ATMOS ENERGY CORP
8-A12B/A, 1999-08-12
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION
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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 8-A
                                AMENDMENT NO. 1

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

                           ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        Texas and Virginia                                75-1743247
(State of Incorporation or Organization)      (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                           1800 Three Lincoln Centre
                    5430 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas  75240
              (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to
Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General
Instruction A.(c), check the following box. [X]

If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to
Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General
Instruction A.(d), check the following box. [ ]

Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates:
N/A (if applicable).

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

            Title of Each Class          Name of Each Exchange on Which
            To Be So Registered          Each Class is to be Registered
            -------------------                 ------------------
            Common Stock                  New York Stock Exchange
            Purchase Rights

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:   None
<PAGE>

Item 1.  Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered.

     On August 11, 1999, the Board of Directors of Atmos Energy Corporation
voted to amend the Rights Agreement by deleting the provisions relating to
"Continuing Directors" and the delayed redemption provision.

Item 2. Exhibits.

*    1    Rights Agreement dated as of November 12, 1997 between the Company
          and BankBoston, N.A. as Rights Agent, which includes as Exhibit A
          thereto the Form of Rights Certificate and as Exhibit B thereto the
          Summary of the Rights Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
          4.1 of Form 8-K dated November 12, 1997).

**   2    First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of August 11, 1999,
          between Atmos Energy Corporation and BankBoston, N.A. as Rights Agent.


*    Previously filed.
**   Filed herewith.
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURE


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


                                        ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
                                              (Registrant)



DATE:  August 12, 1999                  By:  /s/ GLEN A. BLANSCET
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Glen A. Blanscet
                                             Vice President, General Counsel
                                             and Corporate Secretary
<PAGE>

                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit No.     Description
                -----------

    2           First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of August 11,
                1999, between Atmos Energy Corporation and BankBoston, N.A. as
                Rights Agent

<PAGE>

                                   Exhibit 2

                      FIRST AMENDMENT TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT

          This First Amendment to Rights Agreement (this "First Amendment") is
entered into by and between Atmos Energy Corporation, a Texas and Virginia
corporation (the "Company"), and BankBoston, N.A., a national association with
its principal place of business in Massachusetts (the "Rights Agent"), on this
11th day of August 1999, at the direction of the Company.

          WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have entered into that
certain Rights Agreement, dated November 12, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"); and

          WHEREAS, on August 11, 1999, the Board of Directors of the Company
determined to amend the Rights Agreement and directed the Rights Agent to enter
into this First Amendment;

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

          1.   Amendments to Rights Agreement. The Rights Agreement is hereby
amended as follows:

               (a)  Section 1(k) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to
     read in its entirety as follows:

                    "(k)  [intentionally omitted]"

               (b)  The first sentence of Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement
     is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

                    "Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
          from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any
          Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse
          Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an
          Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse
          Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
          transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such,
          or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or
          of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to
          or concurrently with the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming
<PAGE>

          such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer
          (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person or
          Adverse Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person
          or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person or
          Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
          understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which
          a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is
          part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary
          purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become
          null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights
          shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
          under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise."

               (c)  The first sentence of Section 23(a) of the Rights Agreement
     is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

                    "(a)  The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
          option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business
          on the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date, or
          (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of
          the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right,
          as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
          split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
          hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the
          "Redemption Price")."

               (d)  Section 23(c) of the Rights Agreement shall be deleted in
     its entirety.

               (e)  The first two sentences of Section 26 of the Rights
     Agreement are hereby amended to read in their entirety as follows:

                    "Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights
          Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any
          provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
          certificates representing shares of Common Stock, including, without
          limitation, to substitute whole or fractional shares of preferred
          stock or Common Stock for which the Rights may be exercised.  From and
          after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall,
          if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without
          the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to
          cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision
          contained herein

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<PAGE>

          which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions
          herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or
          (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner
          which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not
          adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates
          (other than an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or
          Associate of any such Person); provided, from and after the
          Distribution Date, 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."

               (f)  Section 28 of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read
     in its entirety as follows:

                    "Section 28.  Determinations and Actions by the Board of
          Directors, etc.  For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation
          of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular
          time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage
          of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the
          Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence
          of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
          Exchange Act.  The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the
          exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to
          exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to
          the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration
          of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power
          to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all
          determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of
          this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the
          Rights, to declare that a Person is an Adverse Person or to amend the
          Agreement and any determination as to whether actions of any Person
          shall be such as to cause such Person to beneficially own shares held
          by another Person).  All such actions, calculations, interpretations
          and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all
          omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the
          Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
          Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other

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<PAGE>

          parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders
          of the Rights."

               (g)  Section 30 of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read
     in its entirety as follows:

                    "Section 30.  Severability.  If any term, provision,
          covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of
          competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or
          unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
          restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect
          and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; 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 Business Day
          following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors."

               (h)  Exhibit B to the Rights Agreement, the Summary of Rights to
     Purchase Common Stock, is hereby amended as follows:

               i.   The eleventh paragraph of Exhibit B is hereby amended to
                    read in its entirety as follows:

                    "In general, at any time until ten Business Days following
               the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in
               whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (payable in
               cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by
               the Board of Directors).  Immediately upon the action of the
               Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights
               will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will
               be to receive the $.01 redemption price."

               ii.  The twelfth paragraph of Exhibit B shall be deleted in its
                    entirety.

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<PAGE>

               iii. The fourteenth paragraph (which will be the thirteenth
                    paragraph as a result of the foregoing amendment) of Exhibit
                    B is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

                    "Prior to the Distribution Date, any of the provisions of
               the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of
               the Company, including, without limitation, to substitute whole
               or fractional shares of preferred stock or Common Stock for which
               the Rights may be exercised.  After the Distribution Date, the
               provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board in
               order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
               defective or inconsistent provision, to make changes which do not
               adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding
               the interests of any Acquiring Person, Adverse Person, or
               Affiliate or Associate of any such Person), or to shorten or
               lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement; provided,
               however, that no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights
               are not redeemable."

               2.   Except as amended by this First Amendment, the Rights
Agreement shall continue in full force and effect as originally executed and
delivered.

               3.  Any reference in the Rights Agreement to the "Agreement"
shall refer to the Rights Agreement as amended by this First Amendment.

               4.  All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined
shall have the meanings assigned to those terms in the Rights Agreement.

               5.  This First Amendment shall be governed and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

               6.  This First Amendment 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 by one and
the same instrument.

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<PAGE>

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment as
of the date written above.



Attest:                                 ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION


By: /s/ SHIRLEY A. MORGAN               By: /s/ ROBERT W. BEST
    ------------------------------          -------------------------------
    Name:  Shirley A. Morgan                Name:  Robert W. Best
    Title: Assistant Corporate              Title: Chairman, President and
           Secretary                               Chief Executive Officer



Attest:                                 BANKBOSTON, N.A.


By: /s/ KEVIN M. BREEN                  By: /s/ JOSHUA P. MCGINN
    ------------------------------          -------------------------------
    Name:  Kevin M. Breen                   Name:  Joshua P. McGinn
    Title: Account Manager                  Title: Senior Account Manager

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