SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: March 13, 1998
R.G. BARRY CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
OHIO 002-92577 31-4362899
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(State or other (Commission File (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of Number) Identification
incorporation) Number)
13405 Yarmouth Road, N.W.
Pickerington, OH 43147
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(614) 864-6400
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(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
N/A
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(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Item 5. Other Events.
On February 19, 1998, the Board of Directors of R.G. Barry
Corporation (the "Company") approved the extension of the benefits afforded
by the Company's existing Shareholders Rights Plan by adopting a new
Shareholders Rights Plan. The new Shareholders Rights Plan, like the
existing Shareholders Rights Plan, is intended to promote continuity and
stability, deter coercive or partial offers which will not provide full and
fair value to all shareholders and enhance the Board of Directors' ability
to represent all shareholders and thereby maximize shareholder value.
Pursuant to the new Rights Agreement between the Company and
The Bank of New York, as Rights Agent (the "1998 Rights Agreement"), one
right ("Right") will be issued for each Common Share, par value $1.00 per
share, of the Company outstanding at the close of business on March 16,
1998. Each of the new Rights will entitle the registered holder to purchase
from the Company a unit consisting of one one-hundredth of a share of
Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per
share, at a price of $40.00. The Rights generally will not become
exercisable unless and until, among other things, any person acquires 20%
or more of the outstanding Common Shares. The new Rights are generally
redeemable at $0.01 per Right at any time until 10 business days following
a public announcement that a 20% or greater position in the Company's
Common Shares has been acquired and will expire, unless earlier redeemed or
extended, on March 16, 2008.
A description of the new Rights is set forth in the 1998 Rights
Agreement, a copy of which is filed herewith and incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. Description
4 Rights Agreement, dated as of February 19, 1998, between
R.G. Barry Corporation and The Bank of New York, which
includes as Exhibit B thereto, the Form of Rights
Certificate.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
R.G. BARRY CORPORATION
(Registrant)
BY: /s/ Richared L. Burrell
--------------------------------
Name: Richard L. Burrell
Title: Vice President
Dated: March 13, 1998
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No. Description Page
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4 Rights Agreement, dated as of 5
February 19, 1998 between R.G.
Barry Corporation and Bank of New
York, which includes as Exhibit B
thereto, the Form of Rights
Certificate.
EXHIBIT 4
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R.G. Barry Corporation
and
The Bank of New York,
as Rights Agent
Rights Agreement
Dated as of February 19, 1998
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions.....................................2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.............................7
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.........................8
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates............................10
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration......................12
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination
and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Rights Certificates.................................12
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price;
Expiration Date of Rights...........................14
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of
Rights Certificates.................................17
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of
Capital Shares......................................17
Section 10. Preferred Share Record Date............................19
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price,
Number and Kind of Shares or
Number of Rights....................................20
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase
Price or Number of Shares...........................31
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or
Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or
Earning Power.......................................32
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional
Shares..............................................35
Section 15. Rights of Action.......................................37
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders............................38
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not
Deemed a Shareholder................................39
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent............................39
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change
of Name of Rights Agent.............................40
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.................................41
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.................................44
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates....................45
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.............................46
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events...............................47
Section 25. Notices................................................49
Section 26. Supplements and Amendments.............................49
Section 27. Successors.............................................50
Section 28. Determinations and Actions by the
Board of Directors, etc.............................50
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement.............................51
Section 30. Severability...........................................51
Section 31. Governing Law..........................................51
Section 32. Counterparts...........................................52
Section 33. Descriptive Headings...................................52
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of February 19, 1998 (the
"Agreement"), between R. G. Barry Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the
"Company"), and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (the
"Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on February 29, 1988 (the "1988 Rights Dividend
Declaration Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board")
authorized the Rights Agreement, dated as of February 29, 1988, between the
Company and The Huntington National Bank (the "1988 Agreement") and
declared a dividend distribution of one right (a "1988 Right") for each
common share, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the "Common
Shares") outstanding at the close of business on March 16, 1988 (the "1988
Record Date"), and authorized the issuance of one 1988 Right for each
Common Share issued between the 1988 Record Date (whether originally issued
or delivered from the Company's treasury) and the Distribution Date (as
defined in the 1988 Agreement). Each 1988 Right initially represented the
right to purchase one-tenth of a share of the Series I Junior Participating
Class B Preferred Shares of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of the
Company (the "Articles of Incorporation"), upon the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth in the 1988 Agreement;
WHEREAS, on February 19, 1998 the Board determined it desirable
and in the best interests of the Company and the holders of its Common
Shares for the Company to extend the benefits afforded by the 1988
Agreement and to implement such extension by executing this Agreement;
WHEREAS, on February 19, 1998 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one
Right (as hereinafter defined) for each Common Share outstanding upon the
earlier of (i) the close of business on March 16, 1998 or (ii) the date on
which the 1988 Rights are redeemed (the "Record Date"), and has authorized
the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each Common Share
issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from
the Company's treasury) and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined),
each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth
of a share of Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares (the
"Preferred Shares") of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Amendment to the
Articles of Incorporation attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and
subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the Common Shares then
outstanding, other than in connection with any transfer by reason of the
death of, or gift from, any Person (including succeeding any such Person as
trustee), but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the
Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, (iv) any Person or entity organized, appointed
or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan, (v) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent
(20%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding as a result of a
reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the repurchase
of Common Shares by the Company unless and until such Person, after
becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of twenty
percent (20%) or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, acquires
beneficial ownership of additional Common Shares representing one percent
(1%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding or (vi) any such Person
who has reported or is required to report such ownership on Schedule 13G
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the
date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act") (or any comparable or successor
report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or
reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the
Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such
Schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Shares) and, within ten
(10) Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding
the same, certifies to the Company that such Person acquired Common Shares
causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person inadvertently or without
knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who, together with all Affiliates
and Associates, thereafter does not acquire additional Common Shares while
the Beneficial Owner of twenty percent (20)% or more of the Common Shares
then outstanding; provided, however, that if the Person requested to so
certify fails to do so within ten (10) Business Days, then such Person
shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such ten (10) Business
Day period.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person
or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence
of a Triggering Event (as hereinafter defined), or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date
(as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in
connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original
Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or
dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant
to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange
Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding, whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a
Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a
result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises
solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);
or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the
proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing of
any voting securities of the Company, provided, however, that nothing
in this paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an
underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any securities acquired through such Person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until
the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition,
and then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person
at the expiration of forty (40) days.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the States of New York or
Ohio are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is
not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next
succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Shares" shall mean the common shares, par value
$1.00 per share, of the Company, except that "Common Shares" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock
of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or
other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of
such Person.
(h) "Common Share Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(j) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(l) "Equivalent Preferred Shares" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(m) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1(a) hereof.
(n) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(o) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(p) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.
(q) "Preferred Shares" shall mean the Series I Junior
Participating Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the
Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of
Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares authorized to permit
the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of Class A Preferred
Shares, par value $1.00 per share, or Class B Preferred Shares, par value
$1.00 per share, of the Company designated for such purpose containing
terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series I Junior
Participating Class A Preferred Shares.
(r) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(s) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a)(ii) hereof.
(t) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(u) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(v) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(w) "Rights Agent" shall have the meaning set forth in the
parties clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(x) "Rights Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(y) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning
set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(z) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(aa) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(bb) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(cc) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(dd) "Share Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d)
under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(ee) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at
least a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by
such Person.
(ff) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(gg) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(b) hereof.
(hh) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
(ii) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event
or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 shall 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 earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth
Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business
Day after the Share Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the
close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close of business on the
tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine) after
the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity
organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the
meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an
Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as
the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the
provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the
Common Shares registered in the names of the holders of the Common Shares
(which certificates for Common Shares shall be deemed also to be
certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the
Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the
underlying Common Shares (including a transfer to the Company). The Company
shall give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of the Distribution Date.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, and receipt of written
notice of the Distribution Date from the Company, the Rights Agent will
send, at the expense of the Company, by first-class, insured, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of the 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, one or more rights certificates, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights Certificates"),
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(p) hereof, at the
time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the
necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section
14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers
of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional
Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced
solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will make available a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially
the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of Rights"), to any
holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the
Expiration Date. With respect to certificates for the Common Shares
outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Shares and the
registered holders of the Common Shares shall also be the registered
holders of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7(a)
hereof), the transfer of any certificates representing Common Shares in
respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with such Common Shares.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares
which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's treasury)
after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or
the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall
also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following
legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between R. G.
Barry Corporation (the "Company") and the Rights Agent thereunder
(the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal
offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in
the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate
certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The
Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the
Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge
within five days 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 registered holders of
Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated
Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by
such certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each
be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have
such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the 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
on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. The Rights Certificates shall be in a machine printable format and
in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Rights Agent. Subject to the
provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates,
whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date, shall show the
date of countersignature and on their face shall entitle the holders
thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise
price per one one-hundredth of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the
amount and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right
and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided
herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a),
Section 11(i), 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 (whether or not in writing) regarding the
transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part
of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) 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.
The Company shall instruct the Rights Agent in writing of the Rights which
should be so legended and shall supply the Rights Agent with such legended
Rights Certificates.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto
the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually, or by
facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the
Rights Agent, manually, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so
countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any
of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company
before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned
by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same
force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates
had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at
the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a
proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at
the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not
such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep
or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated as the appropriate
place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books
for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of
the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each
of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights
Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and
Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event,
Common Shares, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be)
as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitles such
holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any
registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any
Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing
delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate
or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the
principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such
surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on
the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the
Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the
case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment by the
holders of Rights 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
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will
execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights
Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of
the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time after the
Distribution Date, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may
exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein
including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth
in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or
in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election
to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed,
to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate
Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-hundredths of a
share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to
which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the
earlier of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on March 16, 2008, or such
later date as may be established by the Board prior to the expiration of
the Rights (such date, as it may be extended by the Board (the "Final
Expiration Date"), or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein
referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be
$40.00, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in
Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with
paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each
Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the
case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any
applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k)
hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of
the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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
Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a
depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts
representing such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are
to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares
represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with
the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to
comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of
cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with
Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary
receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof,
deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of
such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount
may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash
or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the
Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other
securities (including Common Shares) of the Company, pay cash and/or
distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company
will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash
and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent,
if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require prior to
the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a
number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would be
issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights
Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon
the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered
in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the
provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any
Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or 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, 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 the Acquiring Person has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing)
regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not
in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this
Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no
holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such
Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The
Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of
this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have
no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a
result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an
Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake
any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any
purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the
form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights
Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such
additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer,
split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or
any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in
cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled
by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as
expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company
shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the
Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise
thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates
to the Company, or may, but shall not be required to, at the written
request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in
such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the
Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred
Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its
authorized and unissued Common Shares and/or other securities or out of its
authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of Preferred
Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares
and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement including
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities)
issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on
any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to
cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all
shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon
official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon
as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the
Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under the 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 Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as
of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B)
the date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such
action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the
securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with the
exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a
period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in
clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability
of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and
permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall
issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights
has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such
time as the suspension has been rescinded, in each case with simultaneous
written notice to the Rights Agent. In addition, if the Company shall
determine that a registration statement is required following the
Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability
of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared
effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary,
the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite
qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the
exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a
registration statement shall not have been declared effective. The Rights
Agent may assume that any Right exercised is permitted to be exercised
under applicable law and shall have no liability for acting in reliance
upon such assumption.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
Common Shares and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights
shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject
to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and
issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay
when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and
charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the
Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company
shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a
Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of,
the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights
surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or
other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the
registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax shall have
been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to
the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Share Record Date. Each person in whose
name any certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share (or Common Share and/or other securities, as the case may be) is
issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have
become the holder of record of such fractional Preferred Share (or Common
Share and/or other securities, as the case may be) 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 (and all applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided,
however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon
which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as
the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person
shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional
or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding
Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other
securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.
Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a
Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of
the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and
shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the
Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of
shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are
subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after
the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred
Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding
Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a
smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any of its capital shares in a
reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in
which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except
as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof,
the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such
dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred
Shares or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date,
shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right
exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment
of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind
of Preferred Shares or shares of capital stock, as the case may be,
which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the
Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise
and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision,
combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would
require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section
11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any
adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) In the event any Person, alone or together with its
Affiliates or Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights
Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring Person, unless the
event causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person is a
transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, then, promptly
following the occurrence of any such event, proper provision shall be
made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in
Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares as
shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current
Purchase Price by the then number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior
to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y)
dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall
thereafter be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and
for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market
Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)hereof) per Common Share
on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the
"Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common
Shares which are authorized by the Company's Articles of
Incorporation but which are not outstanding or reserved for issuance
for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not
sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance
with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the
Company shall (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares
issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value"), and (B)
with respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make
adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the
exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1)
cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares or
other equity securities of the Company (including, without
limitation, preferred shares or units of preferred shares, such as
the Preferred Shares, which the Board has deemed to have essentially
the same value or economic rights as Common Shares (such preferred
shares being referred to as "Common Share Equivalents")), (4) debt
securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination
of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current
Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where
such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the
advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by
the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made
adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above
within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the
Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the
later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to
deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without
requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent
available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash
have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the
preceding sentence, the term "Spread" shall mean the excess of (i)
the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board
determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional
Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full
of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be
extended to the extent necessary, but not more than one hundred
twenty (120) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order
that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization
of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be
extended, is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent
that action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third
sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide,
subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the
exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution
Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for such
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate
form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and
to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension,
the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well
as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer
in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the per share or
per unit value of the Share shall be the Current Market Price per
Common Share on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of
any Common Share Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the current
market price per Common Share on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Shares (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred
Shares ("Equivalent Preferred Shares")) or securities convertible into
Preferred Shares or Equivalent Preferred Shares at a price per Preferred
Share or per Equivalent Preferred Share (or having a conversion price per
share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent
Preferred Shares) less than the Current Market Price (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share on such record date,
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be
determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to
such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number
of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of
Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares so to be offered
(and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible
securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price,
and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred
Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be offered for subscription or
purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are
initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid by
delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than
cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith
by the Board, 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 owned by or held for the account of
the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such
computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not
so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in
Preferred Shares, but including any dividend payable in shares other than
Preferred Shares) or evidences of indebtedness, or of subscription rights
or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined
by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current
Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred
Shares on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in
good faith by the Board, 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 and the denominator of
which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that
such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to
be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date
had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other
than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
Current Market Price per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to
be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the
thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date,
and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, the Current Market Price per Common Share on any date shall
be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common
Share for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following
such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current
Market Price per Common Share is determined during a period following
the announcement by the issuer of such Common Share of (A) a dividend
or distribution on such Common Share payable in Common Shares or
securities convertible into Common Shares (other than the Rights), or
(B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common
Share, and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or
the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification
shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite
thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth
above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be
properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The
closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way,
or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
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 Common Shares are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common
Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the
average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter
market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any
such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as
furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the
Common Shares selected by the Board. 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 shall be
used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal
national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if
the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any
national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Shares
are not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market
Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in
good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a
statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall be determined in the
same manner as set forth above for the Common Shares in clause (i) of
this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the
Current Market Price per Preferred Share cannot be determined in the
manner provided above or if the Preferred Shares are not publicly
held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this
Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall be
conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 100 (as such number may
be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock
dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Shares
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current
Market Price per Common Share. If neither the Common Shares nor the
Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, Current
Market Price per Preferred Share shall mean the fair value per share
as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the
Current Market Price of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall
be equal to the Current Market Price of one Preferred Share divided
by 100.
(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 one percent (1%) in the
Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under
this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest
ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one-millionth 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 mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter
exercised shall become entitled to receive any capital shares other than
Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject
to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly
equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred
Shares contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k)
and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof 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
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder
upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided
herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall
thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
that number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the
nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained
by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the
Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of
any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding
after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number
of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by dividing
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the
Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment
of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement 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 one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable
upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one
one-hundredth of a share and the number of one one-hundredth of a 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 then stated value, if any, of the
number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of
the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly
and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for
a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of
such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such
record date the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and other
capital shares or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such
exercise over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share and other capital shares 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)
or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in
the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by
this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the
Board shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation
or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of
any Preferred Shares at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance
wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv) Preferred Share
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 shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary
to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than
fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than
the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each
of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights,
warrants or other 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 (y) prior to,
simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or
sale, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute,
the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have
received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of
its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or
Section 26 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at
the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action
will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to
be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding,
in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend
Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend
on the outstanding Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide
the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Shares into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated
with each Common Share then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter
but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so
that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each Common Share
following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the
number of Rights associated with each Common Share immediately prior to
such event by a fraction the numerator which shall be the total number of
Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event
and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and
Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate
setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting
for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each
transfer agent for the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, a copy of
such certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief
summary thereof to each holder of a rights Certificate in accordance with
Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on
any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not
be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall
have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Share Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge
with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company
shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation
or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate
with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in
connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the
outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for shares or
other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z)
the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its
Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a
series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power
aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company
in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may be contemplated by
Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each
holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then
current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and
freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as such term is
hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of
first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result
obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number
of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a
Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one one-hundredths of a
share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product
(which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be
referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all purposes of
this Agreement) by (2) fifty percent (50%) of the Current Market Price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per Common Share of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii)
such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall
thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being
specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply
only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of 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 (v) the
provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the
first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause
(x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is
the issuer of any securities into which Common Shares of the Company
are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities
are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or
consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause
(z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or
earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or
transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act,
and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the
Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, "Principal Party"
shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common
Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, "Principal
Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common
Shares having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient
number of authorized shares of its Common Shares which have not been issued
or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in
accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and
such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent
a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs
(a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as
practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets
mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the
Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best
efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective
(with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act)
until the Expiration Date;
(ii) take all such other action as may be necessary to
enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to the registration
or qualification of such securities under all requisite securities
laws of jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such
securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary
or appropriate; and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical
financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its
Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
(d) In no event shall the Rights Agent have any liability in
respect of any such Principal Party transactions, including, without
limitation, the propriety thereof. The Rights Agent may rely and be fully
protected in relying upon a certificate of the Company stating that the
provisions of this Section 13 have been fulfilled. Notwithstanding anything
in this Agreement to the contrary, the prior written consent of the Rights
Agent must be obtained in connection with any supplemental agreement which
alters the rights or duties of the Rights Agent.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the
event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence
of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been
exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in
Section 13(a).
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional
Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For
purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right
shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise
issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day,
the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the
principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in
use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished
by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by
the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in
the Rights the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good
faith by the Board shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other
than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share). In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company
may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such
Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall be one one-hundredth of the
closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, 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 may pay to the
registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are
exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction
of the current market value of one (1) Common Share. For purposes of this
Section 14(c), the current market value of one Common Share shall be the
closing price of one (1) Common Share (as determined pursuant to Section
11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such
exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any
fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this
Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of the
Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common 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 own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may
institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company
to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such
Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or
any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy
at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against
actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person
subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the
Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered
at the 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;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated
Common Share 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 Share
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent,
subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to
be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any
holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative
agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order
promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or
otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however,
the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or
ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote,
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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 shareholder of the Company or
any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other
actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 24 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 such
compensation as shall be agreed in writing from time to time by the Company
and the Rights Agent for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from
time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and
counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the
administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and
performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify
the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss,
liability, damage, claim or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything
done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and
administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The provisions of
this Section 18(a) shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the
termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon
any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other
securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, instruction, opinion, affidavit, letter, notice,
direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed by the proper
Person or Persons, and, where necessary, to be verified or acknowledged.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated,
or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the
Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust or
stock transfer or other shareholder services business of the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent
under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any
further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however,
that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor
Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time
such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this
Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificates so 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 or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such
cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the
Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates
shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such
Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided
in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes
the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following
terms and conditions, and no implied duties or obligations shall be read
into this Agreement against the Rights Agent, 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 of its
selection (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 Market Price) be proved
or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the
President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the
Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the
provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own
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 or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery
hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect
of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its
countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by
the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in
any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment
required under the provisions of Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such
adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by
Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment); nor shall
it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as
to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares or Preferred
Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or
as to whether any Common Shares or Preferred Shares will, when so issued,
be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable; nor shall
the Rights Agent be responsible for the legality of the terms hereof in its
capacity as an administrative agent.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged
and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances
as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or
performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder
from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant
Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for
any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such officer 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 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 such application on
or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be
less than three Business Days after the date any officer of the Company
actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have
consented in writing to any 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 shareholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or
other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any
transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or
lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it
were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude
the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for
any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights
or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of
any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from
any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable
care was exercised in the selection thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the
exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing
that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk
or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to
the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the
form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has
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.
(l) The Company agrees to give the Rights Agent prompt written
notice of any event or ownership which would prohibit the exercise or
transfer of the Rights Certificates.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under
this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the
Company, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred
Shares, by registered or certified mail. The Company may remove the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days' notice in
writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case
may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred
Shares, by registered or certified mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign
or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company
shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to
make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving
notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such
resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or
by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit
his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the Rights
Agent or any 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) a legal business entity organized and doing business
under the laws of the United States or of any State thereof, in good
standing, having an office in the States of New York or Ohio, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, stock transfer or
shareholder services powers and which has at the time of its appointment as
Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b)
an affiliate of a legal business entity described in clause (a) of this
sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested
with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been
originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the
predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and
deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the
purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights
Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares and the Preferred
Shares, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a
notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21,
however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity
of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to
the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board 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, granted or awarded as of the Distribution
Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities
hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates
representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such
issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate
shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by
counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material
adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights
Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be
issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise
have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the
earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day following
the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the Share Acquisition Date shall have
occurred prior to the Record Date, the close of business on the tenth
Business Day following the Record 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"). Notwithstanding anything contained
in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable
after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as
the Company's right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may,
at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, Common Shares (based on
the Current Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the
Common Shares at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration
deemed appropriate by the Board.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the
Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter
of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each
Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption
to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by
mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's last address as it
appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the
Common 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.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23(a) hereof, in
the event that a majority of the Board is elected by shareholder action by
written consent, or is comprised of persons elected at a meeting of
shareholders who were not nominated or recommended by the Board in office
immediately prior to such meeting, then for a period of one hundred and
eighty (180) days 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 allowing any Person to become an Acquiring Person or
otherwise facilitating the occurrence of a Triggering Event or a
transaction with an Acquiring Person.
Section 24. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in shares of any class
to the holders of Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the
holders of Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to
the holders of Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to
purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification
involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), or (iv) to
effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other
than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to
permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more
than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or
Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or
more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v)
to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then,
in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate and to the Rights Agent, to the extent feasible and in
accordance with Section 25 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which
shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend,
distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be
fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered
by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record
date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such
action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days
prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares whichever
shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon
as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate and
to the Rights Agent, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section
25 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify
the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding
paragraph to Preferred Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common
Shares and/or, if appropriate, other securities.
Section 25. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
R. G. Barry Corporation
13405 Yarmouth Road, N.W.
Pickerington, Ohio 43147
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by
this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or
made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as
follows:
The Bank of New York
101 Barclay Street
12 West
New York, New York 10286
Attention: Stock Transfer Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
Common Shares) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such
holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 26. Supplements and Amendments. 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 Common Shares. 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
which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein,
(iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change
or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may
deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, from
and after the Distribution Date, this Agreement may not be supplemented or
amended to lengthen any time period hereunder, pursuant to clause (iii) of
this sentence unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting,
enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders
of Rights. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer
of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment, is
in compliance with the terms of this Section 26, the Rights Agent shall
execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding any other provision
hereof, the Rights Agent's consent must be obtained regarding any amendment
or supplement pursuant to this Section 26 which alters the Rights Agent's
rights or duties. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the
contrary, this Agreement may not be amended at a time when the Rights are
not redeemable. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the
holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the
holders of Common Shares.
Section 27. 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 28. 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 shall have the
exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise
all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company,
or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i)
interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all
determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or
to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations
and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all
omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the
Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the
Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties,
and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the
Rights.
Section 29. 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, registered holders of 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 Distribution Date, registered holders of
the Common Shares).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction
or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of
the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired
or invalidated; 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 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.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each
Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of the State of Ohio and for all purposes shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to
contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State, except that
the rights and obligations of any Rights Agent not headquartered in Ohio
shall be governed by the laws of the State in which it is headquartered.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes
be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and
shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the
provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above
written.
Attest: R.G. BARRY CORPORATION
By _________________________________ By ____________________________
Name: Richard L. Burrell Name: Gordon Zacks
Title: Vice President-Finance Title: Chairman of the Board
Treasurer, Secretary Chief Executive
Officer
Attest: THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Rights Agent
By__________________________________ By__________________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
Exhibit A
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF
R. G. BARRY CORPORATION AUTHORIZING
THE SERIES I JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CLASS A PREFERRED
SHARES
Gordon Zacks, who is Chairman of the Board and President, and
Richard L. Burrell, who is Secretary, of the above named Ohio corporation
for profit do hereby certify that at a meeting of the Board of Directors
called and held on the 19th day of February, 1998 the following resolution
was adopted pursuant to Section 1701.70(B)(1) of the Ohio Revised Code:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors by Article FOURTH, Section II of the Articles of Incorporation of
R. G. Barry Corporation (the "Company"), Article FOURTH of the Articles of
Incorporation of the Company be, and the same hereby is, amended to add a
new Article FOURTH, Section IX to fix the division of 225,000 shares of
unissued Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, into a series
designated as "Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares" the
express terms of which are as follows:
A. Designation of Series. The series shall be designated
"Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares," par value $1.00
per share (hereinafter called "Series I Class A Preferred Shares").
B. Number of Shares. The authorized number of shares of Series
I Class A Preferred Shares is 225,000, which number the Board of Directors
may increase or decrease to the extent appropriate in connection with the
Rights issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement between the Company and The
Bank of New York, as Rights Agent, dated as of February 19, 1998; provided,
that no decrease shall reduce the number of Series I Class A Preferred
Shares to a number less than that of the shares then outstanding plus the
number of shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or
warrants or upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the
Company.
C. Dividend Payment Dates. The dates on which dividends on
shares of the Series I Class A Preferred Shares shall be payable are the
fifteenth day of March, June, September and December of each year (each
such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"),
commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first
issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series I Class A Preferred
Shares.
D. Dividend Rate. The dividend rate for the Series I Class A
Preferred Shares shall be, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions (other than a
dividend payable in Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise)),
declared on the Common Shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company
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 I Class A Preferred
Shares. In the event the Company shall at any time after February 19, 1998
(the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date") (i) declare or pay any dividend on
its Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding
Common Shares or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a
smallest number of shares, then in each such case, the amount to which
holders of shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares were entitled
immediately prior to such event under this Paragraph shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number
of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding
immediately prior to such event.
Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
preferred shares ranking prior and superior to the Series I Class A
Preferred Shares with respect to dividends, the Company shall declare a
dividend or distribution on the Series I Class A Preferred Shares as
provided in the immediately preceding subparagraph after it declares a
dividend or distribution on the Common Shares (other than a dividend
payable in Common Shares); provided that, in the event no dividend or
distribution shall have been declared on the Common Shares during the
period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.50 per share on the
Series I Class A Preferred Shares shall nevertheless be payable on such
subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.
E. Cumulative Dates. Dividends shall begin to accrue and be
cumulative on outstanding shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares from
the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of
such shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares, unless the date of issue
of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue
from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the
determination of holders of shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares
entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to
accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued
but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares
of Series I Class A Preferred Shares 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 I Class A Preferred Shares
entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon,
which record date shall be no more than 45 days prior to the date fixed for
the payment thereof.
F. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series I Class A
Preferred Shares shall have the voting rights set forth in Article FOURTH
of the Articles of Incorporation and as may otherwise be required by law.
G. Reacquired Shares. Any Series I Class A Preferred Shares
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All
such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued
Class A Preferred Shares and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Class A Preferred Shares to be created by resolution or resolutions of the
Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance
set forth herein.
H. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(1) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise),
dissolution or winding up of the Company, no distribution shall be made to
the holders of shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series I Class A Preferred
Shares unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series I Class A
Preferred Shares shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal
to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not
declared, to the date of such payment (the "Series I Class A Liquidation
Preference"). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series I
Class A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made
to the holders of shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares unless, prior
thereto, the holders of (Common Shares shall have received an amount per
share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by dividing
(i) the Series I Class A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 100 (as
appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph 3 below to reflect such
events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect
to the Common Shares) (such number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment
Number"). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series I Class A
Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all
outstanding shares of Series I Class A Preferred Shares and Common Shares,
respectively, holders of Series I Class A Preferred Shares and holders of
Common Shares shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the
remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to
1 with respect to such Series I Class A Preferred Shares and Common Shares,
on a per share basis, respectively.
(2) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient
assets available to permit payment in full of the Series I Class A
Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series
of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series I Class
A Preferred Shares, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably
to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective
liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not
sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common
Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the
holders of Common Shares.
(3) In the event the Company shall at any time after the
Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii)
combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then
in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such
event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction
the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
I. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Company shall enter
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Shares 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 I Class A Preferred Shares shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 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 Common
Share is changed or exchanged. In the event the Company shall at any time
after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Shares
payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or
(iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of
shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding
sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series I Class
A Preferred Shares shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
J. No Redemption. The Series I Class A Preferred Shares shall
not be redeemable.
K. Ranking. The Series I Class A Preferred Shares shall rank
junior to all other series of the Company's Class A or Class B Preferred
Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets,
unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
L. Amendment. So long as any Series I Class A Preferred Shares
are outstanding, the Articles of Incorporation of the Company shall not be
further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the
powers, preferences or special rights of the Series I Class A Preferred
Shares so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series I Class A
Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class.
M. Fractional Shares. Series I Class A Preferred Shares may be
issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in
proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights,
receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of
all other rights of holders of Series I Class A Preferred Shares.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the above-named officers, acting for and on
behalf of the Company, have subscribed their names this _____ day of
_________________, 1998.
________________________________
Gordon Zacks, Chairman of
the Board and President
________________________________
Richard L. Burrell, Secretary
Exhibit B
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MARCH 16, 2008 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE
COMPANY, THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE
COMPANY, AT $.0l PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY
AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT)
AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON
OR 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.](1)
Rights Certificate
R.G. BARRY CORPORATION
This certifies that
, or
registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set
forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the
terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of
February 19, 1998, (the "Rights Agreement"), between R.G. Barry
Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York,
a New York banking corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the
Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on March 16,
2008 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully
paid, non-assessable Series I Junior Participating Class A Preferred Share
(the "Preferred Shares") of the Company, at a purchase price of $40.00 per
one one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and
surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase
and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased
upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share
set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of February 19, 1998,
based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. The Company
reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event
(as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights
be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares will be issued.
- -----------
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term
is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances
specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder
hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the
occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the
number and kind of 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, including Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions
and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part
hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full
description of the rights limitations of rights, obligations, duties and
immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of
the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary
suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights
Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and
are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights
entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one-tenths of a
Preferred Share as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If
this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be
entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option
at a redemption price of $.0l per Right at any time prior to the earlier of
the close of business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Share
Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the
Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. The foregoing
notwithstanding, the Rights generally may not be redeemed for one hundred
eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of the Board as a result
of a proxy contest.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise
of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than, except as set forth in
the Rights Agreement, fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredths of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the
Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash
payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of 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 shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for
the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at
any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate
action, or, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in the Rights 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 __________ __, 1998
ATTEST: R.G. BARRY CORPORATION
______________________ By _________________________________
Secretary Title:
Countersigned:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
By __________________________
Authorized Signatory
Date of Countersignature:
[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:
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 Acquiring Person
(as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: _______________, 19__ ____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: R.G. BARRY CORPORATION:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
__________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the
Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other
securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares
be issued in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
____________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
____________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of
such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
__________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
__________________________________________________________________________
Dated: _______________, 19__
________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
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 Acquiring Person
(as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: ________________, 19__ _______________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
Exhibit C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On February 19, 1998, the Board of Directors of R.G. Barry
Corporation (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right
for each outstanding Common Share of the Company to shareholders of record
at the close of business on March 16, 1998. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one
one-hundredth of a share (a "Unit") of Series I Junior Participating Class
A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred Shares") at a
Purchase Price of $40.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The description
and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights
Agreement") between the Company and The Bank of New York, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Shares
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common
Shares and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10)
business days following a public announcement that a person or group of
affiliated or associated persons, has acquired, or obtained the right to
acquire, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares (the "Share Acquisition Date'), other than as a result of
repurchases of stock by Company or certain inadvertent actions by
institutional or certain other shareholders, or (ii) 10 business days (or
such later date as the Board shall determine) following the commencement of
a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group
beneficially owning 20% or more of such outstanding Common Shares. Until
the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Share
certificates and will be transferred with and only with such Common Share
certificates, (ii) new Common Share certificates issued after the Record
Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at the close of business on March 16, 2008, unless earlier
redeemed by the Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the
separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common
Shares issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes the beneficial owner of more
twenty percent (20%) of the then outstanding Common Shares, each holder of
a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common
Shares (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of
the Company) having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the
Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of
the event set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under
certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially
owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However, Rights are
not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set forth above until
such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set
forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $40.00 per Right, each
Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties)
following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its
holder to purchase $80.00 worth of Common Shares (or other consideration,
as noted above) for $40.00. Assuming that the Common Shares had a per share
value of $10.00 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be
entitled to purchase 8 Common Shares for $40.00.
In the event that, at any time following the Share Acquisition
Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, or (ii)
50% or more of the Company's assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or
transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have
been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive,
upon exercise, common shares of the acquiring company having a value equal
to two times the exercise price of the Right. The events set forth in this
paragraph and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the
"Triggering Events."
At any time until ten (10) business days following the Share
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.0l per Right (payable in cash, Common Shares 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 $.0l redemption price. The foregoing
notwithstanding, the rights generally may not be redeemed for one hundred
eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of the Board as a result
of a proxy contest.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the
distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to shareholders or to the
Company, shareholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize
taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common
Shares (or other consideration) of the Company or for common shares of the
acquiring company as set forth above.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by
the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After
the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be
amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which
do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, 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.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has being filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on
Form 8-K. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from
the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights
Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
