DONNELLEY R R & SONS CO
8-A12B, 1996-06-05
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
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<PAGE>
 
                                UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                       --------------------------------


                                    FORM 8-A

               FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                         R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                Delaware                              36 1004130
        -------------------------              ------------------------
      (State of incorporation)                      (I.R.S. Employer
          or organization)                         Identification No.)



  77 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL                     60601
 ----------------------------------            -----------------------
(Address of principal executive                       (Zip Code)
  offices)



Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class                             Name of each exchange on which
  to be registered                              each class is to be registered
- -------------------                             ------------------------------
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights                 New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
                                                Chicago Stock Exchange
                                                Pacific Stock Exchange,
                                                  Incorporated


Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:


                                     None
                      ----------------------------------
                               (Title of Class)
<PAGE>
 
Item 1.   Description of Registrant's Securities to Be Registered
                 -------------------------------------------------------

          On April 25, 1996, the Board of Directors of the Registrant declared a
dividend distribution of one right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of the
Registrant's Common Stock, $1.25 par value per share ("Common Stock"), to
stockholders of record at the close of business on August 8, 1996 (the "Record
Date").  The Board of Directors of the Registrant also authorized the issuance
of one Right for each share of Common Stock issued after the Record Date and
prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date (as defined below), the
redemption of the Rights and the expiration of the Rights and, in certain
circumstances, after the Distribution Date.  Except as set forth below and
subject to adjustment as provided in the Rights Agreement (defined below),
each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Registrant one
one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock"), at a purchase price of $140 per Right (the "Purchase
Price").  The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement, dated as of April 25, 1996 (the "Rights Agreement"), between the
Registrant and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, as Rights Agent.

          Upon payment of the dividend at the close of business on the Record
Date, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates representing
shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates (as defined below)
will be distributed.  The Rights will separate from the Common Stock upon the
earliest of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person or group
(an "Acquiring Person"), together with persons affiliated or associated with it,
has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"),
(ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the Board of Directors of the
Registrant shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning 15% or
more of such outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) 10 business days
following a determination by the Board of Directors of the Registrant that a
person (an "Adverse Person"), alone or together with its affiliates and
associates, has become the beneficial owner of more than 10% of the outstanding
Common Stock and that (a) such beneficial ownership is intended to cause the
Registrant to repurchase the

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
Common Stock beneficially owned by such person or to cause pressure on the
Registrant to take action or enter into transactions intended to provide such
person with short-term financial gain under the circumstances where the Board of
Directors of the Registrant determines that the best long-term interests of the
Registrant would not be served by taking such action or entering into such
transactions at the time or (b) such beneficial ownership is causing or
reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact on the business or
prospects of the Registrant (the earliest of such dates being called the
"Distribution Date").

          Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of
the Rights), (i) the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common
Stock (except in connection with redemption of the Rights), (ii) new Common
Stock certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer, replacement or
new issuance of Common Stock will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certifi-
cates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.

          The Rights will become first exercisable on the Distribution Date and
will expire at the close of business on August 8, 2006 (the "Expiration Date"),
unless earlier redeemed by the Registrant as described below.  Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Rights will not be exercisable after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event (defined below) until the Registrant's right of redemption has
expired.

          As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights (the "Rights Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and, thereafter, such separate Rights Certificates alone will
evidence the Rights.  Except for shares of Common Stock issued or sold after the
Distribution Date pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any
employee benefit plan or arrangement granted or awarded prior to the
Distribution Date, or the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities issued
by the Registrant, and except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors,
only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued
with Rights.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
          In the event that any person shall become (a) an Acquiring Person
(except (i) pursuant to an offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock
which the independent directors determine to be fair to and otherwise in the
best interest of the Registrant and its stockholders after receiving advice
from one or more investment banking firms (a "Qualifying Offer") and (ii) for
certain persons who report their ownership on Schedule 13G under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or on Schedule 13D under
the Exchange Act, provided that they do not state any intention to, or reserve
the right to, control or influence the Registrant and such persons certify that
they became an Acquiring Person inadvertently and they agree that they will not
acquire any additional shares of Common Stock) or (b) an Adverse Person (either
such event is referred to herein as a "Triggering Event"), then the Rights will
"flip-in" and entitle each holder of a Right, except as provided below, to
purchase, upon exercise at the then-current Purchase Price, that number of
shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times such Purchase Price.

          Any Rights beneficially owned at any time on or after the earlier of
the Distribution Date and the Stock Acquisition Date by an Acquiring Person, an
Adverse Person or an affiliate or associate of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse
Person (whether or not such ownership is subsequently transferred) will become
null and void upon the occurrence of a Triggering Event, and any holder of such
Rights will have no right to exercise such Rights.

          In the event that, following a Stock Acquisition Date, the Registrant
is acquired in a merger or other business combination in which the Common Stock
does not remain outstanding or is changed (other than a merger consummated
pursuant to a Qualifying Offer) or 50% of the assets or earning power of the
Registrant and its Subsidiaries (as defined in the Rights Agreement) (taken as a
whole) is sold or otherwise transferred to any person (other than the Registrant
or any Subsidiary of the Registrant) in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, the Rights will "flip-over" and entitle each holder of a Right,
except as provided in the preceding paragraph, to purchase, upon the exercise of
the Right at the then-current Purchase Price, that number of shares of common
stock of the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction would have
a market value of two times such Purchase Price.

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
          The Purchase Price is subject to adjustment from time to time to
prevent dilution upon the (i) declaration of a dividend on the Preferred Stock
payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (ii) subdivision of the outstanding Pre-
ferred Stock, (iii) combination of the outstanding Preferred Stock into a
smaller number of shares, (iv) issuance of any shares of the Registrant's
capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Registrant is the continuing or surviving corporation), (v) grant to holders of
the Preferred Stock of certain rights, options, or warrants to subscribe for
Preferred Stock or securities convertible into Preferred Stock at less than the
current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (vi) distribution to holders of
the Preferred Stock of other evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a
regular quarterly cash dividend payable out of the earnings or retained
earnings of the Registrant), subscription rights, warrants, or assets (other
than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable
in stock other than Preferred Stock).

          With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% of
the Purchase Price.

          At any time until the earlier of (i) ten days following the Stock
Acquisition Date and (ii) the Expiration Date, the Registrant may redeem the
Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right, subject to
adjustments.  The Registrant may, at its option, pay the redemption price in
cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the current market price of the Common
Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed 
appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Registrant.  Immediately upon the
action of the Registrant's Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights,
the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the
holders of Rights will be to receive the applicable redemption price. In
addition, after a Triggering Event, at the election of the Board of Directors of
the Registrant, the outstanding Rights (other than those beneficially owned by
an Acquiring Person, Adverse Person or an affiliate or associate of an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person) may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for shares of
Common Stock, or shares of preferred stock of the Registrant having essentially
the same value or economic rights as such shares of Common

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
Stock.  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Registrant
authorizing any such exchange, and without any further action or any notice, the
Rights (other than Rights which are not subject to such exchange) will terminate
and such Rights will only entitle holders to receive the shares issuable upon
such exchange.

          Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Registrant, including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.  While the distribution of the Rights
will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Registrant, stockholders may,
depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that
the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of the
Registrant or for common stock of the acquiring company as set forth above.

          At any time prior to the Distribution Date, the Registrant may,
without the approval of any holder of the Rights, supplement or amend any
provision of the Rights Agreement.  Thereafter, the Rights Agreement may be
amended only (i) to cure ambiguities, (ii) to correct inconsistent provisions,
(iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period thereunder or (iv) in ways that do
not adversely affect the Rights holders (other than an Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person).  From and after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agreement may
not be amended to lengthen (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
(other than an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person).

          As of June 1, 1996, there were 158,608,800 shares of Common Stock
outstanding.  Each outstanding share of Common Stock on the Record Date will
receive one Right. Until the Distribution Date, the Registrant will issue one
Right with each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding so that all
such shares will have attached Rights.  Five hundred thousand (500,000) shares
of Preferred Stock have been reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
          The Rights have certain antitakeover effects.  The Rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the
Registrant on terms not approved by the Registrant's Board of Directors.  The
Rights should not interfere with any merger or other business combination
approved by the Board of Directors of the Registrant since the Board of
Directors may, at its option, at any time until ten days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, redeem all, but no less than all, of the then outstanding
Rights at the applicable redemption price.

          The foregoing summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement
(which includes as Exhibit B the Form of Rights Certificate), a copy of which
is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1 to this registration statement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement will be available free of charge from the
Registrant.

Item 2.  Exhibits
         --------

The following documents are filed as exhibits to this registration statement.

                   Rights Agreement, dated as of April 25, 1996, between the
                   Registrant and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, as
                   Rights Agent, which includes as Exhibit B thereto the Form 
                   of Rights Certificate..................................... 4

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
                                   Signature
                                   ---------



          Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.


June 5, 1996                                  R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
                                              (Registrant)



                                              By:  /s/Deborah M. Regan
                                                   -------------------------
                                                   Vice President and
                                                   Corporate Secretary

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
                                 Exhibit Index
                                 -------------


       Description                       Exhibit
       -----------                       -------

Rights Agreement, dated as of
April 25, 1996, between the
Registrant and First Chicago
Trust Company of New York, as
Rights Agent, which includes
as Exhibit B thereto the Form
of Rights Certificate....................   4

                                       9

<PAGE>
 
                                                                       EXHIBIT 4
                                                                     TO FORM 8-A
                                                                    JUNE 5, 1996
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                         R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY


                                      and


                    FIRST CHICAGO TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK

                                  Rights Agent



                             ---------------------



                                Rights Agreement

                           Dated as of April 25, 1996


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
 
                               Table of Contents
                               -----------------
<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 

Section                                                                    Page
- -------                                                                    -----
<S>                                                                        <C> 
  1.  Certain Definitions................................................    1

  2.  Appointment of Rights Agent........................................    6

  3.  Issue of Rights Certificates.......................................    6

  4.  Form of Rights Certificates........................................    8

  5.  Countersignature and Registration..................................   10

  6.  Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights 
      Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights 
      Certificates.......................................................   11

  7.  Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights......   12

  8.  Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates................   15

  9.  Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock......................   15

 10.  Preferred Stock Record Date........................................   17
 
 11.  Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and
       Kind of Shares or Number of Rights................................   18
 
 12.  Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.........   32
 
 13.  Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning 
       Power.............................................................   32

 14.  Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares............................   36

 15.  Rights of Action...................................................   38

 16.  Agreement of Rights Holders........................................   38
</TABLE> 



                                       i
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                                        <C> 
 17.  Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.................   39

 18.  Concerning the Rights Agent........................................   40

 19.  Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent..........   40

 20.  Duties of Rights Agent.............................................   41

 21.  Change of Rights Agent.............................................   44

 22.  Issuance of New Rights Certificates................................   45

 23.  Redemption and Termination.........................................   46

 24.  Exchange...........................................................   47

 25.  Notice of Certain Events...........................................   49

 26.  Notices............................................................   50

 27.  Supplements and Amendments.........................................   51

 28.  Successors.........................................................   52

 29.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. ........   52

 30.  Benefits of This Agreement.........................................   52

 31.  Severability.......................................................   53

 32.  Governing Law......................................................   53

 33.  Counterparts.......................................................   53

 34.  Descriptive Headings...............................................   54
</TABLE> 

Exhibit A --  Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights

Exhibit B --  Form of Rights Certificate



                                      ii
<PAGE>
 
                               RIGHTS AGREEMENT
                               ----------------

          RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of April 25, 1996 (the "Agreement"),
between R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, a Delaware corporation (the "Rights
Agent").

                              W I T N E S S E T H
                              - - - - - - - - - -

          WHEREAS, on April 25, 1996 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"),
the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend
distribution of one Right for each share of common stock, par value $1.25 per
share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") outstanding at the close of business
on August 8, 1996 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one
Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of
Section 11(p) hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued
between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the
Company's treasury) and the Distribution Date, each Right initially representing
the right to purchase one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company
having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate
of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the "Rights");

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

          Section  1.  Certain Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:

          (a)  "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner
of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not
include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company,

<PAGE>
 
(iv) any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or (v) any such Person who has
reported or is required to report such ownership (but less than 25%) on Schedule
13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) or on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report)
which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to
control or influence the management or policies of the Company or engage in any
of the actions specified in Item 4 of such Schedule (other than the disposition
of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days of being requested by the
Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to the Company that such
Person acquired shares of Common Stock representing in excess of 14.9% of the
outstanding Common Stock inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the
Rights and who, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not
acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided, however, that if
the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within 10 Business Days, then
such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such 10 Business
Day Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring
Person" solely as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company
which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate
number of shares beneficially owned by a Person to 15% or more of the Common
Stock of the Company then outstanding as determined above; provided, however,
that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock
of the Company then outstanding (as determined above) solely by reason of
purchases of Common Stock by the Company and shall, after such purchases by the
Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock by
any means whatsoever, then such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person."

          (b) "Adverse Person" shall mean any Person declared to be an Adverse
Person by the Board of Directors upon determination that the criteria set forth
in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) apply to such Person; provided, however, that the Board
of Directors shall not declare any Person who is the Beneficial Owner of 10% or
more of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company to be an Adverse Person if
such Person has reported or is required

                                       2

<PAGE>
 
to report such ownership on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any
comparable or successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or
any comparable or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any
intention to or reserve the right to control or influence the management or
policies of the Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of
such Schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Stock) so long as such
Person neither reports nor is required to report such ownership other than as
described in this clause (ii).

          (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, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such
right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to
any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon
the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options,
or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities tendered
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at
any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering
Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section
3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i)
hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original
Rights;

                                       3

<PAGE>
 
          (ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has
"beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; provided,
however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an
agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement,
arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in
response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

          (iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any
other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring,
holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the
proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (c)) or disposing of any voting
securities of the Company;

provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (c) shall cause a person
engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial
Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any securities acquired through such
person's participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the
expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition.

          (e)  "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized
or obligated by law or executive order to close.

                                       4

<PAGE>
 
          (f)  "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New
York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.

          (g)  "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value $1.25 per
share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with reference to
any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person
with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity
interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.

          (h)  "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.

          (i)  "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company, and,
to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of
the Rights, any other series of Preferred Stock of the Company designated for
such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

          (j)  "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

          (k)  "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clauses
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.

          (l)  "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

          (m)  "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least
a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially

                                       5

<PAGE>
 
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such
Person.

          (n)  "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.

          Section  2.  Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints
the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights
(who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date
also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment.  The
Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable.

          Section  3.  Issue of Rights Certificates.

          (a)  Until the earliest of (i) the close of business on the tenth day
after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on the
Record Date), (ii) the close of business on the tenth business day (or such
later date as the Board shall determine) after the date that a tender or
exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the
Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or
sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person
would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding or (iii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day after the
Board of Directors determines, pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section
11(a)(ii)(B) hereof, that a Person is an Adverse Person (the earliest of (i),
(ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the
Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this
Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of
the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be
deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and
(y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the
Company). As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent
will send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder
of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more right
certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights
Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held,
subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the
number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section
11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the
Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in
accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing
only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any
fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

          (b)  With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as
of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by
such certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of the Common
Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights.  Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such term is defined
in Section 7 hereof), the transfer of any certificates representing shares of
Common Stock in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.

          (c)  Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock
which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's treasury)
after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof,
after the Distribution Date.  Certificates representing such shares of Common
Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the
following legend:

          This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
     certain Rights as set

                                       7

<PAGE>
 
     forth in the Rights Agreement between R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (the
     "Company") and First Chicago Trust Company of New York (the "Rights
     Agent"), dated as of April 25, 1996, as amended from time to time (the
     "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
     reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the
     Company.  Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights
     Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will
     no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail to the
     holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on
     the date of mailing, without charge promptly after receipt of a written
     request therefor.  Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights
     Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes
     an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person or any Affiliate or Associate
     thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether
     currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder,
     may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock
shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer
of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.

          Section  4.  Form of Rights Certificates.

          (a)  The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substan-
tially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be

                                       8

<PAGE>
 
required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made
pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which
the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to
the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates,
whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date and on their face
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the
price set forth therein (such exercise price per one one-thousandth (1/1000th)
of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type of securities
purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof
shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

          (b)  Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by:  (i) an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a
transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person
or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has deter-
mined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary
purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate
issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange,
replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this
sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

     The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially
     owned by a Person

                                       9

<PAGE>
 
     who was or became an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or an Affiliate or
     Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (as such terms are
     defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and
     the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances
     specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement.

          Section  5.  Countersignature and Registration.

          (a)  The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the
Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature.  The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless so countersigned.  In case any officer of the Company who shall
have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of
the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and
delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with
the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights
Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the
actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of
the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.

          (b)  Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder.  Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced

                                      10

<PAGE>
 
on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the
Rights Certificates.

          Section  6.  Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.  (a)
Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof,
at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or
prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate
or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that have
been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling
the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event,
Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the
Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or
former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase.  Any registered holder
desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or
Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent,
and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose.  Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company
shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of
any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the
reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional
evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or
Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section
14 and Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto
a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so
requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

                                      11

<PAGE>
 
          (b)  Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company
and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon
surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate if
mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like
tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered
owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

          Section  7.  Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of
Rights.  (a)  Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as oth-
erwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a)
hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon sur-
render of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to
the total number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share (or other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the
close of business on August 8, 2006 (the "Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time
at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof or (iii) the
time at which such Rights are exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof (the
earliest of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration
Date").

          (b)  The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a
share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be
$140.00, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph
(c) below.

                                      12

<PAGE>
 
          (c)  Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of elec tion to purchase and the certificate duly
executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of
the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of Preferred
Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to
be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer
tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon prompt
ly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock
(or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares)
certificates for the total number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share
of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its trans fer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company
shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent,
requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts represent ing such
number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock as are
to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock
represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the
depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply
with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any,
to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same
to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate.  The payment of
the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable
to the order of the Company.  In the event that the Company is obligated to
issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or
distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will
make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other
property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate.  The Company

                                      13
<PAGE>
 
reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event
that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only
whole shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.

          (d)  In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

          (e)  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from
and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Per son or Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who
becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such,
or (iii) a trans feree of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board
of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or
understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this
Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no
holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.  The Company
shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section
7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to
any holder of Rights Certificates or other Person as a result of its failure to
make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring

                                      14
<PAGE>
 
Person or Adverse Person or any of their respective Affiliates, Associates or
transferees hereunder.

          (f)  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for
such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.

          Section  8.  Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.  All
Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
com bination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement.  The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Rights Cer tificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.  The Rights Agent shall
deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the
written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and
in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

          Section  9.  Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.  (a)  The
Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and
unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its authorized
and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities)

                                      15
<PAGE>
 
that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

          (b)  So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable
and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company 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.

          (c)  The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (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 effec tive (with a prospectus at all times meeting the re
quirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights
are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date of the
expiration of the Rights.  The Company will also take such action as may be
appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky"
laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights.
The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety
(90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this
Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such
registration statement and permit it to become effective.  Upon any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exer
cisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.  In
addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is
required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend
the exercisability of the Rights

                                      16
<PAGE>
 
until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in
such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not
be permitted under applicable law or a registration statement shall not have
been declared effective.

          (d)  The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of
a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
Common Stock and/or other securi ties) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall,
at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment
of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid
and nonas sessable.

          (e)  The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates
and of any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a
share of Pre ferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case
may be) upon the exercise of Rights.  The Company shall not, however, be
required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer
or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or
delivery of a number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect
of a name other than that of, the regis tered holder of the Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any
certificates for a number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in
a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights
until such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of
such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been
established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.

                                      17
<PAGE>
 
          Section  10.  Preferred Stock Record Date.  Each person in whose name
any certificate for a number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is
issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have
become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) repre sented thereby
on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights
Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the
Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however,
that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have
become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securi ties, as the case may be)
transfer books of the Company are open.  Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the
Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote,
to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive
rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of
the Company, except as provided herein.

          Section  11.  Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares
or Number of Rights.  The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered
by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment
from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

               (a)(i)  In the event the Company shall at any time after the date
     of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in
     shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock,
     (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of
     shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification
     of the Preferred Stock

                                      18
<PAGE>
 
     (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
     merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
     except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof,
     the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such
     dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
     reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or
     capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be
     proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after
     such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price
     then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock
     or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been
     exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred
     Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he or she would have owned
     upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
     subdivision, combination or reclassification.  If an event occurs which
     would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section
     11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i)
     shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment
     required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

               (ii)  In the event that:

                     (A) any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
           the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
           Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized,
           appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
           of any such plan), alone or together with its Affiliates and
           Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration
           Date, become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing the Person
           to become an Acquiring Person is (1) a transaction set forth in
           Section 13(a) hereof or (2) an acquisition of shares of Common Stock
           pursuant to a tender offer or an

                                      19
<PAGE>
 
           exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price
           and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the
           Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company and who are
           not representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an
           Acquiring Person, after receiving advice from one or more investment
           banking firms, to be (a) at a price which is fair to stockholders
           (taking into account all factors which such members of the Board deem
           relevant including, without limitation, prices which could
           reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an
           orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise
           in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders (a
           "Qualifying Offer") or

                 (B) The Board of Directors of the Company shall declare any
           Person to be an Adverse Person, upon a determination that such
           Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, has, at
           any time after this Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
           Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a filing under the Exchange
           Act, become the Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Common
           Stock which the Board of Directors of the Company determines to be
           substantial (which number of shares shall in no event represent less
           than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock) and a
           determination by the Board of Directors of the Company, after
           reasonable inquiry and investigation, including consultation with
           such persons as such directors shall deem appropriate and
           consideration of such factors as are permitted by applicable law,
           that (a) such Beneficial Ownership by such Person is intended to
           cause the Company to repurchase the shares of Common Stock
           beneficially owned by such Person or to cause pressure on the Company
           to take action or enter into a transaction or series of transactions
           intended to provide such Person with short-term financial gain under
           circumstances where the Board of Directors determines that the best
           long-term interests of the Company would not be served by taking such

                                      20
<PAGE>
 
           action or entering into such transaction or series of transactions
           at the time or (b) such Beneficial Ownership is causing or reasonably
           likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not
           limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or impairment
           of the Company's ability to maintain its competitive position) on
           the business or prospects of the Company;

then, promptly following the occurrence of any event described in Section
11(a)(ii)(A) or (B) hereof, proper provision shall be made so that each holder
of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current
Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a
number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock, such
number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result
obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number
of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first
occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each
Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current market price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the
date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").

               (iii)  In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock
     which are authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but not
     outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise
     of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the
     Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section
     11(a), the Company shall (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares
     issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value"), and (B) with
     respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate
     provision

                                      21
<PAGE>
 
     to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and
     payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the
     Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company
     (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred
     stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the Board has deemed to have
     essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock
     (such shares of preferred stock being referred to as "Common Stock
     Equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or
     (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to
     the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price),
     where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the
     advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the
     Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate
     provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30)
     days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
     Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant
     to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein
     as the "Section 11(a) (ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be
     obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
     without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to
     the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or
     cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the
     preceding sentence, the term "Spread" shall mean the excess of (i) the
     Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board determines in
     good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common
     Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights,
     the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent
     necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii)
     Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for
     the authorization

                                      22
<PAGE>
 
     of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be
     extended, is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that
     action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this
     Section 11(a) (iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e)
     hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights,
     and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration
     of the Substitution Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for
     such authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate
     form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to
     determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the
     Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability
     of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
     announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For
     purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Adjustment Share
     shall be the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on the
     Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or per unit value of any
     Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price
     per share of the Common Stock on such date.

          (b)  In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Preferred
Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares
having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of Preferred
Stock ("equivalent preferred stock")) or securities convertible into Preferred
Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or
per share of equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share,
if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock)
less than the current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to
be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such

                                      23
<PAGE>
 
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares
of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of
Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares
of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or
the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such
record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or
equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration part or
all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration
shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.
Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall
not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price
shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.

          (c)  In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to
all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular quarterly
cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets
(other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend
payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants
(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be
in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record

                                      24
<PAGE>
 
date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the
holders of the Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of
indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to a share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be
such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Preferred Stock.  Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so
made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would
have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (d)  (i)  For the purpose of any com putation hereunder, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market
Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of
the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30)
consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market
Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of
the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10)
consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however,
that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such
Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in
shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common
Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Stock, and the ex-dividend date for such
dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination
or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the
requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth
above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly
adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading.  The closing price for each
day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes
place on such day, the average of the

                                      25
<PAGE>
 
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 ad mitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the shares
of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal na tional securities exchange
on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the
shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of
the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System
("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares
of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making
a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board.  If on any such date no
market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such
shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.  The
term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national securities
exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading
is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are
not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a
Business Day.  If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or
traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in
a state ment filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes.

          (ii)  For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the Current Market
Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set
forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than
the last sentence thereof).  If the Current Market Price per share of Pre ferred
Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred
Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause
(i) of this Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of

                                      26
<PAGE>
 
Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 1,000 (as
such number may be appropriate ly adjusted for such events as stock splits,
stock divi dends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multi plied by the Current Market
Price per share of the Common Stock.  If neither the Common Stock nor the
Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, Current Market Price
per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes.  For all purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market Price of a
Unit shall be equal to the Current Market Price of one share of Preferred Stock
divided by 1,000.

          (e)  Anything herein to the contrary not withstanding, no adjustment
in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment.  All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock
or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may
be.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the ear lier of (i)
three (3) years from the date of the transac tion which mandates such
adjustment, or (ii) the Ex piration Date.

          (f)  If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than
Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provi
sions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect

                                      27
<PAGE>
 
to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

          (g)  All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time
hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as
provided herein.

          (h)  Unless the Company shall have exer cised its election as provided
in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the
calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately
prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to
pur chase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-
millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment,
by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the
Pur chase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price
in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

          (i)  The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in
the number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after
the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of
one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Pre ferred Stock for which a Right
was exercisable immediate ly prior to such adjustment.  Each Right held of
record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number
of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediate ly after adjustment of the
Purchase Price.  The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date

                                      28
<PAGE>
 
for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to
be made.  This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is
adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been
issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public
announcement.  If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of
the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as
promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights
Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to
Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled
as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to
be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the
Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and
upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates
eviden cing all the Rights to which such holders shall be en titled after such
adjustment.  Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed
and counter signed in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the
option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in
the names of the hold ers of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.

          (j)  Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or
the number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore
and thereafter issued may con tinue to express the Purchase Price per one one-
thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share and the number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share which were ex pressed in the initial Rights Certificates
issued hereun der.

          (k)  Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one
one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise
of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and
legally issue fully paid and nonassessable

                                      29
<PAGE>
 
such number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock at
such adjusted Purchase Price.

          (l)  In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exer cised after such record date
the number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock and
other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise over and above the number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share
of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Compa ny, if
any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect
prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to
such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evi dencing such holder's
right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities
upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

          (m)  Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in ad
dition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the
extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company
shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) con solidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares
of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securi ties which by their terms are
convertible into or ex changeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock
shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

          (n)  The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a
Sub sidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of
the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or

                                      30
<PAGE>
 
(iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other
instru ments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Prin cipal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.

          (o)  The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 27 hereof, take
(or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is
taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially
or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

          (p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration
Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the
outstanding shares of Common Stock pay able in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the out standing shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number
of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued
or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with
each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result
obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding im-

                                      31
<PAGE>
 
mediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which
shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
following the occurrence of such event.

          (q) The failure of the Board of Directors to declare a Person to be an
Adverse Person following such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of shares of
Common Stock representing 10% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall not imply that such Person is not an Adverse Person or limit the Board of
Directors' right at any time in the future to declare such Person to be an
Adverse Person.

          Section  12.  Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares.  Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13
hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such cer tificate, and (c) mail
a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to
the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate repre senting shares of
Common Stock) in accordance with Sec tion 26 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall be
fully protect ed in relying on any such certificate and on any ad justment
therein contained.

          Section  13.  Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power.

          (a)  In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly
or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into,
any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) here of), and the Company shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the
Com pany, and the Company shall be the continuing or sur viving corporation of
such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or
merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be

                                      32
<PAGE>
 
changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or
cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer
(or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise trans fer), in one
transaction or a series of related transac tions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company
or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may
be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so
that:  (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assess able and freely
tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is
hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first
refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths
(1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occur rence of a Section
13 Event, multiplying the number of such one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a
share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such first occur rence), and dividing that product (which,
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as
the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by
(2) 50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of
consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall
thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event,
all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii)
the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party,
it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall
apply only to such Principal

                                      33
<PAGE>
 
Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal
Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the
consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the
provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may
be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock there after deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall
be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Sec tion 13 Event.

               (b)  "Principal Party" shall mean

                    (i) in the case of any transac tion described in clause (x)
     or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
     issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company
     are con verted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so
     issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or con
     solidation; and

                    (ii) in the case of any tran saction described in clause (z)
     of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
     receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred
     pursuant to such transaction or transactions;

provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is
and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person;
and (2) in case such Person is a Sub sidiary, directly or indirectly, of more
than one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so
registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.

                                      34
<PAGE>
 
          (c)  The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of
authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for
issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this
Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall
have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement
providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13
and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any
consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this
Section 13, the Principal Party will

               (i)  prepare and file a registration statement under the Act,
     with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of
     the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause
     such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable
     after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
     meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date; and

               (ii)  will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
     statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply
     in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under
     the Exchange Act.

The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or
consolidations or sales or other transfers.  In the event that a Section 13
Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become
exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).

          (d)  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in subparagraphs
(x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is consummated with a
Person or Persons who acquired shares

                                      35
<PAGE>
 
of Common Stock pursuant to a Qualifying Offer (or a wholly owned subsidiary of
any such Person or Persons), (ii) the price per share of Common Stock offered in
such transaction is not less than the price per share of Common Stock paid to
all holders of shares of Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to
such tender offer or exchange offer and (iii) the form of consideration being
offered to the remaining holders of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such
transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such
tender offer or exchange offer.  Upon consummation of any such transaction
contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.

          Section  14.  Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

          (a)  The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights,
except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to
distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.  In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right.  For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market
value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading
Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have
been otherwise issuable.  The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be
the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated 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

                                      36
<PAGE>
 
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 Company.  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 Company shall be used.

          (b)  The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-
thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights
or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred
Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
(1/1000th) of a share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of
Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth (1/1000th)
of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of
Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one
one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of Preferred Stock.  For purposes of this
Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a
share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of the closing
price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii)
here of) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (c)  Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company
shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise
of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock.  In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay
to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of one (1) share of Common Stock.  For purposes of this
Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be
the closing price of one share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to

                                      37
<PAGE>
 
the date of such exercise.

          (d)  The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.

          Section  15.  Rights of Action.  All rights of action in respect of
this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his or her own behalf and for
his or her own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit,
action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect
of, his or her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate
in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement.
Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of
Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not
have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be
entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive
relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of
any Person subject to this Agreement.

          Section  16.  Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by
accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and
with every other holder of a Right that:

          (a)  prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;

          (b)  after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper

                                      38

<PAGE>
 
instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully
executed;

          (c)  subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and
the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (not withstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of
Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the
contrary; and

          (d)  notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder
of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or
enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.

          Section  17.  Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.  No
holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one one-
thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of
the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights
represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights
Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as
such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to

                                      39

<PAGE>
 
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights,
or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate
shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

          Section  18.  Concerning the Rights Agent.

          (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for
anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance
and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises.

          (b)  The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection
with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights
Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and,
where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.

          Section  19.  Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent.

          (a)  Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation
succeeding to the corporate trust or

                                      40
<PAGE>
 
shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent,
shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto; provided, however, 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 Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificates so counter signed; and in case at that time any of the Rights 
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in
the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.

          (b)  In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed
and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned
but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its
prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at
that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name
or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall
have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

          Section  20.  Duties of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

          (a)  The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken
or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.

                                      41
<PAGE>
 
          (b)  Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person and the determination of "current market price") be proved or established
by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer,
the President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full
authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith
by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

          (c)  The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

          (d)  The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of
the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

          (e)  The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect
of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except
the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11,
Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount
of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would
require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment);
nor shall it by

                                      42
<PAGE>
 
any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to
be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether
any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly
authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

          (f)  The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.

          (g)  The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the
Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply
to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and
it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in
good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.

          (h)  The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement.  Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from
acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

          (i)  The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was exercised in the
selection

                                      43
<PAGE>
 
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 Right Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.

          Section  21.  Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this
Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and
to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the
holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  If the Rights Agent
shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the
Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.  If the Company shall
fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving
notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such
resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by
the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his
Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of
any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any

                                      44
<PAGE>
 
successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court,
shall be a (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, which is authorized
under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers 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 or a subsidiary of a corporation described in
clause (A) of this sentence.  After appointment, the successor Rights Agent
shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if
it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but
the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and 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 Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates.  Failure to give any
notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall
not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

          Section  22.  Issuance of New Rights Certificates.  Notwithstanding
any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the
Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in
such form as may be approved by 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 Rights Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.  In addition, in connection
with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution
Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a)
shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the
exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or
awarded as of

                                      45

<PAGE>
 
the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue
Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection
with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights
Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be
advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of
material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such
Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be
issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have
been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

          Section  23.  Redemption and Termination.

          (a)  The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day
following the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall
have occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth day
following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but
not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per
Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split,
stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). The
Board of Directors may not redeem any Rights following a determination pursuant
to Section 11(a)(ii)(B) that any Person is an Adverse Person.  Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be
exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such
time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder has expired.  The Company
may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock
(based on the "current market price", as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of
the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration
deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

          (b)  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been
filed 

                                      46

<PAGE>
 
with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so
held.  Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to
the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such
notice to all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon the
registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the
registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock.  Any notice which is
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the
holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of redemption will state the
method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.

          Section  24.  Exchange.

          (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person or is determined to be an
Adverse Person pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)(B), exchange all or part of the
then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for shares
of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right,
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio").  Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange
at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any
entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of fifty per cent (50%) or more of the Common Stock then
outstanding.

          (b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company 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

                                      47

<PAGE>
 
only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number
of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder
multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.  The Company shall promptly give public notice
of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect
in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.  The Company
promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice
of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Stock for
Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of
Rights which will be exchanged.  Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata
based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant
to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

          (c)  In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its
option, may substitute shares of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred stock,
as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11 hereof) for shares of
Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth
(1/1000th) of a share of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred stock) for
each share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in
the voting rights of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms thereof, so that
the fraction of a share of Preferred Stock delivered in lieu of each share of
Common Stock shall have the same voting rights as one share of Common Stock.

          (d)  In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common
Stock issued but not out standing or authorized but unissued to permit any
exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the
Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional
shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.

          (e)  The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of
Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of

                                      48

<PAGE>
 
Common Stock.  In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be
paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which
such fractional share of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable, an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of
Common Stock.  For the purposes of this subsection (e), the current market value
of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common
Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof)
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24.

          Section  25.  Notice of Certain Events.

          (a)  In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings
or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of
Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any
additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of
its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the
subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any 
consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary
of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to
effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries
to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and
its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than
the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of
which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company
shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall
specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of
rights or warrants, or the date on which

                                      49

<PAGE>
 
such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to
be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by
clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for
determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock whichever
shall be the earlier.

          (b)  In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof
shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as
practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the
extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the
occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of
the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all
references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed
thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities.

          Section  26.  Notices.  Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in
writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

               R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
               77 West Wacker Drive
               Chicago, Illinois 60601-1696
               Attention:  Corporation Secretary

Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights
Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if
sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, ad dressed (until another address is
filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

                                      50

<PAGE>
 
          First Chicago Trust Company of New York
          P.O Box 2507
          Suite 4660
          Jersey City, New Jersey 07303-2507
          Attention:  Tenders and Exchanges Administration

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-
class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such
holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

          Section  27.  Supplements and Amendments.  Prior to the Distribution
Date and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company and
the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any
provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates
representing shares of Common Stock.  From and after the Distribution Date and
subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company and the
Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this
Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order
(i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained
herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein,
(iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or
supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem
necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the
holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person);
provided 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 (other than an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person and its Affiliates and
Associates).  Upon the delivery of a certificate from an


                                      51

<PAGE>
 
appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or
amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent
shall execute such supplement or amendment.  Prior to the Distribution Date, the
interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests
of the holders of Common Stock.

          Section  28.  Successors.  All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

          Section  29.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors,
etc.  For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for
purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of
Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in
accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act.  The Board of Directors of the Company
shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and
to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the
Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret
the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed
necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a
determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement).
All such actions, 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 Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to
the holders of the Rights.

          Section  30.  Benefits of This Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement
shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights
Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior

                                      52

<PAGE>
 
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).

          Section  31.  Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof
shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on the
tenth day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.
Without limiting the foregoing, if any provision requiring a majority of the
members of the Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company and who
are not representatives, nominees, Affiliates or Associates of an Acquiring
Person to act is held by any court of competent jurisdiction or other authority
to be invalid, void or unenforceable, such determination shall be made by the
Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with applicable law and the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation and bylaws.

          Section  32.  Governing Law.  This Agreement, each Right and each
Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under
the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made
and to be performed entirely within such State.

          Section  33.  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts and each of

                                      53

<PAGE>
 
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.

                                      54

<PAGE>
 
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


Attest:                       R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY


  By /s/Deborah M. Regan      By /s/Cheryl A. Francis
     ---------------------       --------------------
     Name: Deborah M. Regan         Name: Cheryl A. Francis
     Title: Vice President          Title: Executive Vice
            and Corporate                  President and
            Secretary                      Chief Financial
                                           Officer



Attest:                       FIRST CHICAGO TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK


  By /s/Kathleen M. Voss      By /s/Peter F. Sablich
     --------------------        --------------------
     Name: Kathleen M. Voss         Name: Peter F. Sablich
     Title: Customer Service        Title: Vice President
            Officer

                                      55

<PAGE>
 
                                                                       Exhibit A
                                                                       ---------


                                    FORM OF
                    CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES
                         AND RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR
                         PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

                                       of

                         R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY


             Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
                            of the State of Delaware


          The undersigned officers of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a
corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO
HEREBY CERTIFY:

          That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors
by the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the said Corporation, the
said Board of Directors on April 25, 1996 adopted the following resolution
creating a series of 500,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the
Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, a series of Preferred Stock
of the Corporation be and it is hereby created, and that the designation and
amount thereof and the voting powers, preferences and relative, participating,
optional and other special rights of the shares of such series, and the
qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows:

          Section 1.  Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall
be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the number
of shares constituting such series shall be 500,000.

                                      A-1
<PAGE>
 
          Section 2.  Dividends and Distributions.

          (A)  The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of
Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends
payable in cash on the last day of [March, June, September and December] in each
year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first
issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to
the greater of (a) $0.01 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of
all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or other wise), declared on the Common Stock, par
value $1.25 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after April 25, 1996 (the "Rights
Declaration Date") (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction
the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

          (B)  The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on 
the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph (A)
above im-

                                      A-2
<PAGE>
 
mediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the
event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock
during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.01 per share on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on
such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

          (C)  Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares
is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue
of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a
quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of
which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.  Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest.  Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-
by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

          Section 3.  Voting Rights.  The holders of shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

          (A)  Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth,
each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the
holder

                                      A-3
<PAGE>
 
thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of
the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the
Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii)
combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in
each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior
to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

          (B)  Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of
shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted
to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

               (C)  (i)  If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior
     Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six
     (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall
     mark the beginning of a period (herein called a "default period") which
     shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all
     previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend
     period on all shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock then
     outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment.
     During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including
     holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with
     dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends
     thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right
     to elect two (2) Directors.

               (ii)  During any default period, such voting right of the holders
     of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised

                                      A-4
<PAGE>
 
     initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of
     this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter
     at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that such voting right shall
     not be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of
     shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by
     proxy.  The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not
     affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting
     right.  At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall
     exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period,
     they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect Directors to fill
     such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to
     two (2) Directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to
     elect two (2) Directors.  If the number which may be so elected at any
     special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the
     Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of
     Directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the
     required number.  After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have
     exercised their right to elect Directors in any default period and during
     the continuance of such period, the number of Directors shall not be 
     increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as
     herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking
     senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
     Stock.

               (iii)  Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an
     existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect
     Directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or
     stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of
     the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of
     series, may request, the calling of special meeting of the holders of
     Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President,
     a Vice-President or the Secretary of the Corporation.  Notice of such
     meeting and of any

                                      A-5
<PAGE>
 
     annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote
     pursuant to this Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record
     of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him or her at his or
     her last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such
     meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 10 days and not later
     than 50 days after such order or request or in default of the calling of
     such meeting within 50 days after such order or request, such meeting may
     be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in
     the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares
     of Preferred Stock outstanding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
     Paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the
     period within 50 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next
     annual meeting of the stockholders.

               (iv)  In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and
     other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to
     be entitled to elect the whole number of Directors until the holders of 
     Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) Directors
     voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the Directors so
     elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until
     their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the
     expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of
     Directors may (except as provided in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3)
     be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining Directors theretofore
     elected by the holders of the class of stock which elected the Director
     whose office shall have become vacant.  References in this Paragraph (C) to
     Directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall 
     include Directors elected by such Directors to fill vacancies as provided
     in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.

                                      A-6
<PAGE>
 
               (v)  Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the
     right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect Directors shall
     cease, (y) the term of any Directors elected by the holders of Preferred
     Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of Directors shall be
     such number as may be provided for in the certificate of incorporation or
     by-laws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of
     Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to
     change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the certificate of
     incorporation or by-laws). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected
     by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be
     filled by a majority of the remaining Directors.

          (D)  Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote
with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.

          Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.
                      -------------------- 

          (A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not

               (i)  declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions
     on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
     shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
     liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior
     Participating Preferred Stock;

               (ii)  declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions
     on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
     liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
     Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid

                                      A-7
<PAGE>
 
     ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such
     parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to
     the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
     entitled;

               (iii)  redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
     shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
     liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
     Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any
     time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock
     in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior
     (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to
     the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or

               (iv)  purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares
     of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock
     ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
     except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by
     publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of
     such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration
     of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and
     preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good
     faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective
     series or classes.

          (B)  The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.

          Section 5.  Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation
in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the
acquisition thereof.  All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares

                                      A-8
<PAGE>
 
of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred
Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors,
subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

          Section 6.  Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  (A)  Upon any
liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock
ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall have received an amount equal to 1,000 times the Exercise Price,
plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon,
whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the "Series A Liquidation
Preference").  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A
Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per
share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i)
the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as
set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock splits,
stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such
number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment Number").  Following the payment of the
full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in
respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their
ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the
ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and
Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

          (B)  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and
the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred stock, if any,
which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such
parity shares in proportion to their respective liquida- 

                                      A-9
<PAGE>
 
tion preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such
remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

          (C)  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be
adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

          Section 7.  Consolidation, Merger, etc.  In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision
for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount
of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the
case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or
change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be
adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                                      A-10
<PAGE>
 
          Section 8.  No Redemption.  The shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

          Section 9.  Amendment.  The Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner
which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special
rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them
adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of
the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting
separately as a class.

          Section 10.  Fractional Shares.  Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the
holder, in proportion to such holders fractional shares, to exercise voting
rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit
of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

                                      A-11
<PAGE>
 
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate
and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this ______
day of ___________, 1996.


                                        R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS
                                        COMPANY


 
                                        -------------------------
                                        Name:
                                        Title:


Attest:


- -------------------------
Secretary

                                      A-12
<PAGE>
 
                                                                       Exhibit B
                                                                       ---------

                          [Form of Rights Certificate]


Certificate No. R-                                           ________ Rights



NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 8, 2006 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY. THE
RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ADVERSE
PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT
HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS
RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME
AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ADVERSE PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR ADVERSE PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e)
OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]/1/

                               Rights Certificate


                         R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY

          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 April 25, 1996 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, a Delaware corporation (the "Rights
Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York
City time) on August 8, 2006 at the office or offices of the
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/1/   The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
      applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.

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<PAGE>
 
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent,
one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a fully paid, non-assessable share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, at
a purchase price of $140.00 per one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share (the
"Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate
with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares
which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase
Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of      ,
based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. The Company reserves
the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term
is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that
only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.

          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 Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under
certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a
person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person,
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person, 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 and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events,
including Triggering Events.

          This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof

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<PAGE>
 
and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of
the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder
of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates,
which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the
exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the
Rights Agreement.  Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-
mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request
to the Rights Agent.

          This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates,
upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths (1/1000ths) of a share
of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.  If this
Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to
receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

          Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a
redemption price of $0.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the
close of business on (i) the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition Date (as
such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement), and (ii) the
Final Expiration Date.  In addition, the Rights may be exchanged, in whole or in
part, for shares of the Common Stock, or shares of preferred stock of the
Company having essentially the same value or economic rights as such shares.
Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing
any such exchange, and without any further action or any notice, the Rights
(other than Rights which are not subject to such exchange) will terminate and
the Rights will only enable holders to receive the shares issuable upon such ex
change.

          No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples

                                      B-3

<PAGE>
 
of one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at
the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

          No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Preferred
Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or, to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agree ment), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.

          This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any
purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.


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<PAGE>
 
          WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal.

Dated as of ________  ___, ____


ATTEST:                                        R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY


                                               By
- ---------------------                            ---------------------
     Secretary                                    Title:



Countersigned:


FIRST CHICAGO TRUST
COMPANY OF NEW YORK


By
   ------------------------
   Authorized Signature

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<PAGE>
 
                  [Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

                               FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
                               ------------------

                (To be executed by the registered holder if such
              holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)


FOR VALUE RECEIVED_________________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfer unto____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
                 (Please print name and address of transferee)

this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _________________ Attorney,
to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named
Company, with full power of substitution.


Dated:                  ,
       ---------------    -----


                                                ---------------------- 
                                                Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

                                  Certificate
                                  -----------

          The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:

          (1) this Rights Certificate [  ] is [  ] is not being sold, assigned
and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);

          (2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[  ] did [  ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse
Person.

Dated:                  ,
       ---------------    -----                 ----------------------
                                                Signature


Signature Guaranteed:

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<PAGE>
 
                                     NOTICE
                                     ------

          The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

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<PAGE>
 
                          FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
                          ----------------------------

                      (To be executed if holder desires to
                       exercise Rights represented by the
                              Rights Certificate.)

To:  R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY

          The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise __________
Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued
in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                        (Please print name and address)


- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

          If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                        (Please print name and address)

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Dated:                ,
      ----------------  -----

                                     ------------------------
                                     Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

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<PAGE>
 
                                  Certificate
                                  -----------

          The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:

          (1)  the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are
not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights
Agreement);

          (2)  after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned,
it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate
from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person.

Dated:              , 
       ------------- ----                       -------------------------
                                                Signature


Signature Guaranteed:

                                     NOTICE
                                     ------

          The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

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