<PAGE> 1
================================================================================
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
------------------------
FORM 8-A/A
AMENDMENT NO. 6
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
--------------------------
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
DELAWARE 94-2805249
(State of Incorporation) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
901 SAN ANTONIO ROAD
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94303
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL (ZIP CODE)
EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
-------------------------------------
SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:
Title of each class Name of each exchange on
to be so registered which each class is to be registered
NONE NONE
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
SHARE PURCHASE RIGHTS
(Title of Class)
================================================================================
<PAGE> 2
ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED.
On April 26, 1989, the Board of Directors of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(the "Company") declared a dividend of one share purchase right (a "Right") for
each outstanding share of Common Stock, $0.00067 par value (the "Common
Shares"), of the Company. The dividend was paid on May 26, 1989 (the "Record
Date") to stockholders of record as of the close of business on that date, and
Rights have been issued in connection with all Common Shares issued since that
date. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Second Amended
and Restated Shares Rights Agreement dated as of February 11, 1998 between the
Company and BankBoston, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Amended Rights Agreement").
After the Distribution Date (defined below), each Right will entitle the
registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock (as may be adjusted pursuant to the terms
set forth in the Amended Rights Agreement) at a price of $300.00 (the "Purchase
Price"). The Purchase Price is subject to adjustment from time to time as a
result of certain events set forth in the Amended Rights Agreement.
The following is a general description only and is subject to the
detailed terms and conditions of the Amended Rights Agreement. A copy of the
Amended Rights Agreement, including the form of Rights Certificate and a Summary
of Terms are attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 to this Registration Statement.
RIGHTS EVIDENCED BY COMMON SHARE CERTIFICATES
The Rights will not be exercisable until the Distribution Date.
Certificates for the Rights ("Rights Certificates") have not been, and until
after the Distribution Date will not be, sent to stockholders. Until after the
Distribution Date, Rights will remain attached to and trade only together with
the Common Shares. Accordingly, Common Share certificates outstanding on the
Record Date evidence the Rights related thereto, and Common Share certificates
issued after the Record Date contain a notation incorporating the Amended Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender or transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares outstanding as of or after the Record Date, even without notation
or a copy of the Summary of Terms being attached thereto, also constitutes the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificates.
DISTRIBUTION DATE
The Rights will separate from the Common Shares, Rights Certificates
will be issued and the Rights will become exercisable upon the earlier of: (i)
10 days (or such later date as may be determined by the Board of Directors,
unless a majority of the Board of Directors has been replaced by stockholder
action by written consent) following a public announcement (which for purposes
of this definition shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to
Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act, except as set forth below) by the Company
or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such, provided that,
if such person is determined not to have become an Acquiring Person pursuant to
the definition of Acquiring Person below, then no acquisition shall be deemed to
have occurred or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined
by the Board of Directors, unless a majority of the Board of Directors has been
replaced by stockholder action by written consent) following the commencement
of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer
the consummation of
2
<PAGE> 3
which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 10% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares. The earlier of such dates is referred to
as the "Distribution Date."
"Acquiring Person" shall mean any person who or which, together with
all affiliates and associates of such person, shall be the beneficial owner of
10% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include the
Company. No person shall become an "Acquiring Person" if as the result of an
acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially
owned by such person to 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding; provided, however, that if a person shall become the beneficial
owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by
reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such purchases by the
Company, become the beneficial owner of any additional Common Shares of the
Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the
Company on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or pursuant to a split
or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), then such person shall be
deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" unless upon becoming the beneficial owner of
such additional Common Shares of the Company such person does not beneficially
own 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no person shall become an "Acquiring Person" if
(i) the Company's Board of Directors determines that such person would have
become an "Acquiring Person" inadvertently but for the operation of this
sentence and such person divests a sufficient number of shares so that such
person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person" promptly and (ii) such person
was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Common shares outstanding as of
February 11, 1998, unless and until such Person becomes the beneficial owner of
additional Common Shares (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid
or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or
pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), unless,
upon becoming the beneficial owner of such additional Common Shares, such person
is not then the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares then
outstanding.
In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons who (i) acquires or obtains the right to
acquire beneficial ownership of 10% or more but less than 20% of the Common
Shares then outstanding, and (ii) files a Schedule 13G rather than a Schedule
13D in accordance with Section 13(d) or Rule 13(d)(1) of the Exchange Act with
respect to such Common Shares shall not be deemed to have acquired "beneficial
ownership" of such Common Shares for purposes of the Amended Rights Agreement
and therefore, will not be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" under the Amended
Rights Agreement, but only for so long as such person or group beneficially owns
less than 20% of the then outstanding Common Shares or is not otherwise required
to file a Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act, as may be determined by the Board
of Directors.
ISSUANCE OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATES; EXPIRATION OF RIGHTS
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
Rights 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 Rights
Certificates alone will evidence the Rights from and after the Distribution
Date. Unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors at the time of
issuance, all Common Shares issued after the Record Date but prior to the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights. Common Shares issued after the
Distribution Date may be issued with Rights if
3
<PAGE> 4
such shares are issued (i) upon the conversion of securities issued after
adoption of the original Common Shares Rights Agreement (dated as of May 15,
1989) or (ii) pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under employee
benefit plans or pursuant to the conversion of the Company's outstanding
convertible subordinated debentures, or (iii) in any other case, if deemed
necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors, unless such issuance would
result in (or create a risk of) such options, plans or debentures failing to
qualify for otherwise available special tax treatment or appropriate adjustment
shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof. Except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, no other Common Shares issued
after the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights. The Rights will expire
on the earliest of (i) February 11, 2008 (the "Final Expiration Date") or (ii)
redemption or exchange of the Rights as described below.
INITIAL EXERCISE OF THE RIGHTS
Following the Distribution Date, and until one of the further events
described below, holders of the Rights will be entitled to receive, upon
exercise and the payment of $300.00 per Right, one one-thousandth of a share of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
PROTECTION AGAINST CERTAIN ACQUISITIONS NOT NEGOTIATED WITH THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS; RIGHT TO BUY COMMON SHARES AT HALF PRICE
Unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, in the event
that a person becomes an "Acquiring Person" then each holder of a Right which
has not theretofore been exercised (other than Rights beneficially owned by the
Acquiring Person, which will thereafter be void) will thereafter have the right
to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares having a value equal to two times the
Purchase Price. Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event
set forth above until the Distribution Date.
In the event that the Company does not have sufficient Common Shares
available for all Rights to be exercised, or the Board decides that such action
is necessary and not contrary to the interests of Rights holders, the Company
may instead substitute cash, assets or other securities for the Common Shares
into which the Rights would have been exchangeable under this provision or as
described below.
PROTECTION AGAINST CERTAIN UNFAIR TWO-STEP OR COERCIVE TRANSACTIONS; RIGHT TO
BUY ACQUIRING COMPANY STOCK AT HALF PRICE
Similarly, unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, in
the event that, after the Distribution Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a
merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the
surviving corporation or in which the Company's outstanding Common Shares are
changed or exchanged for stock or assets of another person or (ii) 50% or more
of the Company's consolidated assets or earning power is sold (other than in
transactions in the ordinary course of business), proper provision will be made
so that each holder of a Right which has not theretofore been exercised (other
than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person, which will thereafter be
void) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, shares of common
stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the Purchase
Price.
4
<PAGE> 5
EXCHANGE PROVISION
At any time after the acquisition by an Acquiring Person of
beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Company's outstanding Common Shares
and prior to the acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the
Company's outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person), in whole
or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to
adjustment).
ADJUSTMENTS TO PREVENT DILUTION
The Purchase Price payable, the number of Rights and the number of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock or Common Shares or other securities or
property issuable upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from
time to time to prevent dilution as set forth in the Amended Rights Agreement.
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.
REDEMPTION
At any time on or prior to the close of business on the earlier of
(i) ten days (or such later date as may be determined by the Board of Directors)
after the accumulation of beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Company's
shares by a single acquiror or group or (ii) the Final Expiration Date of the
Rights, the Company, may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price
of $.0l per Right ("Redemption Price"). Immediately upon the action of the Board
of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights
will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive
the Redemption Price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a
then-majority of the Company's Board of Directors is elected by written consent
then until the 180th day following such election, the Rights may not be redeemed
if the redemption would have the effect of facilitating certain acquisitions of
the Company.
NO STOCKHOLDERS' RIGHTS PRIOR TO EXERCISE
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have
no rights as a stockholder of the Company (other than any rights resulting from
such holder's ownership of Common Shares), including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.
AMENDMENT OF AMENDED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
The provisions of the Amended Rights Agreement may be supplemented
or amended by the Board of Directors in any manner prior to the close of
business on the Distribution Date without the approval of Rights holders. After
the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Amended Rights Agreement may be
amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to
make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights
(excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any
time period under the Amended Rights Agreement; provided however, that no
amendment to adjust the time period governing redemption shall be made at such
time as the Rights are not redeemable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the
event that a then-majority of the Board of Directors of the
5
<PAGE> 6
Company is elected by stockholder action by written consent, then until the
180th day following the effectiveness of such election, the Amended Rights
Agreement shall not be supplemented or amended in any manner reasonably likely
to have the purpose or effect of facilitating certain acquisitions of the
Company.
CERTAIN ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECTS
The Rights approved by the Board are designed to protect and
maximize the value of the outstanding equity interests in the Company in the
event of an unsolicited attempt by an acquiror to take over the Company in a
manner or on terms not approved by the Board of Directors. Takeover attempts
frequently include coercive tactics to deprive a corporation's Board of
Directors and its stockholders of any real opportunity to determine the destiny
of the corporation. The Rights have been declared by the Board in order to deter
such tactics, including a gradual accumulation of shares in the open market of a
10% or greater position to be followed by a merger or a partial or two-tier
tender offer that does not treat all stockholders equally. These tactics can
unfairly pressure stockholders, squeeze them out of their investment without
giving them any real choice and deprive them of the full value of their shares.
The Rights are not intended to prevent a takeover of the Company on
appropriate terms and will not do so. Subject to certain exceptions discussed
above, the Rights may be redeemed by the Company at $.01 per Right within ten
days (or such later date as may be determined by the Board of Directors) after
the accumulation of beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Company's shares
by a single acquiror or group. Accordingly, the Rights should not interfere with
any merger or business combination approved by the Board of Directors.
Issuance of the Rights does not in any way weaken the financial
strength of the Company or interfere with its business plans. The issuance of
the Rights has no dilutive effect, will not affect reported earnings per share,
should not be taxable to the Company or to its stockholders and will not change
the way in which the Company's shares are presently traded. The Company's Board
of Directors believes that the Rights represent a sound and reasonable means of
addressing the complex issues of corporate policy created by the current
takeover environment.
However, the Rights may have the effect of rendering an acquisition
more difficult or discouraging an acquisition of the Company in a manner deemed
undesirable by the Board of Directors. The Rights may cause substantial dilution
to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company on terms or in a
manner not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, except pursuant to an
offer conditioned upon the negation, purchase or redemption of the Rights.
ITEM 2. EXHIBITS.
1. Form of rights certificate (see Exhibit B of Exhibit 2.1 below).
2.1. Second Amended and Restated Shares Rights Agreement dated as of
February 11, 1998.
2.2. Certificate of Designations of Registrant (see Exhibit A of
Exhibit 2.1 above).
6
<PAGE> 7
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
February 11, 1998 SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
By: /s/ MICHAEL H. MORRIS
-----------------------------
Michael H. Morris, Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
7
<PAGE> 8
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT NUMBER
1. Form of rights certificate (see Exhibit B of Exhibit 2.1 below).
2.1. Second Amended and Restated Shares Rights Agreement dated as of
February 11, 1998.
2.2. Certificate of Designations of Registrant (see Exhibit A of
Exhibit 2.1 above).
8
<PAGE> 1
EXHIBIT 2.1
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
and
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
Rights Agent
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
SHARES RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of February 11, 1998
<PAGE> 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
<S> <C> <C>
Section 1. Certain Definitions.........................................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.................................................................6
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.............................................................6
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.................................................................8
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration...........................................................9
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates...............................................9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights..............................10
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates........................................12
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares...........................................12
Section 10. Common Shares Record Date..................................................................13
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights.........................14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.................................21
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.......................22
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares....................................................26
Section 15. Rights of Action...........................................................................27
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders................................................................27
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.........................................27
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent................................................................28
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent..................................28
</TABLE>
-i-
<PAGE> 3
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
<S> <C> <C>
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.....................................................................29
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.....................................................................31
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates........................................................32
Section 23. Redemption.................................................................................32
Section 24. Exchange...................................................................................33
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events...................................................................35
Section 26. Notices....................................................................................35
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.................................................................36
Section 28. Successors.................................................................................36
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc..................................36
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.................................................................37
Section 31. Severability...............................................................................37
Section 32. Governing Law..............................................................................37
Section 33. Counterparts...............................................................................37
Section 34. Descriptive Headings.......................................................................37
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Certificate of Designations
Exhibit B Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C Summary of Rights
</TABLE>
-ii-
<PAGE> 4
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
SHARES RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Second Amended and Restated Shares Right Agreement (the "Agreement"),
dated as of February 11, 1998, is entered into by and between Sun Microsystems,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and BankBoston, N.A. (formerly The
First National Bank of Boston) (the "Rights Agent").
WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent are parties to that certain
Common Shares Rights Agreement dated as of May 15, 1989, as amended (the "Prior
Agreement");
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has determined that it is
in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to amend and restate
the Prior Agreement as set forth herein and the Rights Agent has agreed to the
amendment and restatement of the Prior Agreement as set forth herein;
WHEREAS, the Company has determined that, pursuant to Section 27 of the
Prior Agreement, the Prior Agreement may be amended and restated as set forth
herein without the approval of the holders of the Rights (as hereinafter
defined); and
WHEREAS, on April 26, 1989 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the
Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one
share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined)
of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as hereinafter defined)
on May 26, 1989 (the "Record Date"), each Right originally representing the
right to purchase one Common Share and now representing the right to purchase
one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock (as such
number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement), having the
rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the form of Certificate of
Designations of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions herein set forth, and further authorized and directed the issuance of
one Right (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of this
Agreement) with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding
between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the
Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), and in certain
circumstances after the Distribution Date.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the Prior Agreement is hereby amended and restated to read in
full as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall
not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any
<PAGE> 5
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.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which,
by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number
of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 10% or more of the Common Shares
of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall
become the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares of the Company
then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after
such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any
additional Common Shares of the Company (other than pursuant to a dividend or
distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in
Common Shares or pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common
Shares), then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person unless upon
becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares of the Company
such Person does not beneficially own 10% or more of the Common Shares of the
Company then outstanding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if the Company's
Board of Directors determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be
an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently (including, without limitation,
because (A) such Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of
the Common Shares that would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring
Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a),
or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of the Common Shares it beneficially
owned but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such beneficial
ownership under this Agreement) and without any intention of changing or
influencing control of the Company, and if such Person divested or divests 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 (a), as promptly as practicable following notice by the Company that
such Person would be an "Acquiring Person" if such Person did not so divest,
then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an "Acquiring
Person" for any purposes of this Agreement; and (ii) if, as of the date hereof,
any Person is the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares
outstanding, such Person shall not be or become an "Acquiring Person," as
defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), unless and
until such time as such Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of additional
Common Shares (other than pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by
the Company on the outstanding Common Shares in Common Shares or pursuant to a
split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Shares), unless, upon becoming
the Beneficial Owner of such additional Common Shares, such Person is not then
the Beneficial Owner of 10% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) "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.
(c) 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, for purposes of Section
13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule
-2-
<PAGE> 6
13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or successor law or regulation); provided,
however, if such Person files pursuant to Rule 13d-1 of the Exchange Act a
Schedule 13G and, therefore, is not required to file a Schedule 13D, reporting
beneficial ownership of not greater than twenty percent (20%) of the Company's
outstanding Common Shares, then such Person, or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates, as the case may be, shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner"
and shall not be considered to "beneficially own" any securities so held nor be
deemed an "Acquiring Person" for purposes of this Agreement, but only for so
long as such Person, or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, as the
case may be, (1) does not file, nor in the determination of the Board of
Directors of the Company is it required to file, a report on Schedule 13D
pursuant to Section 13(d) or Rule 13d-1 of the Exchange Act (or any comparable
or successor law or regulation) and (ii) notwithstanding the foregoing proviso,
beneficially owns less than twenty percent (20%) of the Company's outstanding
Common Shares;
(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), 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 pursuant to this Section
1(c)(ii)(A) the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (1) securities
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, or (2) securities which a
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to have
the right to acquire pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement
between the Company and such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or
Associates) if such agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the
Company prior to there being an Acquiring Person; 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 under this Section 1(c)(ii)(B) 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 of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person
or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing) (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona
fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B))
or disposing of any securities of the Company; provided, however, that in no
case shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (x) the Beneficial
Owner of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity
as officers or directors of the Company or (y) the Beneficial Owner of
securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the
Company
-3-
<PAGE> 7
or any Subsidiary of the Company, other than the officer or director, by reason
of any influence that such officer or director may have over the voting of the
securities held in the plan.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m.,
Boston, Massachusetts time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date
is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., Boston, Massachusetts time, on
the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall
mean the shares of Common Stock of the Company, $.00067 par value. "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.
(g) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of
Business on the tenth day (or, unless following the date hereof a majority of
the Company's Board of Directors has been elected by stockholder action by
written consent, such later date as may be determined by action of a majority of
the members of the Company's Board of Directors) after the Shares Acquisition
Date or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth day (or, unless following the
date hereof a majority of the Company's Board of Directors has been elected by
stockholder action by written consent, such later date as may be determined by
action of a majority of the members of the Company's Board of Directors) after
the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company,
any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of
any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is
first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the
General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if, assuming the
successful consummation thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of
10% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
(h) "Equivalent Shares" shall mean preferred shares and any other
class or series of capital stock of the Company which is entitled to participate
in dividends and other distributions, including distributions upon the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, on a proportional basis
with the Preferred Shares. In calculating the number of any class or series of
Equivalent Shares for purposes of Section 11 of this Rights Agreement, the
number of shares, or fractions of a share, of such class or series of capital
stock that is entitled to the same dividend or distribution as a whole Preferred
Share shall be deemed to be one share.
(i) "Expiration Date" shall mean the earliest of (i) the Close of
Business on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the Redemption Date or (iii) the
time at which the Company's Board of Directors orders the exchange of the Rights
as provided in Section 24 hereof.
-4-
<PAGE> 8
(j) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean February 11, 2008.
(k) "Interested Person" with respect to a Transaction shall mean
any Person who (i) is or will become an Acquiring Person if the Transaction were
to be consummated or an Affiliate or Associate of such a Person and (ii)
directly or indirectly proposed, nominated or financially supported a director
of the Company in office at the time of consideration of the Transaction in
question who was elected by written consent of stockholders.
(l) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other
entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(m) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company.
(n) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) hereof.
(o) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals
at the beginning of this Agreement.
(p) "Redemption Date" shall mean the time at which the Board of
Directors of the Company orders redemption of the Rights as provided in Section
23 hereof.
(q) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
23(a) hereof.
(r) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in the recitals at the beginning of this Agreement.
(s) "Rights Certificate" shall mean a certificate substantially in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
(t) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause
(i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(u) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such;
provided that, if such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring
Person pursuant to Section 1(a) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be
deemed to have occurred.
(v) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other
entity of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect a majority of
the directors or Persons having similar authority of such corporation or other
entity is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or any
corporation or other entity otherwise controlled by such Person.
-5-
<PAGE> 9
(w) "Total Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) hereof.
(x) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d) hereof.
(y) "Transaction" shall mean any merger, consolidation or sale of
assets described in Section 13(a)(i), Section 13(a)(ii) or Section 13(a)(iii)
hereof or any acquisition of Common Shares which would result in a Person
becoming an Acquiring Person.
(z) A "Triggering Event" shall be deemed to have occurred upon any
Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becoming an Acquiring Person.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who,
in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also
be the holders of the Common Shares) 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, upon ten (10) days' prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The
Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event be liable for, the
acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of Sections 3(b) and 3(c) hereof) by the certificates
for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which
certificates shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate
Rights Certificates and (ii) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for
transfer of such certificates for Common Shares shall also constitute the
surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the
Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested,
send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Rights Certificate"), evidencing
one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided
herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share
has been made pursuant to Section 11 hereof, then at the time of distribution of
the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate
rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash
is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates and may be
transferred by the transfer of the Rights Certificates as permitted hereby,
separately and apart from any transfer of one or more Common Shares, and the
holders of such Rights Certificates as listed
-6-
<PAGE> 10
in the records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights
shall be the record holders thereof.
(b) On January 15, 1991 or as soon as practicable thereafter, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights in substantially the form of
Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class, postage-prepaid
mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on such
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 Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates
registered in the names of the holders thereof together with the Summary of
Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the 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, shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby.
(c) Unless the Board of Directors by resolution adopted at or
before the time of the issuance (including pursuant to the exercise of rights
under the Company's benefit plans) of any Common Shares specifies to the
contrary, Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares that are issued
after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof,
after the Distribution Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall
also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following
legend; provided, however, that such certificates issued after the Record Date
and before February 11, 1998 shall bear such legend upon transfer or replacement
only, and otherwise shall retain the legend currently thereon:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain
rights as set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Shares Rights
Agreement between Sun Microsystems, Inc. and BankBoston, N.A. as the
Rights Agent, dated as of February 11, 1998 (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 Sun Microsystems,
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. Sun Microsystems, 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
set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any
Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement),
whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent
holder, may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such
certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or
acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date
-7-
<PAGE> 11
but prior to 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 Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
Common Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be
substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which
the Rights may from time to time be listed or included, or to conform to usage.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights
Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date (or in
the case of Rights issued with respect to Common Shares issued by the Company
after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance of such Common Shares) and on
their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price
set forth therein (such exercise price per one thousandth of a Preferred Share
being hereinafter referred to as the "Purchase Price" and the aggregate Purchase
Price of all Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of one Right being
hereinafter referred to as the "Total Exercise Price"), but the number and type
of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price
shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring
Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a
primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer,
exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to
in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially
owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights
represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified
in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.
-8-
<PAGE> 12
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief
Financial Officer, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by
facsimile signature, and by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed
thereto the Company's seal (if any) or a facsimile thereof. The Rights
Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not
be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the
Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be
such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and
issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless,
may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company
with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights
Certificates on behalf of the Company had not ceased to be such officer of the
Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by
any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate,
shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate,
although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person
was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its office designated for such purposes, books for
registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such
books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights
Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights
Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof,
at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or
prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for
another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered
holder to purchase a like number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or,
following a Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then
entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall
surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split
up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any
action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver
to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as
the case may be, as so
-9-
<PAGE> 13
requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax
or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer,
split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, 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 Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Sections 7(e), 23(b) and 24(b) hereof, the
registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced
thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time
after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date upon surrender of
the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse
side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price
for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or such other securities, cash or
other assets for which the Rights may then be exercisable) as to which the
Rights are exercised.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $300.00,
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 Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by
payment of the Purchase Price for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and
an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder
of such Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof in cash, or by
certified check or cashier's check payable to the order of the Company, the
Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A)
requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available,
if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred Shares) a
certificate or certificates for the number of one- thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and
the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all
such requests or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other securities or property,
as the case may be) issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a
depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent of depositary receipts
representing such number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other
securities or property, as the case may be) as are to be purchased (in which
case certificates for the one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other
securities or property, as the case may be) represented by such receipts shall
be deposited by the transfer
-10-
<PAGE> 14
agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary
agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the
Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates
or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of
the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after
receipt thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder
of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount
may be reduced (including to zero) pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) and an
amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of
such Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof may be made in cash
or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Rights
Agent for the benefit of the Company.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to
his or her duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14
hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Section 13 Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring
Person becomes such (a "Post Transferee"), (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to
any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e) (a "Prior Transferee") or (iv) any subsequent
transferee receiving transferred Rights from a Post Transferee or a Prior
Transferee, either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees,
shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such
Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and
Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder
of Rights Certificates or to any other Person as a result of its failure to make
any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring
Person's Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for
such exercise and (ii) provided such
-11-
<PAGE> 15
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or 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 Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will use its best
efforts to cause to be reserved and kept available out of and to the extent of
its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares not reserved for another purpose
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and
unissued Common Shares and/or other securities), the number of Preferred Shares
(and, following the occurrence of the Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or
other securities) that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights.
(b) If the Company shall hereafter list any of its Common Shares
on a national securities exchange, then so long as the Common Shares (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon exercise of the Rights may be listed
on such exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and
after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it
is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for
such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance
upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii)
or 11(a)(iii) hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the
Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii)
cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no
longer exercisable for such securities and (B) the date of expiration of the
Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period not to exceed ninety
(90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of
-12-
<PAGE> 16
the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in
order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become
effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating, and notify the Rights Agent, that the exercisability of
the Rights has been tempo rarily suspended, as well as a public announcement and
notification to the Rights Agent at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or
to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various
states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. Notwithstanding any
provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable
in any jurisdiction, unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction
shall have been obtained, or an exemption therefrom shall be available, and
until a registration statement has been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or other capital
stock of the Company) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of
delivery of the certificates for such securities (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and
nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights
Certificates or of any Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company)
upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay
any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of
Rights Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of
certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares (or other
securities of the Company) in a name other than that of, the registered holder
of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue
or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares (or
other securities of the Company) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such
tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such
Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to
the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for a number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other
securities of the Company) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all
purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares
(or other securities of the Company) represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
multiplied by the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share with respect to
which the Rights have been exercised (and any applicable transfer taxes) was
made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a
date upon which the applicable transfer books of the Company are closed, such
person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and
such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which such
transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company)
for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the
right to vote, to
-13-
<PAGE> 17
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 and kind of shares or other property
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 (by reverse stock split or otherwise) 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), then, in each such event,
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11 and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) the
Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or the
effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be
proportionately adjusted so that the Purchase Price shall thereafter equal the
result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such time by a fraction (the "Exchange Ratio"), the numerator of which shall be
the total number of Preferred Shares (or shares of capital stock issued in such
reclassification of the Preferred Shares) outstanding immediately following such
time and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Preferred Shares
outstanding immediately prior to such time; 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 such Right; and (2) the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital stock) issuable upon the
exercise of each Right shall equal the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred
Share (or share of such other capital stock) as was issuable upon exercise of a
Right immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses
(A)-(D) of this Section 11(a)(i), multiplied by the Exchange Ratio; provided,
however, that no such adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i)
to the extent that there shall have simultaneously occurred an event described
in clause (A), (B), (C) or (D) of Section 11(p) with a proportionate adjustment
being made thereunder. Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an
adjustment has been made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i) shall have associated
with it the number of Rights, exercisable at the Purchase Price, and for the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) as one Common Share has associated with it immediately following the
adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(i).
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event a
Triggering Event shall have occurred, then promptly following such Triggering
Event, each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement and payment of the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event, in lieu of a
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares of
the Company as shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the Purchase Price
in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the Triggering Event
-14-
<PAGE> 18
by the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was
exercisable (or would have been exercisable if the Distribution Date had
occurred) immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering Event, and
dividing that product by 50% of the current per share market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) for Common Shares on the date of occurrence of
the Triggering Event; provided, however, that the Purchase Price and the number
of Common Shares of the Company so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be
subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f)
hereof to reflect any events occurring in respect of the Common Shares of the
Company after the occurrence of the Triggering Event.
(iii) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if the Company's Board of Directors
determines that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the
interest of holders of Rights (and, in the event that the number of Common
Shares which are authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but
not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise
of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights,
or if any necessary regulatory approval for such issuance has not been obtained
by the Company, the Company shall): (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of
the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (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 Common Shares, upon
exercise of the Rights, (including, without limitation, full payment of the
Purchase Price) (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) other
equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or units
of shares of any series of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the
Company has deemed to have the same value as Common Shares (such shares or units
of shares of preferred stock are herein called "common stock equivalents")),
except to the extent that the Company has not obtained any necessary stockholder
or regulatory approval for such issuance, (4) debt securities of the Company,
except to the extent that the Company has not obtained any necessary stockholder
or regulatory approval for such issuance, (5) other assets or (6) any
combination of the fore going, having an aggregate value equal to the Current
Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors
of the Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment
banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; 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 later of (x)
the first occurrence of a Triggering Event and (y) the date on which the
Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of
(x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"),
then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise
of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares
(to the extent available), except to the extent that the Company has not
obtained any necessary stockholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, and
then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal
to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good
faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be
authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights or that any
necessary regulatory approval for such issuance will be obtained, 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 or take
-15-
<PAGE> 19
action to obtain such regulatory approval (such period, as it may be extended,
the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some
action need be taken 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, 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, to
take any action to obtain any required regulatory approval and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and
to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company
shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights
has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as
the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii),
the value of the Common Shares shall be the current per share market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the 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 Common Shares on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to
all holders of Preferred Shares or any class or series of Equivalent Shares
entitling such holders (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar
days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares or
Equivalent Shares or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent
Shares at a price per share (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares) less than the
then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares
(as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, then, in each such case, the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares
and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such record date, plus the number
of Preferred Shares or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, which the
aggregate offering price of the total number of Common Shares or Equivalent
Shares, as the case may be, 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 and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding on such record
date, plus the number of additional Common Shares or Equivalent Shares, as the
case may be, to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the
convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided,
however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise
of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock
of the 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 and shall be binding on the
Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares and Equivalent
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.
-16-
<PAGE> 20
(c) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of
the Preferred Shares or of any class or series of Equivalent 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, if any, or
a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights, options or
warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), then, in each such
case, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current market
price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of a Preferred Share or
an Equivalent Share 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 cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a Preferred
Share or Equivalent Share, as the case may be, and the denominator of which
shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) of a Preferred Share or Equivalent Share on such record date, 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. Such adjustments shall be
made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that
such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, the "current per share
market price" of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this Section
11(d)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices
per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such
term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, the "current per share
market price" of any Security on any date shall be deemed to be the average of
the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the ten (10) consecutive
Trading Days immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the
event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined
during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (i)
a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security
or securities convertible into such shares or (ii) any subdivision, combination
or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of the
requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, 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
-17-
<PAGE> 21
or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, the last sale price or, if, such last sale
price is not reported, 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. If on any such date no market maker is making a
market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is
open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the
Common Shares are not 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 and shall be conclusive for all
purposes.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment
in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however,
that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to
be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent
adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest
cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one
hundred-thousandth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the
first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11
shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of
the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)
or 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Shares,
thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any
Right and if required, the Purchase Price thereof, shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 with respect to the Preferred Shares
shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the 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-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 Section 11(b) and (c),
-18-
<PAGE> 22
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 Preferred Shares (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of
a share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Preferred Shares covered
by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii)
dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately
after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment
of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) or
(c) to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the
number of Preferred Shares 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-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 hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and,
if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date
may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter,
but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10)
days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have
been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this
Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be
distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date
Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional
Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment,
or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders
of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by
such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if
required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to
which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates
so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner
provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted
Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of
Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price
or the number of Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the Purchase Price per one-thousandth of a Preferred Share and the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Rights
Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the par or stated value, if any, of the number
of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights,
the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion
-19-
<PAGE> 23
of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue as fully paid and nonassessable shares such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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
(fractional or otherwise) upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
prior to the Distribution Date, 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) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Shares or Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for
cash of any Preferred Shares or Common Shares at less than the current market
price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or Common Shares or
securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for
Preferred Shares or Common Shares, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of
rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by
the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares or Common Shares shall not be
taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, effect or permit to occur any Triggering Event
or Section 13 Event, if (i) at the time or immediately after such Triggering
Event or Section 13 Event there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or
securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially
diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights or (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such Section
13 Event, the stockholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute,
the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof shall have received a
distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates
and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or
permit to be taken) any action if at the time such action is taken it is
reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise
eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of
this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common
Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding
Common Shares (by reverse stock split or
-20-
<PAGE> 24
otherwise) into a smaller number of Common Shares, or (D) issue any shares of
its capital stock in a reclassification of the Common Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), then, in each such event,
except as otherwise provided in Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) each
Common Share (or shares of capital stock issued in such reclassification of the
Common Shares) outstanding immediately following such time shall have associated
with it the number of Rights as were associated with one Common Share
immediately prior to the occurrence of the event described in clauses (A)-(D)
above; (2) 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 shall be adjusted so that the Purchase Price thereafter shall
equal the result obtained by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such time by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be
the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the event
described in clauses (A)-(D) above, and the denominator of which shall be the
total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event;
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 such Right; and (3) the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) issuable upon the exercise of each Right outstanding after such event
shall equal the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of
such other capital stock) as were issuable with respect to one Right immediately
prior to such event. Each Common Share that shall become outstanding after an
adjustment has been made pursuant to this Section 11(p) shall have associated
with it the number of Rights, exercisable at the Purchase Price and for the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or shares of such other capital
stock) as one Common Share has associated with it immediately following the
adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11(p). If an event occurs which would
require an adjustment under both this Section 11(p) and Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(p) shall be in addition
to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares a copy of
such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights
Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing
sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such
notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or effect
of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully
protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment contained
therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and
until it shall have received such certificate.
-21-
<PAGE> 25
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Distribution Date, directly
or indirectly:
(i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and
into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
the principal purpose of which is to change the state of incorporation of the
Company or which complies with Section 11(o) hereof);
(ii) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction that complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with the
Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger; 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 or Persons (other than the Company or one or more of its wholly
owned Subsidiaries in one or more transactions, each of which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof),
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be
made so that
(A) each holder of a Right (except as provided in
Section 7(e)hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the
exercise thereof at a price equal to the Total Exercise Price applicable
immediately prior to the occurrence of the Section 13 Event in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, nonassessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party
(as hereinafter defined), free of any liens, encumbrances, rights of first
refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by
dividing such Total Exercise Price by 50% of the current per share market price
(as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event, provided,
however, that the Purchase Price and the number of Common Shares of such
Principal Party so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to
further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f) hereof;
(B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable
for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations
and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to
refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
-22-
<PAGE> 26
(D) such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its
Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as
may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be
applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and
(E) upon the subsequent occurrence of any
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary
transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall
thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the
Total Exercise Price as provided in this Section 13, such cash, shares, rights,
warrants and other property which such holder would have been entitled to
receive had such holder, at the time of such transaction, owned the Common
Shares of the Principal Party receivable upon the exercise of such Right
pursuant to this Section 13, and such Principal Party shall take such steps
(including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be
necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the
terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Principal Party"
shall mean:
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (i)
or (ii) of Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of the
securities into which the Common Shares are converted in such merger or
consolidation, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the Common
Shares of which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding,
or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that is the other party to
the merger, if such Person survives said merger, or, if there is more than one
such Person, the Person the Common Shares of which have the greatest aggregate
market value of shares outstanding or (y) if the Person that is the other party
to the merger does not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the
merger (including the Company if it survives) or (z) the Person resulting from
the consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (iii)
of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest
portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction
or transactions, or, if more than one Person that is a party to such transaction
or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so
transferred and each such portion would, were it not for the other equal
portions, constitute the greatest portion of the assets or earning power so
transferred, or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or
earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons is the issuer of
Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding;
provided, however, that in any such case described in the foregoing clause
(b)(i) or (b)(ii), if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time or
have not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (1) if such Person is a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so
registered, the term "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or (2)
if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
-23-
<PAGE> 27
indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of which are and have
been so registered, the term "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such
Persons is the issuer of Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market
value of shares outstanding, or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or
indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned,
directly or indirectly by the same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1)
and (2) above shall apply to each of the owners having an interest in the
venture as if the Person owned by the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or
all of such joint venturers, and the Principal Party in each such case shall
bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as its
interest in such Person bears to the total of such interests.
(c) If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for Common
Shares of such Principal Party as provided in Section 13(a), then each holder of
Rights shall have the right to exchange its Rights for cash from such Principal
Party in an amount equal to the number of Common Shares that it would otherwise
be entitled to purchase times 50% of the current per share market price, as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof, of such Common Shares of such
Principal Party. If, for any reason, the foregoing formulation cannot be applied
to determine the cash amount into which the Rights are exchangeable, then the
Board of Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized
investment banking firms shall determine such amount reasonably and with good
faith to the holders of Rights. Any such determination shall be final and
binding on the Rights Agent.
(d) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless
the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized Common Shares
that have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto
the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights
Agent a supplemental agreement confirming that such Principal Party shall, upon
consummation of such Section 13 Event, assume this Agreement in accordance with
Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof, that all rights of first refusal or preemptive
rights in respect of the issuance of Common Shares of such Principal Party upon
exercise of outstanding Rights have been waived, that there are no 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 and that such transaction shall not result in a default by such Principal
Party under this Agreement, and further providing that, as soon as practicable
after the date of such Section 13 Event, such Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Securities Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause
such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after
such filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the
Securities Act) until the Expiration Date, and similarly comply with applicable
state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing
of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a
national securities exchange or to meet the
-24-
<PAGE> 28
eligibility requirements for quotation on Nasdaq and list (or continue the
listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on Nasdaq; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for such Principal Party which comply in all respects with the
requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act.
In the event that at any time after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event some or all of the Rights shall not have been exercised at the
time of a transaction described in this Section 13, the Rights which have not
theretofore been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable in the manner
described in Section 13(a) (without taking into account any prior adjustment
required by Section 11(a)(ii)).
(e) In case the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13
hereof has provision in any of its authorized securities or in its certificate
of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs,
which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to
issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to Section 13 hereof), in
connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a Section 13 Event,
Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at less than the then
Current Per Share Market Price thereof or securities exercisable for, or
convertible into, Common Shares or Equivalent Shares of such Principal Party at
less than such then Current Per Share Market Price, or (ii) providing for any
special payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the
Common Shares of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13
hereof, then, in such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of
Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto
the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the
Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question
of such Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the
authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will
have no effect in connection with or as a consequence of, the consummation of
the proposed transaction.
(f) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, effect or permit to occur any Section 13
Event, if (i) at the time or immediately after such Section 13 Event there are
any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or
agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to,
simultaneously with or immediately after such Section 13 Event, the stockholders
of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for
purposes of Section 13 hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights
previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii)
the form or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or
limit the exercisability of the Rights.
(g) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
-25-
<PAGE> 29
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights
or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu
of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise
be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For 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, as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d) hereof.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than
fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share). Interests in fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one
one-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
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered
holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein
provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current
market value of a Preferred Share shall be one thousand times the closing price
of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section
11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional Common Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the Company shall
pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the
current market value of a Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common
Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof)
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly
waives his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares (other than, in the case of Preferred Shares, fractions that are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of a Right.
-26-
<PAGE> 30
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 Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior
to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his or her own behalf and for
his or her own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action
or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of,
his or her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in
the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without
limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate
remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or
threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this
Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed; and
(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f) hereof, the Company and the
Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights 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 Rights
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.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No holder,
as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the 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
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25
-27-
<PAGE> 31
hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the
Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised
in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company
also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against,
any loss, liability or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted
by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any
Rights Certificate or certificate for the Common 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, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in
Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consoli dation to which the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation
succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement
without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of
any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed
to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may
-28-
<PAGE> 32
adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates
so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall
not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action
taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement
the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of "current per share market price") be proved or established by
the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights
Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for
any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and
any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any
of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates (except 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 be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights
or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or
amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or
adjustment (except with respect to the exercise
-29-
<PAGE> 33
of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of
a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 describing such change or
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
Preferred Shares (or other securities) to be issued pursuant to this Agreement
or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares (or other
securities) will, when 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 Chief Executive Officer, the President,
any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of
any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from
the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any
action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such
omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action
taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five (5) Business Days after the
date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any
such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior
to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission),
the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such
application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or
powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or
through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or
accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or
agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
-30-
<PAGE> 34
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights
if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds
or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Preferred
Shares and the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders
of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign
or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall
appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his or her Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed
by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United
States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust or stockholder services powers and is subject to supervision or
examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50
million. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the
same powers, rights, duties and respon sibilities as if it had been originally
named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the prede cessor Rights
Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at
the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance,
conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective
date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing
with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Preferred
Shares and the Common Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
-31-
<PAGE> 35
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change
in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection
with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and
prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with
respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock
options or under any employee plan or arrangement or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of any convertible subordinated debentures of the Company
outstanding at the date hereof or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue
Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection
with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights
Certificate shall be issued and this sentence shall be null and void ab initio
if, and to the extent that, such issuance or this sentence would create a
significant risk of or result in material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued or would
create a significant risk of or result in such options' or employee plans' or
arrangements' failing to qualify for otherwise available special tax treatment
and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance
thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Company may, at its option and with the approval of the
Company's Board of Directors, at any time prior to the Close of Business on the
earlier of (i) the tenth day following the Shares Acquisition Date or such later
date as may be determined by action of the Company's Board of Directors and
publicly announced by the Company or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all
but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01
per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
herein referred to as the "Redemption Price") and the Company may, at its
option, pay the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the current
per share market price thereof (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
at the time of redemption) or cash. Such redemption of the Rights by the Company
may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as
the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been
filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right
thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price.
Within ten (10) days after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to
the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such
notice to all such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the
registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the
registry books of the transfer agent for the Common
-32-
<PAGE> 36
Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed
given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made. Neither the 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, and
other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the
Distribution Date.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23(a), in the event
that a then-majority of the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by
stockholder action by written consent, then until the 180th day following the
effectiveness of such election, the Rights shall not be redeemed if such
redemption is reasonably likely to have the purpose or effect of facilitating a
Transaction with an Interested Person.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject
to subsection (c) below, the Company may, at its option, by action of the
Company's Board of Directors, at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights
(which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions
of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common
Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange
ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Ratio of Exchange"). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such
exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or
any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan),
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the
Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Company's Board of
Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this
Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to
exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder
of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the
number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Ratio of Exchange.
The Company 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 shall mail a notice of any such exchange
to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon
the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange
of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof)
held by each holder of Rights.
-33-
<PAGE> 37
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares
issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of
Rights as contemplated in accordance with Section 24(a), the Company shall
either take such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common
Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option
of a majority of the Company's Board of Directors, with respect to each Right
(i) pay cash in an amount equal to the Current Value (as hereinafter defined),
in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange therefor, or (ii) issue debt or
equity securities or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the Current
Value, in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange for each such Right, where
the value of such securities shall be determined by a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors by majority vote of
the Board of Directors, or (iii) deliver any combination of cash, property,
Common Shares and/or other securities having a value equal to the Current Value
in exchange for each Right. For purposes of this Section 24(c) only, the Current
Value shall mean the product of the current per share market price of Common
Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) on the date of the occurrence of
the event described above in subparagraph (a)) multiplied by the number of
Common Shares for which the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were
sufficient shares available. To the extent that the Company determines that some
action need be taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section
24(c), the Board of Directors may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the
Rights for a period of up to sixty (60) days following the date on which the
event described in Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any
authorization of additional Common Shares and/or to decide the appropriate form
of distribution to be made pursuant to the above provision and to determine the
value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a
public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common
Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In
lieu of such fractional Common Shares, there shall be paid to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common
Shares would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction
of the current per share market price of a whole Common Share (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof).
(e) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board
of Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially
equivalent value, as determined reasonably and with good faith by the Board of
Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms.
(f) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering
the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 24 and
without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such
Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights
shall be to receive that number of rights in exchange therefor as has been
determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with subsection (e) above.
The Company 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
-34-
<PAGE> 38
validity of such exchange. The Company 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 transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company.
Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of the Rights will be effected.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose to effect or permit to occur
any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event, the Company shall give notice thereof
to each holder of Rights in accordance with Section 26 hereof at least twenty
(20) days prior to occurrence of such Triggering Event or such Section 13 Event.
(b) In case any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event shall occur,
then, in any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give
to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a
notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Sections 11(a)(ii) and 13
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 Rights Certificate to
or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
901 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, California 94303
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
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
BankBoston, N.A.
c/o Boston EquiService LP
289 S. San Antonio Road, Suite 100
Los Altos, California 94022
Attention: Client Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate 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.
-35-
<PAGE> 39
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date,
the Company may supplement or amend this Agreement in any respect without the
approval of any holders of Rights and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, execute such supplement or amendment. From and after the Distribution
Date, the Company and the Rights Agent may from time to time supplement or amend
this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights in order to (i)
cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained herein
which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii)
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement
the provisions hereunder in any manner that the Company may deem necessary or
desirable and that shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person); provided, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended
to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period
relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not
then redeemable or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the
purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the
benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that states that the
proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section
27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares. Notwithstanding
anything in the foregoing to the contrary, in the event that a then-majority of
the Board of Directors of the Company is elected by stockholder action by
written consent, then until the 180th day following the effectiveness of such
election, this Agreement shall not be supplemented or amended in any manner
reasonably likely to have the purpose or effect of facilitating a Transaction
with an Interested Person.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement
by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to
the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. For
all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is
the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The
Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority
to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board, or the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the
administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and
power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to
amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and
determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with
respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith,
shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
-36-
<PAGE> 40
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other
parties and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the
Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior 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 Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Dis tribution Date, the Common Shares).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof
shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the
tenth day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
-37-
<PAGE> 41
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
By: /s/ SCOTT G. MCNEALY
------------------------------------
Name: Scott G. McNealy
----------------------------------
Title: Chairman of the Board, President
---------------------------------
and Chief Executive Officer
---------------------------------
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
By: /s/ GEOFFREY D. ANDERSON
------------------------------------
Name: Geoffrey D. Anderson
----------------------------------
Title: Director
---------------------------------
-38-
<PAGE> 42
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS OF RIGHTS, PREFERENCES
AND PRIVILEGES OF
SERIES A PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
OF SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
The undersigned, Scott G. McNealy and Michael H. Morris do hereby certify:
1. That they are the duly elected and acting President and Secretary,
respectively, of Sun Microsystems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"CORPORATION").
2. That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors
by the Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the said Board of
Directors on February 11, 1998 adopted the following resolution creating a
series of 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A
Participating Preferred Stock:
"RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of the corporation by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of
Directors does hereby provide for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock of
the Corporation and does hereby fix and herein state and express the
designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the
qualifications, limitations and restrictions of such series of Preferred Stock
as follows:
Section I. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "SERIES A PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK." The Series A
Participating Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share, and
the number of shares constituting such series shall be 1,000,000.
Section II. Proportional Adjustment. In the event the Corporation shall at
any time after the issuance of any share or shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock of the Corporation
("COMMON STOCK") payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Corporation shall
simultaneously effect a proportional adjustment to the number of outstanding
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
Section III. Dividends and Distributions.
A. Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders
of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive
when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally
available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day
of January, April, July and October in each year (each
-1-
<PAGE> 43
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 Participating Preferred Stock, in
an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to 1,000 times the
aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate
per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other
distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a
subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
B. The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on
the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
C. Dividends shall begin to accrue on outstanding shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record
date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on
such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after
the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and
before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the
total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares
shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at
the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon,
which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the
payment thereof.
Section IV. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
A. Each share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of
the stockholders of the Corporation.
B. Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of
Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote
of stockholders of the Corporation.
-2-
<PAGE> 44
C. Except as required by law, holders of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not
be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of
Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section V. Certain Restrictions.
A. The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any
distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it
shall declare a dividend on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as
required by Section III hereof.
B. Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided
in Section III are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not
1. declare or pay dividends on, make any other
distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Participating Preferred Stock;
2. declare or pay dividends on, 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 Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Participating
Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in
arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such
shares are then entitled;
3. redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase
or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of
any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Participating Preferred
Stock;
4. purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking
on a parity with the Series A Participating Preferred Stock, except in
accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as
determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such
terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual
dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective
series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and
equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
-3-
<PAGE> 45
C. 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 5, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
Section VI. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof.
All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued
shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein and, in the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as then amended.
Section VII. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount
per share equal to 1000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share
to holders of shares of Common Stock plus an amount equal to any accrued and
unpaid dividends on such shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock.
Section VIII. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to 1,000 times the aggregate
amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind),
as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged.
Section IX. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section X. Ranking. The Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.
Section XI. Amendment. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preference or special rights of the Series A
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section XII. Fractional Shares. Series A Participating Preferred Stock may
be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion
to such holder's fractional shares, to
-4-
<PAGE> 46
exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to
have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock.
* * *
-5-
<PAGE> 47
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the President or any Vice President and the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of this corporation be, and they hereby
are, authorized and directed to prepare and file a Certificate of Designation of
Rights, Preferences and Privileges in accordance with the foregoing resolution
and the provisions of Delaware law and to take such actions as they may deem
necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of the foregoing resolution."
We further declare under penalty of perjury that the matters set forth in
the foregoing Certificate of Designation are true and correct of our own
knowledge.
Executed at Palo Alto, California on February 11, 1998.
_________________________________________
Scott G. McNealy, President
_________________________________________
Michael H. Morris, Secretary
-6-
<PAGE> 48
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
Certificate No. R- _____ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 11, 2008 OR EARLIER IF TERMINATED BY THE
COMPANY OR IF THE COMPANY EXCHANGES THE RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE
OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e)
OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]
Rights Certificate
-----------------------
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 Second
Amended and Restated Shares Rights Agreement dated as of February 11, 1998 (the
"Rights Agreement"), between Sun Microsystems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and BankBoston, N.A. (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., Boston, Massachusetts time, on
February 11, 2008, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one thousandth
of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock,
par value $.001 per share, (the "Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at a
purchase price of $300.00 per Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election
to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set
<PAGE> 49
forth above are the number and Purchase Price as of February 11, 1998, based on
the Common Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights
Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or
other securities which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment
upon the happening of certain events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of
the Company and the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company, at its option, at a
redemption price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in
whole or in part for Common Shares, substantially equivalent rights or other
consideration as determined by the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor
and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate
amount of securities as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part (other than pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement), the holder shall be entitled to receive upon
surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the
number of whole Rights not exercised. If this Rights Certificate shall be
exercised in whole or in part pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights
Agreement, the holder shall be entitled to receive this Rights Certificate duly
marked to indicate that such exercise has occurred as set forth in the Rights
Agreement.
No fractional portion of less than one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby but in
lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of 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
-2-
<PAGE> 50
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until
the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been
exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal.
Dated as of ___________, 19__.
ATTEST: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
__________________________________ ____________________________________
Secretary President
Countersigned:
BANKBOSTON, N.A.,
as Rights Agent
By:_______________________________
Authorized Signature
-3-
<PAGE> 51
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ____________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
________________________________________________________________________________
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _________________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: ____________________________, 19__
___________________________________
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.
<PAGE> 52
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned
and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person,
or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in
the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: _______________________, 19___
_________________________________________
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.
<PAGE> 53
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Rights Certificate)
To: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
_________________________________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate
to purchase the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon
the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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
Rights Certificate, a new Rights 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: ____________________________ , 19__
_________________________________________
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.
<PAGE> 54
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ]
are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: _______________________, 19___
_________________________________________
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.
<PAGE> 55
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must
conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
<PAGE> 56
EXHIBIT C
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC
AMENDED AND RESTATED
STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
Summary of Rights
Distribution and On April 26, 1989 Sun Microsystems, Inc. (the
Transfer of Rights; "Company") declared a dividend of one Right for
Rights Certificate: each share of the Company's Common Stock ("Common
Stock") outstanding on May 26, 1989 or, except in
specified circumstances, issued thereafter. Prior
to the Distribution Date referred to below, the
Rights will be evidenced by and trade with the
certificates for the Common Stock. After the
Distribution Date, the Company will mail Rights
certificates to the Company's stockholders and the
Rights will become transferable apart from the
Common Stock.
Distribution Date: Rights will separate from the Common Stock and
become exercisable following the tenth day (the
"Distribution Date," which may instead be such
later date as may be determined by the Board of
Directors unless a majority of such Board has been
replaced by stockholder action by written consent)
after a person or group (a) acquires beneficial
ownership of 10% (or, in the case of certain
persons, 20%) or more of the Company's Common Stock
or (b) announces a tender or exchange offer, the
consummation of which would result in ownership by
a person or group of 10% or more of the Company's
Common Stock.
Preferred Stock After the Distribution Date, each Right will
Purchasable Upon entitle the holder to purchase, for $300.00 (the
Exercise of Rights: "Exercise Price"), a fraction of a share of
Preferred Stock with economic terms similar to that
of one share of the Company's Common Stock.
Flip-In: If an acquiror (an "Acquiring Person") obtains 10%
or more of the Company's Common Stock, then each
Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring
Person or its affiliates) will entitle the holder
thereof to purchase, for the Exercise Price, a
number of shares of the Company's Common Stock
having a then current market value of twice the
Exercise Price.
Flip-Over: If, after the Distribution Date, (a) the Company
merges into another entity, (b) an acquiring entity
merges into the Company or (c) the Company sells
more than 50% of the Company's assets or earning
power, then each Right (other than Rights owned by
an Acquiring Person or its affiliates) will entitle
the
<PAGE> 57
holder thereof to purchase, for the Exercise
Price, a number of shares of Common Stock of the
person engaging in the transaction having a then
current market value of twice the Exercise Price.
Exchange Provision: At any time after an event triggering the flip-in
or flip-over rights and prior to the acquisition by
the Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the
outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors of
the Company may exchange the Rights (other than
Rights owned by the Acquiring Person or its
affiliates), in whole or in part, at an exchange
ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to
adjustment).
Redemption of Rights will be redeemable at the Company's option
the Rights: for $.01 per Right at any time on or prior to the
earlier of (i) the tenth day (or such later date as
may be determined by a majority of the Company's
Board Directors (unless a majority of such Board
has been replaced by stockholder action by written
consent in which case such right of redemption may
not be exercised to accomplish an acquisition of
the Company by an affiliate of a Board member so
elected until 180 days after such action)) after
public announcement that a person has acquired
beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the
Company's Common Stock (the "Shares Acquisition
Date") or (ii) the expiration of the Rights.
Expiration of The Rights expire on the earliest of (a) February
the Rights: 11, 2008 or (b) exchange or redemption of the
Rights as described above.
Amendment of Terms The terms of the Rights may be amended without the
of Rights: consent of the Rights holders only in order to cure
any ambiguities or to make changes which do not
adversely affect the interests of Rights holders
(other than the Acquiring Person), except that the
Rights may be amended in any respect without the
consent of the Rights holders on or prior to the
Distribution Date. In addition, if a majority of
the Company's Board of Directors has been replaced
by stockholder action by written consent, the
rights may not be amended to facilitate an
acquisition of the Company by an affiliate of a
Board member so elected until 180 days after such
event.
Voting Rights: Rights will not have any voting rights.
Anti-Dilution Rights will have the benefit of certain customary
Provisions: anti-dilution provisions.
Taxes: The Rights distribution should not be taxable for
federal income tax purposes. However, following an
event which renders the Rights exercisable or upon
redemption of the Rights, stockholders may
recognize taxable income.
-2-
<PAGE> 58
The foregoing is a summary of certain principal terms of the Stockholder Rights
Plan only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed terms of
the Second Amended and Restated Shares Rights Agreement dated as of February 11,
1998, between the Company and the Rights Agent.
THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES
SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED SHARES RIGHTS
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC. AND BANKBOSTON, N.A. DATED AS OF
FEBRUARY 11, 1998.
-3-
