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Exhibit 1.1
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METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
and
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C.
Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of June 23, 2000
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS...........................................................................1
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT...................................................................4
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES...................................................................5
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES....................................................................6
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.............................................................7
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED,
DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES..................................................7
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.................................8
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES..........................................10
Section 9. STATUS AND AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED SHARES..................................................10
Section 10. PREFERRED SHARES RECORD DATE.................................................................11
Section 11. ADJUSTMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE, NUMBER OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF RIGHTS...........................11
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTMENT....................................................................20
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING POWER.........................20
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES......................................................22
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION.............................................................................23
Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT HOLDERS...................................................................24
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER............................................24
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT..................................................................25
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT....................................25
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT.......................................................................26
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Section 21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT.......................................................................29
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES...........................................................30
Section 23. REDEMPTION...................................................................................30
Section 24. EXCHANGE.....................................................................................31
Section 25. NOTICE OF CERTAIN EVENTS.....................................................................32
Section 26. NOTICES......................................................................................33
Section 27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS...................................................................34
Section 28. SUCCESSORS...................................................................................35
Section 29. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT...................................................................35
Section 30. SEVERABILITY.................................................................................35
Section 31. GOVERNING LAW................................................................................35
Section 32. COUNTERPARTS.................................................................................35
Section 33. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS.........................................................................35
Section 34. ADMINISTRATION...............................................................................36
Exhibit A Form of Certificate of Designation of.......................................................A-1
Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock
Exhibit B Form of Right Certificate...................................................................B-1
Exhibit C Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred.....................................................C-1
Shares
</TABLE>
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Agreement, dated as of June 23, 2000, between Methode Electronics,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and ChaseMellon Shareholder
Services, L.L.C., a New Jersey limited liability company (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors") has
authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a
"Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company
outstanding on the Close of Business on June 30, 2000 (the "Record Date") and
has authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to each additional Common
Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of
Close of Business on the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Close of
Business on the Final Expiration Date, each Right representing the right to
purchase one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), or
such different amount and/or kind of securities as shall be hereinafter
provided.
Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
"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 Common Shares of the Company then outstanding but shall not
include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or (iv) any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such employee benefit
plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring
Person" (1) as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company
which, by reducing the number of Common Shares outstanding, increases the
proportionate number of Common Shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15%
(or such other percentage as would otherwise result in such person becoming an
Acquiring Person) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall so become the Beneficial Owner of 15%
(or such other percentage) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding by reason of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company and
shall, after such
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share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of an additional 1%
of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be
deemed to be an "Acquiring Person"; and (2) if the Board of Directors of the
Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an
"Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph, has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as
practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph, then such Person shall not be deemed to have become an
"Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
"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 (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect
on the date of this Agreement.
A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be deemed
to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between
underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public
offering of securities), written or otherwise, or upon the exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or
options, or otherwise; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed to
be the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant
to a tender or exchange offer made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act by or on
behalf of such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until
such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right
to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to
beneficially own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to
vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to
such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant
to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations
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promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary
agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect
to a bona fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the
proviso to section (B) of the immediately preceding paragraph (ii)) or disposing
of any securities of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to
the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used with reference to a
Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the
number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number
of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person
would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
"Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a
day on which banking institutions in the state of New York authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
"Class A Common Shares" shall mean shares of Class A Common Stock, par
value $0.50 per share, of the Company.
"Class B Common Shares" shall mean shares of Class B Common Stock, par
value $0.50 per share, of the Company.
"Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York,
New York time, on such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York, New York time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
"Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the
Class A Common Shares and the Class B Common Shares. "Common Shares" when used
with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock
(or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if
such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which
ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
"common stock equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii)(B)(3) hereof.
"Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii)(A)(1) hereof.
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"Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)
hereof.
"equivalent preferred shares" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(b) hereof.
"Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a)
hereof.
"Final Expiration Date" shall mean June 30, 2010.
"Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint venture, trust,
limited liability company, unincorporated association or other entity, and shall
include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
"Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b)
hereof.
"Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock, par value $100.00 per share, of the Company having such rights
and preferences upon adoption as are set forth in the form of Certificate of
Designation set forth as Exhibit A hereto.
"Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23
hereof.
"Right Certificate" shall mean a certificate evidencing a Right in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.
"Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the earlier of the date of (i) the
public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such or (ii) the public disclosure of facts by the Company or
an Acquiring Person indicating that an Acquiring Person has become such.
"Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii)(A)
hereof.
"Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any Person of which a majority of
the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned,
directly or indirectly, by such Person.
"Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
"Summary of Rights" shall mean the Summary of Rights to Purchase
xPreferred Shares in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto.
Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 (the term "Rights Agent" being used in this Agreement to
refer, collectively, to the Rights Agent together with any such co-Rights
Agent). In the event the Company
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appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agent
and any co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine. The Rights
Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for the
acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agents.
Section 3. ISSUE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition
Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by
action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement 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 entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first public
announcement of the intention of any Person (other than any of the Persons
referred to in the preceding parenthetical) to commence, a tender or exchange
offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring
Person (such earlier date being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"),
(x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b)
hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the
holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right
Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the right to
receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the
transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the Company has notified
the Rights Agent of the occurrence of the Distribution Date, the Company will
provide the Rights Agent with a list of the holders of record of Common Shares
and prepare and execute, and the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company
will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, at the
expense of the Company, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to
each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company, a Right Certificate evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held.
As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right
Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of the Summary of Rights by first-class,
postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of
Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of
the Record Date, until the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in
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the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights
attached thereto. Until the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (or the
earlier of the Redemption Date or the Close of Business on the Final Expiration
Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares
outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights
attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated
with the Common Shares evidenced thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including,
without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of
this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Close
of Business on the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Close of
Business on the Final Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on,
written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Methode
Electronics, Inc. and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as
Rights Agent, dated as of June 23, 2000 as it may from time to time be
amended or supplemented pursuant to its terms (the "Rights Agreement"),
the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a
copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Methode
Electronics, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate.
Methode Electronics, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a
copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written
request therefor. Under certain circumstances, Rights that are or were
acquired or beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons (as defined in the
Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Close of Business on the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented by certificates shall be evidenced by such
certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall
also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any
Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed
canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any
Rights associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. The Right Certificates (and the
forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed
on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto and
may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends,
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summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate
(which do not affect the rights, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent)
and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be
required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made
pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which
the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage.
Subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, the Right Certificates shall
entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the Purchase Price, but the
number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall
be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION. The Right Certificates
shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its
Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, or its
Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto
the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights
Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned, either
manually or by facsimile. In case any officer of the Company who shall have
signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Right 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 Right Certificates had not ceased to
be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of all
relevant information, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its
office designated for such purpose, books for registration of the transfer of
the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of
each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Subject
to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time
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after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and prior to the earlier
of the Redemption Date or the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date,
any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates
representing Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or
Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of
one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered
holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate
or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights
Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and
deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right
Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient for any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of
Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under this
section 6 or under any provision of this Agreement which requires the payment of
taxes or governmental charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such
taxes and/or governmental charges have been paid in full.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request, reimbursement to
the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto,
and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate
if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like
tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the
Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF
RIGHTS.
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate (other than a holder
whose Rights have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or
have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may exercise the Rights
evidenced thereby in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date
upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase
on the reverse side
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thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at its office designated for such
purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one ten-thousandth
of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, prior to the earliest
of (i) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at
which the right to exercise the Rights terminates pursuant to Section 23 hereof,
or (iii) the time at which the right to exercise the Rights terminates pursuant
to Section 24 hereof.
(b) The purchase price for each one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share
to be purchased upon the exercise of a Right shall initially be Four Hundred
Dollars ($400.00) (the "Purchase Price"), shall be subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in
lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c)
below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the number of one
ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share to be purchased and an amount equal to any
applicable tax or governmental charge required to be paid by the holder of such
Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by cash, certified check,
cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights
Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of one ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from any
depositary agent for the Preferred Shares depositary receipts representing such
number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in
which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the
Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company the
amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional Preferred Shares in
accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or
depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as
may be designated by such holder and (iv) when necessary to comply with this
Agreement, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
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unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such
Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions
of Section 6 and Section 14 hereof.
(e) 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)
properly completed and signed the certificate following the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for
such exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
Section 8. CANCELLATION AND DESTRUCTION OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES. All
Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request
of the Company, destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. STATUS AND AVAILABILITY OF PREFERRED SHARES.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action
as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise
of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred
Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and non-assessable shares.
(b) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due
and payable any and all taxes and governmental charges which may be payable in
respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any
Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be
required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any
transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts
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for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of
the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or
to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the
exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any
such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the
time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's reasonable
satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved
and kept available, out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any
Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will
be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in
accordance with Section 7 hereof.
Section 10. PREFERRED SHARES RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred
Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date
upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and
payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes and governmental
charges) was made. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the
holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of
Preferred 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 OF SHARES OR NUMBER OF
RIGHTS. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred 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 Shares payable in
Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or
(D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred
Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation
or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect
at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of
shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be
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proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such
time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of
capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date, he would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by
virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise
of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock
of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to the following paragraph of this subparagraph
(ii) and to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any Person shall become
an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase
Price multiplied by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for
which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Class A Common Shares
of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share
for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of
the then current per share market price of the Company's Class A Common Shares
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date such Person became an
Acquiring Person. In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person
and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action
that would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
From and after the occurrence of such an event, any Rights that are or
were acquired or beneficially owned by such Acquiring Person (or any Associate
or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) on or after the earlier of (x) the date
of such event and (y) the Distribution Date shall be null and void and any
holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights
under any provision of this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued
pursuant to Section 3 that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring
Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or
any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any
time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would
be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or
Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or
Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer
to an Acquiring Person whose Rights
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would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or
Affiliate thereof shall be canceled.
(iii) In the event that the number of Class A Common Shares
which are authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation and not
outstanding or subscribed for, or reserved or otherwise committed for issuance
for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, are not sufficient to
permit the holder of each Right to purchase the number of Class A Common Shares
to which he would be entitled upon the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of this Section
11, or should the Board of Directors so elect, the Company shall: (A) determine
the excess of (1) the value of the Class A Common Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (calculated as provided in the last sentence of this
subparagraph (iii)) pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof (the "Current Value")
over (2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with respect to
each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for such Class A Common
Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase Price, any one or more of the
following having an aggregate value determined by the Board of Directors to be
equal to the Current Value: (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3)
Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including, without
limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board of
Directors of the Company has determined to have the same value as shares of
Class A Common Shares (such shares of preferred stock, "common stock
equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, or (5) other assets;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to
deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the
first occurrence of an event triggering the rights to purchase Class A Common
Shares described in Section 11(a)(ii) (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, Class A Common
Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and
cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors
shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Class
A Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the
Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent
necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the
authorization of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some
action need be taken
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pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the
Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof and the last paragraph
of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all
outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until
the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of
additional 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 promptly notify the Rights Agent
thereof and make a public announcement, and shall deliver to the Rights Agent a
statement, stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended. At such time as the suspension is no longer in effect, the Company
shall make another public announcement (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights
Agent), and deliver to the Rights Agent a statement, so stating. For purposes of
this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Class A Common Shares shall be the
current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
hereof) of the Class A Common Shares on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and
the value of any common stock equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value
as the Class A Common Shares on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them
(for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares ("equivalent preferred
shares")) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent
preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share
(or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into
Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per
share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such
record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
adjusted by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred
Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred
Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate
initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would
purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the
number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of
additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for
subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible
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securities so to be offered are initially convertible); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid
in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the
value of such consideration shall be 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. Preferred Shares 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, options or warrants are not so
issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a
distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred
to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such
record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences
of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants
applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such
current per share market price of the Preferred Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be
less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
to be issued upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be
the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current per
share market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this
Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the
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average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to, but not including, such date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the
current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period
following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or
distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities
convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days
after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date
for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such
case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to
reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The
closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in
case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is
listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to
trading on any stock exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as
reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated
Quotations System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any
such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of
the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker
making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the
Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the stock exchange on
which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction
of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any
stock exchange, a Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"current per share market price" of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in
accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred
Shares are not publicly traded, the "current per share market price" of the
Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market
price of the Class A Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)
(appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend
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or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by 10,000.
If neither the Class A Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held
or so listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair
value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase
Price; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section
11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into
account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11
shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one hundred-millionth of a
Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security as the case
may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than three years from the
date of the transaction which requires such adjustment.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to
receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares,
the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall
thereafter be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms
as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the
Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Preferred Shares
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 ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in
Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the
calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately
prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one ten-thousandths of
a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one hundred-millionth of a
Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
ten-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment by (y)
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the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the
Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price
in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment
in the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the
number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one
millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior
to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public
announcement and promptly notify the Rights Agent of its election to adjust the
number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known
at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be
the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if
the Right Certificates have been distributed, shall be at least 10 days later
than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been
distributed, 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 Right Certificates on such record date Right
Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to
which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the
option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record
in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates to be so distributed
shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein
and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or
the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore
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and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number
of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial
Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing
the Purchase Price below one ten-thousandth of the then par value of the
Preferred Shares 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
non-assessable Preferred Shares 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 (and shall promptly notify the
Rights Agent of any such election) until the occurrence of such event the
issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the
Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in
order that any (i) combination or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii)
issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market
price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv)
dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or (v) issuance of any
rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter
made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to
such stockholders.
(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and
prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise other than by payment of dividends in Common
Shares) into a greater or lesser number of
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Common Shares, then in any such case (i) the number of one ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right
shall be determined by multiplying the number of one ten-thousandths of a
Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately
before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately after such event, and (ii) each Common Share outstanding
immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of
Rights which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had
issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n)
shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such
a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
(o) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable upon
the distribution of shares of stock of any subsidiary of the Company to the
holders of the outstanding Common Shares.
Section 12. CERTIFICATE OF ADJUSTMENT. Whenever an adjustment is made
as provided in Sections 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare
a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief, reasonably detailed,
statement of the facts, computations and methodology accounting for such
adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the
Common Shares or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a
brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with
Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and
shall not be obligated or responsible for calculating any adjustment nor shall
it be deemed to have knowledge of such an adjustment unless and until it shall
have received such certificate.
Section 13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR
EARNING POWER.
In the event that, at any time after a Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, directly or indirectly, (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge
with and into, any other Person, (ii) any Person shall consolidate with the
Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such
merger, all or part of the
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Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities
of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the
Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries
shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or
earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than
the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each
such case, proper provision shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right
(except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase
Price multiplied by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share for
which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of such
other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving
corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share
for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of
the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such other
Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation
of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) the issuer of such Common
Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement; (C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be
deemed to refer to such issuer; and (D) such issuer shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its
Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such
consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the
Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The
Company covenants and agrees that it shall not consummate any such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless prior thereto the Company and
such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental
agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the
kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are
any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or
arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would
eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. For purposes hereof,
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the "earning power" of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be determined in
good faith by the Company's Board of Directors on the basis of the operating
earnings of each business operated by the Company and its Subsidiaries during
the three fiscal years preceding the date of such determination (or, in the case
of any business not operated by the Company or any Subsidiary during three full
fiscal years preceding such date, during the period such business was operated
by the Company or any Subsidiary).
Section 14. FRACTIONAL RIGHTS AND FRACTIONAL SHARES.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or
to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of
such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or,
if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the stock exchange on which the Rights are
listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to
trading on any stock exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as
reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the
Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in
the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the 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 Preferred
Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth
of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which
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are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of
Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred
Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts,
pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary
selected by it; PROVIDED, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of
such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences
to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares
represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares
that are not integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the
Company shall pay to each registered holder of Right Certificates at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share as the fraction of
one Preferred Share that such holder would otherwise receive upon the exercise
of the aggregate number of rights exercised by such holder. For the purposes of
this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the
closing price of a Class A Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second
sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to
the date of such exercise, multiplied by 10,000.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives any right to receive fractional Rights or fractional shares upon exercise
of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares) may, without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), on his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided
in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
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Section 16. AGREEMENT OF RIGHT 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 the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books maintained by the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer with a properly
completed form of certification;
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in
whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the
associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner
thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of
ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all
purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
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, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory or
final) 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.
Section 17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. No
holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to
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receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or
Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT. The 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 other disbursements incurred in the
administration, execution, amendment and preparation 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, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or
expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the
part of the Rights Agent (as finally determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in
connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement or the
exercise or performance of its duties hereunder, including, without limitation,
the costs and expenses of defending against any claim or liability in connection
therewith. The indemnification provided for hereunder shall survive the
expiration of the Rights and the termination of this Agreement. The costs and
expenses of enforcing this right of indemnification shall also be paid by the
Company.
The Rights Agent may conclusively rely upon and 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 acceptance and administration of this
Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for Preferred
Shares 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. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for
special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever
(including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been
advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of
the action.
Section 19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGE OF NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any
merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent
shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the Shareholder Services business
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of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the
Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper
or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such
Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the
provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent
shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and
deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any
of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor
Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the
predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in
all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the
Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations, and only the duties and obligations, expressly set forth
in this Agreement and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this
Agreement against the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall perform those duties
and obligations upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the
Company and the holders of Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof,
shall be bound:
(a) Before the Rights Agent acts or refrains from acting, it may
consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the
advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and
protection to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability
for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith
and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be
proved or established by the Company prior to
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taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be
deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any
one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer
or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent, and
the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement
in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (as finally determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction). Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special,
punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind
whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Rights
Agent has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage. Any liability
of the Rights Agent under this Agreement shall be limited to the amount of fees
paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right
Certificates (except as to its countersignature thereof) or be required to
verify the same, 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 have any liability for, nor be under any
responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and
delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in
respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the
Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right
Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the
provisions of Sections 11 or 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or
amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that
would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor
shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty
as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Preferred Shares to be
issued pursuant to
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this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares
will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President, the Secretary
or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and such advice or instructions
shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights
Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered
or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with the advice or instructions of
any such officer. The Rights Agent may conclusively rely on the most recent
advice or instructions given by such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, affiliate, 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 Person.
(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 or any other Person resulting from any
such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to
expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the
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exercise of its rights if it believes that repayment of such funds or adequate
indemnification against such risk or liability is not assured to it.
(k) The Rights Agent shall not be required to take notice or be deemed
to have notice of any fact, event or determination (including, without
limitation, any dates or events defined in this Agreement or the designation of
any Person as an Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate) under this Agreement
unless and until the Rights Agent shall be specifically notified in writing by
the Company of such fact, event or determination.
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 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent
of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail,
and, at the expense of the Company, to the holders of the Right Certificates by
first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent upon 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 Shares and the Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to
the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent
shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the
Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail
to make such appointment within a period of 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
Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for
inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate
may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new
Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by
such a court, shall be a Person organized and doing business under the laws of
the United States or of any state of the United States, in good standing, and
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 $50 million. 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
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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 Shares and the Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change
in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any
time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all
but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01
per Right, 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 redemption of the Rights
by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time, on such basis and
subject to such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish.
(b) Immediately upon the time of the effectiveness of the redemption of
the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 or such earlier time as
may be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company in the action
ordering such redemption (although not earlier than the time of such action)
(such time the "Redemption Date"), and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise the Rights shall terminate and the only right
thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price.
The Company shall promptly notify the rights agent and shall give public notice
of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any
defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption.
Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a), the Company shall mail a
notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their
last addresses as they appear upon the
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registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the
registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice which is
mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the
holder receives the notice. If the payment of the Redemption Price is not
included with such notice, each such notice shall state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its
Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at
any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23
or in Section 24 hereof, other than in connection with the purchase of Common
Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
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, exchange all or part of the
then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that
have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof) for Class A Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Class A Common
Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange
ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such
exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or
any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of a majority of the Common Shares 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 only right thereafter of the
holders of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Class A Common Shares
equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give notice to the Rights Agent and
shall 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
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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 Class A Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of
any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected PRO RATA based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its
option, may substitute Preferred Shares or common stock equivalents for Class A
Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one ten-thousandth
of a Preferred Share (or an appropriate number of common stock equivalents) for
each Class A Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in
the voting rights of the Preferred Shares pursuant to the terms thereof, so that
the fraction of a Preferred Share delivered in lieu of each Class A Common Share
shall have the same voting rights as one Class A Common Share.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Class A Common
Shares, Preferred Shares or common stock equivalents authorized by the Company's
certificate of incorporation and not outstanding or subscribed for, or reserved
or otherwise committed for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of
Rights, 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 Class A Common Shares, Preferred Shares or common stock
equivalents for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Class A
Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Class A
Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Class A Common Shares, the Company
shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to
which such fractional Class A Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current per share market value
of a whole Class A Common Share. For the purposes of this paragraph (e), the
current per share market value of a whole Class A Common Share shall be the
closing price of a Class A Common Share (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 after the Distribution Date propose (i)
to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its
Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the
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holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend),
(ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to
subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock
of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect
any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other
transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or
other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any
other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in
Common Shares or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the
Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in
Common Shares), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder
of a Right Certificate, and to the Rights Agent, 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, or distribution of rights or warrants,
or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale,
transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date
of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred
Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in
the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days
prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10
days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred
Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall
occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Right Certificate, and to the Rights Agent, in accordance with
Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall
describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights
under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate
to or on the 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:
Methode Electronics, Inc.
7444 West Wilson Avenue
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Chicago, IL 60656
Attention: President
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by registered or certified mail and shall be deemed given upon receipt
and, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as
follows:
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.
85 Challenger Road
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660-2108
Attention: General Counsel
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate 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. The Company may from time to
time, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend
this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in
order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained
herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein,
or to make any change to or delete any provision hereof or to adopt any other
provisions with respect to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or
desirable; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that from and after such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended or supplemented
in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the Rights Agent or
the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person and its Affiliates and
Associates). Any supplement or amendment authorized by this Section 27 will be
evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. Upon the
delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which
states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms
of this Section 27 and, provided such supplement or amendment does not change or
increase the Rights Agent's duties, liabilities or obligations hereunder, the
Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment that
changes the rights and duties of the
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Rights Agent under this Agreement will be effective against the Rights Agent
without the execution of such supplement or amendment by the Rights Agent.
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. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Agreement shall
be construed to give to any Person or entity other than the Company, the Rights
Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of
the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
Section 30. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 31. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and
performed entirely within such State; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that all provisions
regarding the rights or obligations of the Rights Agent or the duties of the
Rights Agent as they relate to the administration of this Agreement, shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York
applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed
to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.
Section 33. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
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Section 34. ADMINISTRATION. The Board of Directors of the Company shall
have the exclusive power and authority to administer and interpret the
provisions of this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board of Directors or the Company or as may be necessary or
advisable in the administration of this Agreement. All such actions,
calculations, determinations and interpretations which are done or made by the
Board of Directors in good faith shall be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties and
shall not subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of the
Rights.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunder affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
By: /s/ James W. Ashley, Jr. By: /s/ Kevin J. Hayes
------------------------------- ----------------------------------
James W. Ashley, Jr. Kevin J. Hayes
Secretary Chief Financial Officer
Attest: CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER
SERVICES, L.L.C.,
By: /s/ Lee Tinto By: /s/ John J. Boryczki
------------------------------- ----------------------------------
Lee Tinto John J. Boryczki
Vice President Assistant Vice President
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EXHIBIT A
FORM
of
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
----------------------------------------------
(Pursuant to Section 151 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law)
----------------------------------------------
Methode Electronics, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the
"Corporation"), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by
the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on June 23, 2000:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board
of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the "Board of Directors" or
the "Board") in accordance with the provisions of the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation (the "Restated Certificate of Incorporation"),
the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock, par value
$100.00 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Corporation and hereby states
the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights,
preferences, and limitations thereof as follows:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of this series shall be
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" (the "Series A
Preferred Stock") and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred
Stock shall be 50,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by
resolution of the Board of Directors; PROVIDED, that no decrease shall reduce
the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the
number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares
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reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or
warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the
Corporation convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of
Preferred Stock (or any other stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A
Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the
Board of Directors out of 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 Preferred
Stock, in an amount (if any) per share (rounded to the nearest cent), subject to
the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 10,000 times the
aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 10,000 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 Class A Common Stock,
par value $0.50 per share (the "Class A Common Stock") of the Corporation or a
subdivision of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Class A Common Stock since the
immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation
shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Class A Common Stock
payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock
(by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of
Class A Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Class A
Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of shares of Class A Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Class A Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior
to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Class A Common
Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Class A Common Stock).
(C) Dividends due pursuant to paragraph (A) of this Section shall begin
to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock
from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of
such shares, 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 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 Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at
the time accrued and
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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 Preferred
Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared
thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date
fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1000 votes
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In
the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the
Class A Common Stock payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, or effect a
subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Class A
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in
shares of Class A Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of
Class A Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to
which holders of shares of Series A 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 Class A Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Class A Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior
to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided the Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, including any other Certificate of Designations creating a series
of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Class A Common Stock and
any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall
vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of
the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise required by law,
holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and
their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to
vote with holders of Class A 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 Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether
or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have
been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions,
on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series
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A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock
and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
entitled; or
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock,
provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise
acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of
the Corporation ranking junior (as to dividends and upon dissolution,
liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock.
(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 Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein or in
the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, including any Certificate of
Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or as
otherwise required by law.
Section 6. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. Upon any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share,
subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 10,000
times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of
Class A Common Stock plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends.
In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on
the Class A Common Stock payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, or effect a
subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Class A
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in
shares of Class A Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of
Class A Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to
such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Class A
Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Class A 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 Class A Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of
Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 10,000 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 Class A Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. In the event the
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Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Class A Common
Stock payable in shares of Class A Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock
(by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of
Class A Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Class A
Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding
sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator
of which is the number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding immediately
after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Class A
Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. AMENDMENT. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall not
be amended in any manner, including in a merger or consolidation, which would
alter, change, or repeal the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series
A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of
the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.
Section 9. RANK. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to
the payment of dividends and upon liquidation, dissolution and winding up,
junior to all series of Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designation is executed on behalf
of the Corporation by its duly authorized officer this _____ day of June, 2000.
METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
By: _______________________
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EXHIBIT B
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- _______ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JUNE 30, 2010 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE
OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.01 PER RIGHT AND TO
EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS THAT ARE OR WERE ACQUIRED OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN
ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY ASSOCIATES OR AFFILIATES THEREOF (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS
MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
Right Certificate
METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
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 June 23, 2000 the "Rights Agreement"), between Methode
Electronics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and ChaseMellon
Shareholder Services, L.L.C., a New Jersey limited liability company, (the
"Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution
Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M.
New York, New York time, on June 30, 2010, at the office of the Rights Agent, or
at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one ten-thousandth of a fully
paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par
value $100.00 per share (the "Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase
price of $400.00 per one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase
Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the
certification and the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one
ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise
hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number
and Purchase Price as of June 23, 2000, based on the Preferred Shares as
constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase
Price and the number of one ten-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be
purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
From and after the occurrence of an event described in Section 11(a)(ii) of
the Rights Agreement, if the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are or
were at any time on or after the earlier of (x) the date of such event and (y)
the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) acquired
or
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beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an
Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), such
Rights shall become null and void, and any holder of such Rights shall
thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, covenants and
restrictions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, covenants and restrictions
are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the
Company and the offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right
Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights
entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as
the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered
shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be
exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, at the Company's option,
the Rights evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a
redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part
for shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock, par value $0.50 per share, or
Preferred Shares.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share, 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 Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of
any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until
the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been
exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal. Dated as of June , 2000.
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Attest: METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
By:
-------------------------- --------------------------
Countersigned:
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C.,
Rights Agent
By:
-----------------------
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer
the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ________________________,
Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: ___________ ___, ____
__________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
__________________________
Signature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Right Certificate.)
To METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
______________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase
the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that
certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Dated:________ ___, ____
____________________________
Signature
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<PAGE>
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
B 6
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by
this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
---------------------------
Signature
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and
Election must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right
Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of
the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such
Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
B 7
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EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On June 23, 2000, the Board of Directors of Methode Electronics, Inc.
(the "Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a
"Right") for each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.50 per
share and Class B Common Stock, par value $.50 per share (the "Class B Common
Shares" and, together with the Class A Common Shares, the "Common Shares") of
the Company. The dividend is payable on June 30, 2000 (the "Record Date") to the
stockholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder
to purchase from the Company one ten-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $100.00 per share (the "Preferred
Shares"), of the Company, at a price of $400.00 per one ten-thousandth of a
Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to adjustment. The description
and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights
Agreement") between the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as
Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, or (ii) 10 business days (or such
later date as may be determined by action of the Company's Board of Directors
prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) following the
commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or
exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial
ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares
(the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"), the Rights
will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates
outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate with a copy
of this Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date or upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation or a
copy of this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on June 30, 2010 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the Final
Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed by the
Company, in each case, as described below.
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The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other
securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than
the then current market price of the Preferred Shares, (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or
retained earnings or dividends payable in Preferred Shares) or of subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above) or (iv) upon the
distribution of shares of stock of any subsidiary of the Company to the holders
of the outstanding Common Shares.
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one ten-thousandths
of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. The holders of Preferred Shares shall be entitled to receive when as
and if declared by the Company's Board of Directors out of funds legally
available for the purpose, a quarterly dividend payment in an amount per share,
subject to adjustment, equal to 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and 10,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend
payable in Class A Common Shares, declared on the Class A Common Shares. In the
event of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled to
receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to adjustment, equal to 10,000
times the aggregate payment made per Class A Common Share. Each Preferred Share
will have 1000 votes, voting together with the Common Shares. In the event of
any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are
exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 10,000 times the
amount received per Class A Common Share. These rights are protected by
customary antidilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares' dividend, liquidation
and voting rights, the value of the one ten-thousandth interest in a Preferred
Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of
one Class A Common Share.
From and after the occurrence of an event described in Section
11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement, if the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are or were at any time on or after the earlier of (x) the date of
such event and (y) the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) acquired or beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), such Rights shall become null and void, and any holder of such
Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights.
In the event that, at any time after a Person becomes an Acquiring
Person, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold,
proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter
have the right to
C 2
<PAGE>
receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current exercise price of the
Right, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at
the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the exercise
price of the Right. In the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights
beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person and its Affiliates and Associates
(which will thereafter be null and void), will thereafter have the right to
receive upon exercise that number of Class A Common Shares having a market value
of two times the exercise price of the Right. If the Company does not have
sufficient Class A Common Shares to satisfy such obligation to issue Class A
Common Shares, or if the Company's Board of Directors so elects, the Company
shall deliver upon payment of the exercise price of a Right an amount of cash or
securities equivalent in value to the Class A Common Shares issuable upon
exercise of a Right; provided that, if the Company fails to meet such obligation
within 30 days following the date a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the
Company must deliver, upon exercise of a Right but without requiring payment of
the exercise price then in effect, Class A Common Shares (to the extent
available) and cash equal in value to the difference between the value of the
Class A Common Shares otherwise issuable upon the exercise of a Right and the
exercise price then in effect. The Company's Board of Directors may extend the
30-day period described above for up to an additional 60 days to permit the
taking of action that may be necessary to authorize sufficient additional Class
A Common Shares to permit the issuance of Class A Common Shares upon the
exercise in full of the Rights.
At any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to
the acquisition by any person or group of a majority of the outstanding Common
Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other
than Rights owned by such Person or group which have become null and void), in
whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Class A Common Share per Right
(subject to adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one ten-thousandth of a Preferred
Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preferred Shares on the last trading day prior to the date
of exercise.
At any time prior to the time any Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price"). The redemption of
the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as the Company's Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any 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 Redemption Price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, except that from and
after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person no such amendment may
adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than the
Acquiring Person and its Affiliates and Associates).
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
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A copy of the Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated ______,
2000. A copy of the Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This
summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
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