permitted by applicable
law, each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive, upon exercise
thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, (x) a number of (or fractions of) Common Shares (up to the maximum
number of Common Shares which may permissibly be issued) and (y) one-fiftieths
of a Preferred Share or a number of, or fractions of other equity securities of
the Corporation (or, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, debt) which
the Board of Directors of the Corporation has determined to have the same
aggregate current market value (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) and (ii)
hereof, to the extent applicable) as one Common Share (such number of, or
fractions of, Preferred Shares, debt, or other equity securities or debt of the
Corporation being referred to as a "capital stock equivalent"), equal in the
aggregate to the number of Adjustment Shares; provided, however , if sufficient
Common Shares and/or capital stock equivalents are unavail-able, then the
Corporation shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, take all such
action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares or capital
stock equivalents for issuance upon exercise of the Rights, including the
calling of a meeting of stockholders; and provided, further, that if the
Corporation is unable to cause sufficient Common Shares and/or capital stock
equivalents to be available for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights,
then each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive the Adjusted
Number of Shares upon exercise at the Adjusted Purchase Price (as such terms are
hereinafter defined). As used herein, the term "Adjusted Number of Shares" shall
be equal to that number of (or fractions of) Common Shares (and/or capital stock
equivalents) equal to the product of (x) the number of Adjustment Shares and (y)
a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares (and/or
capital stock equivalents) available for issuance upon exercise of the Rights
and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Adjustment Shares
otherwise issuable upon exercise in full of all Rights (assuming there were a
sufficient number of Common Shares available) (such fraction being referred to
as the "Proration Factor"). The "Adjusted Purchase Price" shall mean the product
of the Purchase Price and the Proration Factor. The Board of Directors may, but
shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive
Common Shares and capital stock equivalents upon exercise of the Rights among
holders of Rights.
(b) In case the Corporation shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Preferred
Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such
record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the
same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares ("equivalent
preferred shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or
equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent
preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security
convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the
then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) 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 Preferred Shares outstanding on such
record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering
price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares
so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the
convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current per
share market price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional
Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be
offered are initially convertible), provided, however. that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation issuable
upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a
consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value
of such consideration shall be determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Corporation, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent.
Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Corporation 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, options or warrants are not so issued. the Purchase
Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect
if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Corporation shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Corporation is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a
dividend payable in Preferred Shares) 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 then current per share market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Preferred Shares on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Corporation, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights
Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one
Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation to be
issued upon exercise of one Right. 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 again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per share
market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this Section 11
(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing
prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days
(as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided,
however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the
Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer
of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in
shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any
subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the
expiration of thirty (30) Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such
dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination
or reclassifi-cation, then, and in each such case, the current per share market
price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per
share equivalent of such Security. 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 Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on principal national securities exchange on
which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not
listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last
quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations System ("NASDAQ") or such other
system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is 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 Security selected by the
Board of Directors of the Corporation. If on any such date no such market maker
is making market in the Security, the fair value of the Security on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be
used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is
open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per
share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance
with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Shares are not
publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares
shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the
Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i), (appropriately
adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction
occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by 50. If neither the Common
Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded,
"current per share market price" shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be binding on the Rights Agent.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the
Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; 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 one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth
of any other share or security 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 Final 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 of the Corporation other than
Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a
manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with
respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c),
inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to
the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Corporation 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-fiftieths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) The Corporation 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-fiftieths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a
Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share
for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each
Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall
become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth)
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 Corporation 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 Right Certificates have
been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public
announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(h), the Corporation shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right
Certificates on such record date Right 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 Corporation, shall
cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Corporation, new
Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be
entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be
issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall
be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the
record date specified in the public announcement.
(i) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the
number of one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to
express the Purchase Price and the number of e one-fiftieths of a Preferred
Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(j) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the number of one-fiftieths
of a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise
of the Rights, the Corporation shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Corporation may validly
and legally issue such number of fully paid and non-assessable one-fiftieths of
a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities at such adjusted Purchase
Price.
(k) 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 Corporation may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the
issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the
Preferred Shares, Common Shares or other securities of the Corporation, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares, Common Shares
or other securities of the Corporation, if any, issuable upon exercise on the
basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided,
however, that the Corporation shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(l) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Corporation shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that (i) any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii)
issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares at less than the current market
price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv)
stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in
this Section 11 hereafter made by the Corporation to holders of its Preferred
Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(m) The Corporation 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 Corporation in a transaction which does not violate Section 11
(n) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Corporation in a transaction which does not violate Section 11(n)
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
Corporation and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or
Persons (other than the Corporation and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or
more transactions each of which does not violate Section 11(n) hereof), if (x)
at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
there are any charter or by-law provisions or any rights, warrants or other
instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect or other actions
taken, which would materially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockhold-ers 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. The Corporation
shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless
prior thereto the Corporation and such other Person shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance
with this Section 11(m).
(n) The Corporation covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date,
it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 27 hereof, take (or
permit any Subsidiary to take) any action the purpose of which is to, or if at
the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that the effect of
such action is to, materially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) The exercise of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) shall only result in the
loss of rights under Section 11(a)(ii) to the extent so exercised and shall not
otherwise affect the rights represented by the Rights under this Rights
Agreement, including the rights represented, by Section 13.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 or 13 hereof, the
Corporation shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common
Shares and the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a brief
summary thereof to each holder of a Right 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 and shall not be deemed to
have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such
certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power. (a) In the event that, on or following the Shares Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Corporation shall consolidate with, or merge
with and into, any Interested Stockholder or, if in such merger or consolidation
all holders of Common Shares are not treated alike, any other Person, (y) the
Corporation shall consolidate with, or merge with, any Interested Stockholder
or, if in such merger or consolidation all holders of Common Shares are not
treated alike, any other Person, and the Corporation shall be the continuing or
surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger (other than, in the case
of any transaction described in (x) or (y), a merger or consolidation which
would result in all of the securities generally entitled to vote in the election
of directors ("voting securities") of the Corporation outstanding immediately
prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by
being converted into securities of the surviving entity) all of the voting
securities of the Corporation or such surviving entity outstanding immediately
after such merger or consolidation and the holders of such securities not having
changed as a result of such merger or consolidation), or (z) the Corporation
shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell
or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions,
assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power
of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Interested
Stockholder or Stockholders or, if in such transaction all holders of Common
Stock are not treated alike, any other Person (other than the Corporation or any
Subsidiary of the Corporation in one or more transactions each of which does not
violate Section 11(n) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as provided
in Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder
of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current
Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of
Preferred Shares, such number of freely tradable Common Shares of the Principal
Party (as hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights
of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall equal the result obtained by
(A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one-fiftieths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable (without taking into
account any adjustment previously made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) and
dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of
the Common Shares of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) 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 Corporation
pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Corpora-tion" 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; and (iv) such Principal
Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of its Common Shares) 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
the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.
(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 Common Shares of the Corporation are converted in such
merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is
the other party to such merger or consolidation (including, if applicable, the
Corporation if it is the surviving corporation); 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 of the foregoing cases, (1) if the Common
Shares of such Person are not at such time and have 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 Shares of which are and have been so registered, "Principal
Party" shall refer to such other Person; (2) in case such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares
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 Shares having the
greatest aggregate market value; and (3) in case such Person is owned, directly
or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not
owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in (1)
and (2) above shall apply to each of the chains of ownership having an interest
in such joint venture as if such party were a "Subsidiary" of both or all of
such joint venturers and the Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear the
obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or
indirect interests in such Person bear to the total of such interests.
(c) The Corporation shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of
its authorized Common Shares 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 Corporation and such Principal Party shall have
executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing
for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further
providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the
Principal Party at its own expense shall:
(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 Final Expiration Date;
(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the blue sky laws of
such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements
for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolida-tions or sales or other transfers. The rights under this
Section 13 shall be in addition to the rights to exercise Rights and adjustments
under Section 11(a)(ii) and shall survive any exercise thereof.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Section 13
shall not be applicable to a transaction described in subparagraphs (x) and (y)
of Section 13(a) if: (i) such transaction is consummated with a Person or
Persons who acquired Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer (or with a
wholly owned Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons); (ii) the price per
Common Share offered in such transaction is not less than the price per Common
Share paid to all holders of Common Shares whose shares were purchased pursuant
to such Permitted Offer; and (iii) the form of consideration offered in such
transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such
Permitted Offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this
Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. (a) The Corporation
shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right
Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right 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 the 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 for any day shall be the last sale price,
regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of
the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading 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 with respect
to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other 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 of Directors of
the Corporation. 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 of Directors of the Corporation shall be used.
(b) The Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Shares (other than fractions which are one-fiftieth or integral multiples of
one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions
which are one-fiftieth or integral multiples of one-fiftieth of a Preferred
Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one-fiftieth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Corporation, be evidenced by
depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the
Corporation and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall
provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have the rights,
privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of
the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of
fractional Preferred Shares that are not one-fiftieth or integral multiples of
one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share, the Corporation shall pay to the registered
holders of Right 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 Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the
current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a
Preferred Share (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 one of the transactions or events specified
in Section 11 giving rise to the right to receive Common Shares, capital stock
equivalents (other than Preferred Shares) or other securities upon the exercise
of a Right, the Corporation shall not be required to issue fractions of shares
or units of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities
upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractions of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities.
In lieu of fractional shares or units of such Common Shares, capital stock
equivalents or other securities, the Corporation may pay to the registered
holders of Right 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 a share or unit of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or
other securities. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value
shall be determined in the manner set forth in Section 11(d) hereof for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise and, if such capital
stock equivalent is not traded, each such capital stock equivalent shall have
the value of fiftieth of a Preferred Share.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives
his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional share upon exercise
of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Corporation to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided
in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Corporation 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 the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right 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 purpose, duty endorsed
or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate form
fully executed;
(c) subject to Section 6 and Section 7(f) hereof, the Corporation and the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate)
is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of owner-ship or writing on the Right Certificate
or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the
Corporation or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the
Corporation 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
Corporation nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a
Right or a beneficial interest in a Right or other Person as a result of its
inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of
any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued
by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or
administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or
executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority,
prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided,
however, the Corporation must use its best efforts to have any such order,
decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder,
as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other
securities of the Corporation which may at any time be issuable on the exercise
of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Corporation or
any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive or subscription rights, or
otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall
have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. The Corporation agrees to pay to
the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration
and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Corporation 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. The
indemnity provided for herein shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the
termination of this Agreement.
The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in
respect of, any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its
administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or
certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the Corporation,
instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and,
where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. Any
corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from
any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the stock transfer or
all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or
any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under
this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act
on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would
be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed
to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right
Certificates so counter-signed; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at
such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so counter-signed; and in case at that time any
of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent
may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its
changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full
force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes only those
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Corporation and the holders of Right
Certificates. by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Corporation), 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 an Acquiring Person and the
determination of the current market price of any security) be proved or
established by the Corporation prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the
Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the
Secretary of the Corporation 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 Right
Certificates (except its countersignature
on such Right Certificates) or be required to verify the same, but all such
statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the
Corporation 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 Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof), nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Corporation of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exerciseability of the Rights (including
the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or any adjustment
required under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 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 Right Certificates after receipt
of the certificate described in Section 12 hereof); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares or Common Shares to be
issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any
Preferred Shares or Common Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(f) The Corporation agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President,
any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Corporation, and to
apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties,
and shall not be liable for any, action taken or suffered by it in good faith or
lack of action in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any
delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. Any application by the
Rights Agent for written instructions from the Corporation may, at the option of
the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or
omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on or after
which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Rights
Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Rights
Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after
the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five
Business Days after the date any officer of the Corporation actually receives
such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an
earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in
the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written
instruction in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or
omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of
the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities
of the Corporation or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which
the Corporation may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Corporation 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 Corporation 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 Corporation resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend
or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has not been
completed, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to
such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the
Corporation.
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 Corporation and to each
transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class
mail. The Corporation may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
upon sixty (60) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common
Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to holders of
the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or
be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Corporation shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Corporation shall fail to make
such appointment within a period of sixty (60) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for
inspection by the Corporation), then the registered holder of any Right
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment
of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the
Corporation or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business as a banking institution in the State of New York), in good
standing, having an office in the State of New York which is authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to
supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the
time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at
least $100,000,000. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be
vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had
been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment the Corporation shall file
notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer
agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in
writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any
notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall
not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Corporation
may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors 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 Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection
with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and
prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, the
Corporation (a) shall with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant
to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or
upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes or debentures
issued by the Corporation, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary
or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, issue Right
Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with
such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) the Corporation shall not be
obligated to issue any such Right Certificates if, and to the extent that, the
Corporation shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Corporation or the
Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no Right
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)(i) The Board of Directors of the Corporation may, at its option, redeem
all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of
$0.01 (one cent) 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"), at any time prior to the earlier of (x) a Person becoming
an Acquiring Person or (y) the Final Expiration Date. The Corporation may, at
its option, pay the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the
"current per share market price," as defined in Section 11(d) hereof, of the
Common Share at the time of redemption) or cash; provided that if the
Corporation elects to pay the Redemption Price in Common Shares, the Corporation
shall not be required to issue any fractional Common Shares and the number of
Common Shares issuable to each holder of Rights shall be rounded down to the
next whole share.
(ii) The Board of Directors of the Corporation may, at its option, at
any time following the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and prior to any
Section 13 Event, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding
Rights at the Redemption Price in connection with any merger, consolidation or
sale or other transfer (in one transaction or in a series of related
transactions) of assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the earning
power of the Corporation and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) in which all
holders of Common Shares are treated alike and not involving (other than as a
holder of Common Shares being treated like all other such holders) an Interested
Stockholder.
(b) In the case of a redemption permitted under Section 23(a)(i),
immediately upon the date for redemption set forth (or determined in the manner
specified in) in a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation
ordering 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. In the case of a redemption permitted only under Section 23(a)(ii),
evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, the right to
exercise the Rights will terminate and represent only the right to receive the
Redemption Price upon the later of ten Business Days following the giving of
such notice or the expiration of any period during which the rights under
Section 11(a)(ii) may be exercised. The Corporation shall promptly give public
notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or
any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption.
Within ten (10) days after such date for redemption set forth in a resolution of
the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Corporation
shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding
Rights at their last addresses as they appear 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 Shares. 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. Neither the Corporation nor any of
its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any
Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this
Section 23 and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior
to the Distribution Date.
(c) The Corporation may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations
with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner
of redemption of the Rights in accordance with this Agreement and (ii) mailing
payment of the Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their
last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Rights Agent or,
prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of
the Common Shares, and upon such action, all outstanding Rights and Right
Certificates shall be null and void without any further action by the
Corporation.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Corporation may, at its option, at any
time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, 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 11(a)(ii) hereof) for
Common Shares of the Corporation at an exchange ratio of one Common Share 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 of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange
at any time after any Person (other than the Corporation, any Subsidiary of the
Corporation, any employee benefit plan of the Corporation, or any such
Subsidiary, any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any
such a plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then
outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Corporation 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 Common Shares equal to
the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.
The Corporation 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 Corporation shall promptly 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 Shares 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 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Corporation, at its
option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or equivalent preferred shares, as such
term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for some or all of the Common Shares
exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one-fiftieth of a Preferred
Share (or equivalent preferred share) for each Common Share, as appropriately
adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Shares
pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the fraction of a Preferred Share
delivered in lieu of each Common Share shall have the same voting rights as one
Common Share.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares or
Preferred Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit
any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the
Corporation shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
additional Common Shares or Preferred Shares for issuance upon exchange of the
Rights.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. (a) In case the Corporation shall
propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of
its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its
Preferred Shares (other than a regularly quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer
to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to
purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its
Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision
of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger
into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Corporation in a
transaction which does not violate Section 11(n) 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 or more transactions of 50% or more of the assets
or earning power of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to
any other Person or Persons (other than the Corporation and/or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which does not violate Section
11(n) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
the Corporation, then, in each such case, the Corporation shall give to each
holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of
such proposed action to the extent feasible and file a certificate with the
Rights Agent to that effect, which shall specify the record date for the
purposes of such stock dividend, or 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 Preferred Shares, if any such date
is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, whichever shall be
the earlier.
(b) In case of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, then (i) the Corporation shall as
soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event,
which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to
holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the
preceding paragraph (a) to Preferred Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer
also to Common Shares and/or, if appropriate, other securities of the
Corporation.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to
or on the Corporation shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation
909 Silver Lake Boulevard
Dover, Delaware 19904
Attention: John R. Schimkaitis
President and Chief Executive Officer
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Corporation or by the
holder of any Right 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 with the Corporation) as follows:
BankBoston, N.A.
c/o EquiServe Limited Partnership
150 Royall Street
Canton, MA 02021
Attention: Client Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Corporation or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
Common Shares 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 Corporation.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
Corpora-tion and the Rights Agent shall, if the Corporation so directs,
supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of certificates representing Common Shares. From and after the
Distribution Date, the Corporation and the Rights Agent shall, if the
Corporation so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval
of any holders of Right 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 Corporation may deem necessary or desirable and which
shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates
(other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring
Person); provided, however, 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 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. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an
appropriate officer of the Corporation which states that the proposed supplement
or amend-ment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights
Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment, provided that such supplement
or amendment does not adversely affect the rights or obligations of the Rights
Agent under Section 18 or Section 20 of this Agreement. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
Section 28. Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. The
Board of Directors of the Corporation shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board, or the Corporation, 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 administra-tion of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a
determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement and
whether any proposed amendment adversely affects the interests of the holders of
Right Certificates). For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of Common Shares or other securities outstanding at any particular time,
including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such
outstanding Common Shares or any other securities 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 as in
effect on the date of this Agreement. All such actions, calculations,
interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below,
all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board
in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Corporation,
the Rights Agent, the holders of the Right Certificates and all other parties,
and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Right
Certificates.
Section 29. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement
by or for the benefit of the Corporation or the Rights Agent shall bind and
inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Corporation, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Corporation, the Rights Agent and the registered
holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the
Common Shares).
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 unenforce-able, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State of Delaware applicable to
contracts to be made and performed entirely within such state.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counter-parts 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.
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF. the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the date and year first above written.
CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
Attest:
By: /s/ WILLIAM C. BOYLES By: /s/ JOHN R. SCHIMKAITIS
---------------------- ------------------------
Name: William C. Boyles Name: John R. Schimkaitis
Title: Corporate Secretary Title: President and Chief
Executive Officer
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
Attest:
By: _______________________ By: /s/ CAROL MULVEY-EORI
---------------------
Name: ________________________ Name: Carol Mulvey-Eori
Title: ________________________ Title: Managing Director
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF THE VOTING POWERS,
DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE
PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL AND OTHER SPECIAL
RIGHTS AND QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS
OR RESTRICTIONS OF SERIES A
PARTICIPATING CUMULATIVE
PREFERRED STOCK OF
CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (the "Corporation"), a corporation
organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY
CERTIFY:
That, pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of
the Corporation by Article Fourth of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation
of the Corporation (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), the Board of Directors
of the Corporation on August 20, 1999, adopted the following resolution creating
a series of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Participating Cumulative
Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that, pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation
is hereby created and that the designation and number of shares 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, Par Value and Amount.
The shares of such series shall be designated as "Series A Participating
Cumulative Preferred Stock" (hereinafter referred to as "Series A Preferred
Stock"), par value of $0.01 per share. The number of shares initially
constituting such series shall be 200,000; provided, however, that, if more than
a total of 200,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be issuable upon the
exercise of Rights (the "Rights") issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement, dated
as of August 20, 1999, between the Corporation and BankBoston, N.A., as Rights
Agent (as amended from time to time, the "Rights Agreement"), the Board of
Directors of the Corporation, pursuant to Section 151(g) of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, shall direct by resolution or
resolutions that a certificate be properly executed, acknowledged, filed and
recorded in accordance with Section 103 thereof providing for the total number
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock authorized to be issued to be increased
(to the extent that the Certificate of Incorporation then permits) to the
largest number of whole shares (rounded up to the nearest whole number) issuable
upon exercise of the Rights.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
shares of any other series of Preferred Stock and any other class of equity
securities of the Corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series
A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the
Board of Directors, out of assets legally available for the purpose, quarterly
dividends payable in cash on the first business day of September, December,
March and June in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a
"Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent)
equal to the greater of (i) $12.50 or (ii) the Formula Number times the
aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends declared on the Common Stock,
par value $0.48 2/3 per share, 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 Preferred Stock. In addition, if the
Corporation shall pay any dividend or make any distribution on the Common Stock
payable in assets, securities or other forms of noncash consideration (other
than dividends or distributions solely in shares of Common Stock), then, in each
such case, the Corporation shall simultaneously pay or make on each outstanding
whole share of Series A Preferred Stock a dividend or distribution in like kind
in an amount equal to such dividend or distribution on each share of the Common
Stock multiplied by the Formula Number. As used herein, the "Formula Number"
shall be 50; provided, however, that, if at any time after August 20, 1999, the
Corporation shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock or make any distribution on the Common Stock in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide (by a stock split or otherwise) the outstanding
shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock, or (iii)
combine (by a reverse stock split or otherwise) the outstanding shares of Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such event
the Formula Number shall be adjusted to a number determined by multiplying the
Formula Number in effect immediately prior to such event by a fraction, (A) the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that are outstanding
immediately after such event and (B) the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to such event (and
rounding the result to the nearest whole number); and provided further, that, if
at any time after August 20, 1999, the Corporation shall issue any shares of its
capital stock in a merger, reclassification, or change of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock, then in each such event the Formula Number shall be
appropriately adjusted, as necessary, to reflect such merger, reclassification
or change so that each share of Preferred Stock continues to be the economic
equivalent of a Formula Number of shares of Common Stock prior to such merger,
reclassification or change.
(b) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) above immediately prior to
or at the same time it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend or distribution payable in shares of Common Stock), and
in which case the record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a dividend or distribution declared
thereon shall be the same date as the record date for any corresponding dividend
or distribution on the Common Stock.
(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Preferred Stock from and after the Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date next preceding the date of original issue of such shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue is a date after the record date for
the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to
receive a quarterly dividend, in which event such dividends shall begin to
accrue and be cumulative from the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
following the date of issue. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount
less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on
such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such
shares at the time outstanding. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)
of this Section 2, the Board of Directors may fix a record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to
receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record
date shall be not more than 50 days or less than 10 days prior to the date fixed
for the payment of such dividend or distribution.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this Section 3 and
Section 11 hereof or as is required by law, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as
one class for the election of directors and on all other matters submitted to a
vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(b) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder
thereof to one vote on all matters submitted to the vote of the holders of
Series A Preferred Stock, except that, when voting as a single class with the
holders of the Common Stock, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder to a number of votes equal to the Formula Number then in
effect.
(c) (i) If, on the date used to determine stockholders of record for
any meeting of stockholders for the election of directors, a default in
preference dividends (as defined in subparagraph (v) below) on the Series A
Preferred Stock shall exist, the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall
have the right, voting as a class (in addition to voting together with the
holders of Common Stock for the election of the other directors of the
Corporation), to elect two directors (each a "Preferred Director"). Such right
may be exercised (A) at any meeting of stockholders for the election of
directors or (B) at a meeting of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock called
for the purpose in accordance with the By-laws of the Corporation, and shall
continue until all such cumulative dividends (referred to above) shall have been
paid in full.
(ii) Each Preferred Director shall continue to serve as a
Preferred Director for a term of one year, except that upon any termination of
the right of all holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to vote as a
class for Preferred Directors, the term of office of each Preferred Directors
shall terminate. Any Preferred Director may be removed by, and shall not be
removed except by, the vote of the holders of record of a majority of the
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock then entitled to vote for the
election of directors, present (in person or by proxy) and voting together as a
single class (A) at a meeting of the stockholders, (B) at a meeting of the
holders of Series A Preferred Stock called for the purpose in accordance with
the By-laws of the Corporation, or (C) by a written consent signed by the
holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock
then entitled to vote for the election of directors.
(iii) So long as a default in any preference dividends on the
Series A Preferred Stock shall exist (A) any vacancy in the office of a
Preferred Director may be filled (except as provided in the following clause
(B)) by an instrument in writing signed by the remaining Preferred Director and
filed with the Corporation or (B) in the case of the removal of any Preferred
Director, the vacancy may be filled by the vote or written consent of the
holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock then
entitled to vote for the election of directors at such time as the removal shall
be effected. Each director appointed as aforesaid by the remaining Preferred
Director shall be deemed, for all purposes hereof, to be a Preferred Director.
Whenever a default in preference dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock
ceases to exist, then the number of directors constituting the Board of
Directors of the Corporation shall be reduced by two.
(iv) A "default in preference dividends" on the Series A Preferred
Stock shall be deemed to have occurred whenever the amount of cumulative and
unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall be equivalent to six full
quarterly dividends or more (whether or not consecutive), and, having so
occurred, such default shall be deemed to exist thereafter until, but only
until, all cumulative dividends on all shares of the Series A Preferred Stock
then outstanding shall have been paid through the last Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date.
(d) Except as set forth in this Section 3 and Section 11 hereof and as
otherwise required by applicable law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall
have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to
the extent they are entitled to vote with the holders of Common Stock as set
forth herein) to authorize the taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Preferred Stock, as provided in Section 2, are in
arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock
outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions on,
or redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration, any shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Corporation) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, 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 of the Corporation) with the Series A
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock
and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
entitled;
(iii) redeem, 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 of the Corporation) to the Series A
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 (both as to dividends and upon
dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in
writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock upon such terms as the Board of
Directors.
(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 on the same terms.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock, and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of holders of any shares
of any other series of Preferred Stock and any other class of equity securities
of the Corporation ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, upon a liquidation, dissolution or winding up (voluntary or
otherwise) of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to $18.00 per share, 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").
Unless and until the holders of Series A Preferred Stock receive the Series A
Liquidation Preference, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares
of Common Stock, any other series of Preferred Stock, or other class of equity
securities of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock
upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation. 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
Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock
shall have received an amount per share (the "Common Stock Amount") equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii)
Formula Number then in effect. Following the payment of the full amount of the
Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Stock Amount respect of all
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively,
holders of Series A Preferred Stock and holders of Common Stock shall receive
their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed
in the ratio of the Formula Number to one with respect to such Preferred Stock
and Common Stock, 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 stock ranking on a parity with the
Series A Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed
ratably to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of such
parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
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 then
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the Formula
Number 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.
Section 8. No Redemption; No Sinking Fund.
(a) The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable by the
Corporation or at the option of any holder of Series A Preferred Stock.
(b) The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be subject to or
entitled to the operation of a retirement or sinking fund.
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to
all other series of the Preferred Stock of the Corporation as to the payment of
dividends and a to the distribution of assets upon the liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Corporation, unless the terms of any such other series of
Preferred Stock shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Fractional Shares. The Series A Preferred Stock shall be
issuable upon exercise of the Rights issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement in
whole shares or in any fraction of a share that is one-fiftieth (1/50th) of a
share or any integral multiple thereof, which fractional share of Series A
Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder's
fractional shares, to receive dividends exercise voting rights, participate in
distributions and to have the benefit of any other rights of a holder of Series
A Preferred Stock. As provided in the Rights Agreement, (i) in lieu of the
issuance of a fraction of a share (other one-fiftieth (1/50th) of a share or an
integral multiple thereof), the Corporation may elect to make a cash payment for
the fraction of a share in excess of one-fiftieth (1/50th) of a share or any
integral multiple thereof and (ii) to issue depository receipts evidencing
authorized fractions of a share of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to an
appropriate agreement between the Corporation and a depository selected by the
Corporation; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such
depository receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to
which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Series A Preferred Stock
represented by such depository receipts.
Section 11. Amendment. None of the powers, preferences and relative,
participating, optional and other special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock
as provided herein or in the Certificate of Incorporation shall be amended in
any manner which would alter or change the powers, preferences, rights or
privileges of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them
adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the
outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment is executed on behalf of
the Corporation by its President and attested by its Secretary this 24th day of
August, 1999.
CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
By: ___________________________
Name: John R. Schimkaitis
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Attest:
By: ___________________________
Name: William C. Boyles
Title: Corporate Secretary
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATE
CERTIFICATE
NO. R- ___ RIGHTS
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 20, 2009,OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY
THE CORPORATION. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
This certifies that _____________, or registered assigns, is the registered
owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner
thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of August 20, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement"), between
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"),
and BankBoston, N.A. (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Corporation at
any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., New York time, on August 20, 2009, unless the
Rights evidenced hereby shall have been previously redeemed by the Corporation,
at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one-fiftieth of a
fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred
Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Preferred Shares"), of the Corporation,
at a purchase price of $54.56 per one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share (the
"Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate
with the attached Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one-fiftieths of a
Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above,
and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of
August 20, 1999, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Right 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 who
becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) under
certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of any
such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate who becomes a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such, such Rights shall
become null and void 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 of
one-fiftieths of a Preferred Share or other securities which may be purchased
upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject
to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including
Triggering Events (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Corporation and the holders of the Right 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 principal executive offices of
the Corporation and the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of
Preferred Shares or other securities as the Rights evidenced by the Right
Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to
purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder
shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or
Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be redeemed by the Corporation at a redemption price of
$.0l per Right (subject to adjustment as provided in the Rights Agreement)
payable in cash or Common Shares (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement).
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are one-fiftieth or
integral multiples of one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the
election of the Corporation, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of
any other securities of the Corporation which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Corporation or any right to vote for the election of
directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof,
or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of
meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the
Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise
any preemptive or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the
Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Corporation
and its corporate seal. Dated as of _________, ___.
[SEAL]
ATTEST: CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION
By: _____________________ By: ______________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Countersigned:
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
By: ______________________
Authorized Signatory
Name:
Title:
________________
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _________________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto ___________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ___________________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the
within-named Corporation, with full power of substitution.
Dated: ________, ____
________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm or a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
The undersigned hereby certifies that (1) the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not being sold, assigned or transferred by or on behalf of
a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof
(is such terms are defined in the Right Agreement) and (2) after due inquiry and
to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned did not acquire the
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement).
________________________
Signature
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed by the registered holder
if such holder desires to exercise Rights
represented by the Right Certificate.)
To the Rights Agent:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise __________ Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares, Common
Shares or other securities issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and
requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares, Common Shares or other
securities be issued in the name of:
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
Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such
Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Dated: ________, ___
________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
The undersigned hereby certifies that (1) the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or
was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement) and (2) after due inquiry and to the best
knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned did not acquire the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement).
________________________
Signature
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signature on the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election and
certificates must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or
the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the
Corporation and the Rights Agent will deem the Beneficial Owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On August 20, 1999, the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Utilities
Corporation (the "Corporation") declared a dividend distribution of one
preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of Common
Stock, par value $0.48 2/3 per share (a "Common Share"), of the Corporation.
The dividend is payable to the stockholders of record on September 3, 1999 (the
"Record Date"). One Right also will be issued with each Common Share issued
thereafter until the Distribution Date (as defined below) and, in certain
circumstances, with each Common Share issued after the Distribution Date.
Except as set forth below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Corporation one-fiftieth of a share of
Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Preferred Shares"), of the Corporation at a price of $54.56 per one-fiftieth of
a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The
description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the
"Rights Agreement") between the Corporation and BankBoston, N.A., as Rights
Agent (the "Rights Agent"), dated as of August 20, 1999.
RIGHTS ARE EVIDENCED BY COMMON SHARE CERTIFICATES UNTIL DISTRIBUTION DATE
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all certificates representing
Common Shares then outstanding, and no separate Right Certificates will be
distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Shares upon the earliest
to occur of (i) the date of a public announcement that a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons have acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares (except pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer that is for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms which a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the
Corporation and who are not affiliated with the Acquiring Person (as defined
below) determines to be adequate and in the best interests of the Corporation
and its stockholders other than such Acquiring Person and its affiliates and
associates (a "Permitted Offer") or (ii) 10 days (or such later date as the
Board may determine) following the commencement of, or announcement of an
intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which
would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person (as hereinafter
defined) (the earliest of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"). A
person or group whose acquisition of Common Shares causes a Distribution Date
pursuant to clause (i) above is an "Acquiring Person." The date that a person
or group becomes an Acquiring Person is the "Shares Acquisition Date."
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, with or without such notation
or a copy of this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date (and to each initial record holder of certain Common Shares
issued after the Distribution Date), and such separate Right Certificates alone
will evidence the Rights.
EXPIRATION OF RIGHTS
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire
at the close of business on August 20, 2009, unless earlier redeemed by the
Corporation as described below.
FLIP-IN EVENTS
In the event that any person becomes an Acquiring Person (the "Flip-In
Event"), each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise, the number of Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances, other
securities of the Corporation) having a value (immediately prior to such
triggering event) equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of such an event, all
Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights
Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any affiliate or
associate thereof will be null and void.
FLIP-OVER EVENTS
A Flip-Over Event will occur in the event that, at any time following the
Shares Acquisition Date, (i) the Corporation is involved in a merger or other
business combination transaction (whether or not the Corporation is the
surviving entity) with, or (ii) more than 50% of the Corporation's assets or
earning power is sold or transferred to, in either case an Acquiring Person or
any of its affiliates or associates or, if the holders of the outstanding Common
Shares are not treated alike, any other entity. Upon the occurrence of a
Flip-Over Event, each holder of a Right (except for the Rights of an Acquiring
Person or any of its affiliates and associates which, as described above, shall
have become null and void) generally shall have the right to receive, upon
exercise, common shares of the acquiring company having a value equal to two
times the exercise price of the Right.
EXCHANGE PROVISION
At any time after an Acquiring Person obtains 15% or more of the Common
Shares and prior to the acquisition by an Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors may elect to exchange the
Rights (other than the Rights owned by the Acquiring Person and any of its
affiliates and associates), in whole or in part, for Common Shares at an
exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
ADJUSTMENT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE AND SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF
RIGHTS.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares, Common
Shares or other securities issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than
the then current market price of the Preferred Shares, or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments
require an adjustment of at least 1% in the Purchase Price.
TERMS OF THE PREFERRED STOCK
The Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. Each Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum preferential
quarterly dividend payment equal to the greater of (i) $13.00 per share (or
$.26 per 1/50th of a Preferred Share) and (ii) an aggregate dividend per share
of 50 times (subject to adjustment) the dividend declared per Common Share. In
the event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled
to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $ 900.00 per share (or $18.00
per 1/50th of a Preferred Share); thereafter, and after the holders of the
Common Shares receive a liquidation payment of $18.00 per share, the holders of
the Preferred Shares and the holders of the Common Shares will share the
remaining assets in the ratio of 50 (subject to adjustment) to one for each
Preferred Share and Common Share so held, respectively. In the event of any
merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged,
each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 50 times (subject to
adjustment) the amount received per Common Share. The holders of Preferred
Shares will be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Common
Shares (with the Preferred Shares being entitled to 50 votes per share). In the
event that the amount of accrued and unpaid dividends on the Preferred Shares is
equivalent to six full quarterly dividends or more, the holders of the Preferred
Shares shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect two directors in
addition to the directors elected by the holders of the Common Shares until all
cumulative dividends on the Preferred Shares have been paid through the last
quarterly dividend payment date. These rights are protected by customary
antidilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the dividend, liquidation and voting rights of the
Preferred Shares, the value of a one-fiftieth interest in a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right should approximate the value of one
Common Share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than fractions which
are one-fiftieth or integral multiples of one-fiftieth of a Preferred Share,
which may, at the election of the Corporation, be evidenced by depositary
receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preferred Shares.
REDEMPTION OF RIGHTS
At any time prior to the earlier to occur of (i) a person becoming an
Acquiring Person or (ii) the expiration of the Rights, the Corporation may
redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the
"Redemption Price"), which redemption shall be effective upon the action of the
Board of Directors. Additionally, following a Flip-In Event and prior to a
Flip-Over Event, the Corporation may redeem the then outstanding Rights in
whole, but not in part, at the Redemption Price, provided that such redemption
is in connection with a merger or other business combination transaction or
series of transactions involving the Corporation in which all holders of Common
Shares are treated alike but not involving an Acquiring Person or any of its
affiliates or associates.
AMENDMENT OF RIGHTS AGREEMENT
All of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board
of Directors of the Corporation at any time prior to the Distribution Date
without the approval of the holders of the Rights. After the Distribution Date,
the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors
without the approval of the holders of the Rights to cure any ambiguity, defect
or inconsistency or to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests
of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person or its
affiliates or associates).
* * *
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A, dated
August __, 1999. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge
from the Corporation. 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 hereby incorporated herein by reference.
