SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 (b) OR (g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: September 16, 1997
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
California 77-0199189
(State of Incorporation or Organization) (IRS Employer
Identification No.)
851 Martin Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Name of each exchange on which
to be so registered each class is to be registered
None None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Preferred Share Purchase Rights
(Title of Class)
<PAGE>
Item 1. Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered.
On August 26, 1997, the Board of Directors of Quality Semiconductor,
Inc. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right
(a "Right") for each outstanding share of Common Stock, $0.001 par value (the
"Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable on September 17, 1997
(the "Record Date") to shareholders of record as of the close of business on
that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder under certain circumstances
to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company (the "Preferred
Shares"), subject to adjustment, at a price of $70.00 per one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share, subject to adjustment (the "Purchase Price"). The description
and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Preferred Shares Rights Agreement
(the "Rights Agreement") dated as of August 29, 1997 between the Company and
BankBoston, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
The following is a general description only and is subject to the
detailed terms and conditions of the Rights Agreement. A copy of the Rights
Agreement, including the Certificate of Designation, the form of Rights
Certificate and the Summary of Rights to be provided to shareholders of the
Company, is attached as Exhibit 1 to this Registration Statement and is
incorporated herein by reference.
Rights Evidenced by Common Share Certificates
The Rights will not be exercisable until the Distribution Date (defined
below). Accordingly, Common Share certificates outstanding on the Record Date
will evidence the Rights related thereto, and Common Share certificates issued
after the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement
by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender or transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with
the Common Shares represented by such certificate.
<PAGE>
Distribution Date
The Rights will separate from the Common Shares, certificates for the
rights ("Rights Certificates") will be issued and the Rights will become
exercisable upon the earlier of: (i) the close of business on the tenth day (or
such later date as may be determined by a majority of the Board of Directors,
excluding directors affiliated with the Acquiring Person, as defined below (the
"Continuing Directors")) 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 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares
(an "Acquiring Person") or (ii) the close of business on the tenth day (or such
later date as may be determined by a majority of the Continuing Directors)
following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer, the consummation
of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares. The earlier of such dates is referred to
as the "Distribution Date."
Issuance of Rights Certificates, Expiration of Rights
As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the
close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Rights Certificates
alone will evidence the Rights from and after the Distribution Date. Unless
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, all Common Shares issued prior
to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights. Common Shares issued after
the Distribution Date may be issued with Rights if such shares are issued (i)
upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities issued after adoption of
the Rights Agreement or (ii) pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under
any employee benefit plan or arrangement. Except as otherwise determined by the
Board of Directors, no other Common Shares issued after the Distribution Date
will be issued with Rights. In addition, no Common Shares issued after the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights if such issuance would result in
(or create a significant risk) (i) of material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued or (ii)
that such options or plans would not qualify for otherwise available special tax
treatment. The Rights will expire on September 17, 2007 (the "Final Expiration
Date"), unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are
earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company or expire upon consummation of
certain mergers, consolidations or sales of assets, as described below.
<PAGE>
Initial Exercise of the Rights
Following the Distribution Date, and until the occurrence of one of the
subsequent events described below, holders of the Rights will be entitled to
receive, upon exercise and the payment of $70.00 (the "Purchase Price") per
Right, one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share.
Exchange Provision
At any time after an Acquiring Person has become such and prior to the
Acquiring Person beneficially owning 50% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other
than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person or its affiliates), in whole or in
part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to
adjustment).
Right to Buy Common Shares
Unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, in the event that
an Acquiring Person becomes such, other than pursuant to a tender offer which is
made for all of the outstanding Common Shares and approved by a majority of the
Continuing Directors after determining that the offer is both adequate and
otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders (a
"Permitted Offer"), then proper provision will be made so that each holder of a
Right which has not theretofore been exercised (other than Rights beneficially
owned by the Acquiring Person, which will thereafter be void) will thereafter
have the right to receive, upon exercise of a Right, a number of Common Shares
having a then current value equal to two times the Purchase Price. In the event
that the Company does not have a sufficient number of Common Shares available,
or the Board decides that such action is necessary or appropriate and not
contrary to the interests of Rights holders, the Company may, among other
things, instead substitute cash, assets or other securities for the Common
Shares into which the Rights would have otherwise been exercisable.
<PAGE>
Right to Buy Acquiring Company Stock
Similarly, unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged, in the
event that, after the Shares Acquisition Date (as defined below), (i) the
Company consolidates with or merges into another entity, (ii) another entity
consolidates with or merges into the Company or (iii) the Company sells or
otherwise transfers 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power,
proper provision must be made so that each holder of a Right which has not
theretofore been exercised (other than Rights beneficially owned by the
Acquiring Person, which will thereafter be void) will thereafter have the right
to receive, upon exercise, a number of shares of common stock of the acquiring
company having a then current value equal to two times the Purchase Price
(unless the transaction satisfies certain conditions and is consummated with a
person who acquired shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer, in which case the
Rights will expire).
Adjustments to Prevent Dilution
The Purchase Price payable, the number of Rights and the number of
Preferred Shares, Common Shares or other securities or property issuable upon
exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent
dilution as set forth in the Rights Agreement. With certain exceptions, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments
require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price.
Rights and Preferences of the Preferred Shares
Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. Each Preferred Share will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of
1,000 times the dividend declared per Common Share. In the event of liquidation,
the holders of the Preferred Shares will be entitled to a preferential
liquidation payment equal to accrued but unpaid dividends plus the greater of
$1,000 per share and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount to be
distributed to the holders of Common Shares. Each Preferred Share will have
1,000 votes, voting together with the holders of Common Shares, except as
required by law or the Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and
Privileges of Series A Participating Preferred Stock. In the event of any
merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are changed or
exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 1,000 times the
amount received per Common Share. These rights are protected by customary
anti-dilution provisions. Because of the nature of the dividend, liquidation and
voting rights of the Preferred Shares, the value of the one one-thousandth
interest in a Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should
approximate the value of one Common Share.
<PAGE>
Redemption
At any time prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the
tenth day following the date (the "Shares Acquisition Date") of public
announcement that an Acquiring Person has become such or such later date as may
be determined by a majority of the Continuing Directors and publicly announced
by the Company or (ii) the Final Expiration Date of the Rights, the Company may
redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right
("Redemption Price").
No Shareholders' Rights Prior to Exercise
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a shareholder of the Company (other than any rights resulting from
such holder's ownership of Common Shares), including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.
Amendment of Rights Agreement
The provisions of the Rights Agreement may be supplemented or amended
by the Board of Directors in any manner prior to the Distribution Date without
the approval of Rights holders. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of
the Rights Agreement may be supplemented or amended by the Board in order to (i)
cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, (ii) to make changes which are
deemed necessary or advisable and do not adversely affect the interests of
holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring Person), or to
shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement; provided,
however, that no amendment to lengthen (A) the time period governing redemption
shall be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable, or (B) any other
period shall be made unless for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or
clarifying the rights of, and/or benefits to, the holders of Rights.
<PAGE>
Certain Anti-takeover Effects
The Rights approved by the Board are designed to protect and maximize
the value of the outstanding equity interests in the Company in the event of an
unsolicited attempt by an acquiror to take over the Company, in a manner or on
terms not approved by the Board of Directors. Takeover attempts frequently
include coercive tactics to deprive a corporation's Board of Directors and its
shareholders of any real opportunity to determine the destiny of the
corporation. The Rights have been declared by the Board in order to deter such
tactics, including a gradual accumulation of shares in the open market of a 15%
or greater position to be followed by a merger or a partial or two-tier tender
offer that does not treat all shareholders equally. These tactics unfairly
pressure shareholders, squeeze them out of their investment without giving them
any real choice and deprive them of the full value of their shares.
The Rights are not intended to prevent a takeover of the Company and
will not do so. The Rights are not exercisable in the event of a Permitted
Offer, as described above. The Rights may be redeemed by the Company at $.01 per
Right within ten days (or such later date as may be determined by a majority of
the Continuing Directors) after the accumulation of 15% or more of the Company's
outstanding Common Shares by a single acquiror or group. Accordingly, the Rights
should not preclude any merger or business combination approved by the Board of
Directors. Issuance of the Rights does not in any way weaken the financial
strength of the Company or interfere with its business plans. The issuance of
the Rights has no immediate dilutive effect, will not affect reported earnings
per share, should not be taxable to the Company or to its shareholders and will
not change the way in which the Company's shares are presently traded. The
Company's Board of Directors believes that the Rights represent a sound and
reasonable means of addressing the complex issues of corporate policy created by
the current takeover environment. However, the Rights may have the effect of
rendering more difficult or discouraging an acquisition of the Company deemed
undesirable by the Board of Directors. The Rights may cause substantial dilution
<PAGE>
to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company on terms or in a
manner not approved by the Company's Board of Directors, except pursuant to an
offer conditioned upon the negation, purchase or redemption of the Rights.
Item 2. Exhibits.
1. Preferred Shares Rights Agreement, dated as of August
29, 1997, between Quality Semiconductor, Inc. and BankBoston
N.A., including the Certificate of Designation of Rights,
Preferences and Privileges of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock, the form of Rights Certificate and the Summary of
Rights attached thereto as Exhibits A, B and C,
respectively.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Date: September 16, 1997 By ____________________________________
John P. Goldsberry
Vice President, Finance and
Chief Financial Officer
<PAGE>
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM 8-A
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
No. Exhibit
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1 Preferred Shares Rights Agreement, dated as of
August 29, 1997, between Quality Semiconductor,
Inc. and BankBoston N.A., including the Certificate
of Designation of Righs, Preferences and Privileges
of Series Participating Preferred Stock, the form of
Rights Certificate and the Summary of Rights attached
thereto as Exhibits A, B and C, respectively.
<PAGE>
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
and
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
Rights Agent
PREFERRED SHARES RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of August 29, 1997
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions................................................1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent........................................5
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates....................................6
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates........................................7
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration..................................8
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilanted, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates..........9
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights......9
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates...............11
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares..................12
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date......................................13
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of
Rights............................................................13
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares........21
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.............................................................21
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares...........................24
Section 15. Rights of Action..................................................25
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders.......................................25
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder................25
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.......................................26
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.........26
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent............................................27
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent............................................29
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates...............................30
Section 23. Redemption........................................................30
Section 24. Exchange..........................................................31
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events..........................................33
Section 26. Notices...........................................................33
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments........................................34
Section 28. Successors........................................................34
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.........34
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement........................................35
Section 31. Severability......................................................35
Section 32. Governing Law.....................................................35
Section 33. Counterparts......................................................35
Section 34. Descriptive Headings..............................................35
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A ........Form of Certificate of Determination
Exhibit B.........Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C.........Summary of Rights
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1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable
and shall replace the preceding sentence.
<PAGE>
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Agreement, dated as of August 29, 1997 between Quality Semiconductor, Inc.,
a California corporation (the "Company"), and BankBoston, N.A. (the "Rights
Agent").
On August 26, 1997 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the Board of
Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one Preferred
Share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined)
of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as hereinafter defined)
on September 17, 1997 (the "Record Date"), each Right representing the right to
purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
(as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement),
having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the form of
Certificate of Determination of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and
subject to the conditions herein set forth, and further authorized and directed
the issuance of one Right (as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the
provisions of this Agreement) with respect to each Common Share that shall
become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution
Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), and in
certain circumstances after the Distribution Date.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which, together with
all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of
15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person either (i) as the result of an
acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially
owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by
reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases
by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of
the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person; or (ii)
if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person
who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person" as defined pursuant to the
foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a) has become such inadvertently, and
such Person divests as promptly as practicable of a sufficient number of Common
Shares so that such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a). Notwithstanding the
foregoing (N.A.) or any of their Affiliates or Associates (each an
<PAGE>
"Excepted Person") shall not be considered an Acquiring Person as a result of
being, at any date, the Beneficial Owner of that number of Common Shares which
such Excepted Person beneficially owns as of the date hereof or which such
Excepted Person is permitted or required to purchase in accordance with the
provisions of any plan, arrangement, agreement or transaction approved by the
Board of Directors of the Company or any committee of the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that if any Excepted Person shall, after the date hereof,
become the Beneficial Owner of any Common Shares other than pursuant to a plan,
arrangement, agreement or transaction approved by the Board of Directors of the
Company or any committee of the Board of Directors, then, if any Excepted Person
would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, that Excepted Person shall be deemed to
be an Acquiring Person and all Common Shares then beneficially owned by the
Excepted Person shall be counted for purposes of determining whether the
Excepted Person is an Acquiring Person. Notwithstanding any provision to the
contrary in this Agreement, no amendment shall be made to this definition
without the consent of an Excepted Person if the effect of such amendment would
be to reduce the aggregate percentage ownership of the Common Shares that
Excepted Person would be permitted to beneficially own at any time without being
deemed an "Acquiring Person" hereunder.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in effect
on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and shall be deemed
to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or successor law or
regulation);
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has
(A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only
after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of
securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights
(other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however,
that a Person shall not be deemed pursuant to this Section 1(c)(ii)(A) to be the
Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (1) securities tendered pursuant to
a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange or (2) securities which a Person or any of such
Person's Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to have the right to acquire
pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and
such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates or Associates) if such agreement
has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to there being
an Acquiring Person; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security under this
Section l(c)(ii)(B) if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such
<PAGE>
Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to,
and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act
and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or
any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other
Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing) (other than customary agreements with
and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide
public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting
(except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section l(c)(ii)(B)) or
disposing of any securities of the Company; provided, however, that in no case
shall an officer or director of the Company be deemed (x) the Beneficial Owner
of any securities beneficially owned by another officer or director of the
Company solely by reason of actions undertaken by such persons in their capacity
as officers or directors of the Company or (y) the Beneficial Owner of
securities held of record by the trustee of any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for the benefit of any employee of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, other than the officer or director, by
reason of any influence that such officer or director may have over the voting
of the securities held in the plan.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a
day on which banking institutions in New York are authorized or obligated by law
or executive order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York
time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day
it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company shall mean the
shares of Common Stock of the Company, $0.001 par value per share. "Common
Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean
the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such
other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the
Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Continuing Director" shall mean (i) any member of the Board of
Directors of the Company, while a member of the Board, who is not an Acquiring
Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative
of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate, and who was a
member of the Board prior to the date of this Agreement, or (ii) any Person who
subsequently becomes a member of the Board, while a member of the Board, who is
not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or
a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate,
if such Person's nomination for election or election to the Board is recommended
or approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors.
(h) "Distribution Date" shall mean the earlier of (i) the Close of Business
on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of a
<PAGE>
majority of Continuing Directors then in office) after the Shares Acquisition
Date (or, if the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date occurs before the
Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date) or (ii) the Close of
Business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of
a majority of Continuing Directors then in office) after the date that a tender
or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the
Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or
sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if, assuming the successful consummation
thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares
of Common Stock then outstanding.
(i) "Equivalent Shares" shall mean Preferred Shares and any other class or
series of capital stock of the Company which is entitled to participate in
dividends and other distributions, including distributions upon the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, on a proportional basis with the
Common Shares. In calculating the number of any class or series of Equivalent
Shares for purposes of Section 11 of this Agreement, the number of shares, or
fractions of a share, of such class or series of capital stock that is entitled
to the same dividend or distribution as a whole Common Share shall be deemed to
be one share.
(j) "Expiration Date" shall mean the earliest of (i) the Close of Business
on the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the Redemption Date, (iii) the time at which
the Board of Directors orders the exchange of the Rights as provided in Section
24 hereof or (iv) the consummation of a transaction contemplated by Section
13(d) hereof.
(k) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean September 17, 2007.
(1) "Permitted Offer" shall mean a tender offer for all outstanding Common
Shares made in the manner prescribed by Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; provided, however, that such
tender offer occurs at a time when Continuing Directors are in office and a
majority of the Continuing Directors then in office has determined that the
offer is both adequate and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders (taking into account all factors that such Continuing Directors
deem relevant, including without limitation prices that could reasonably be
achieved if the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed to
realize maximum value).
(m) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other entity,
and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
(n) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock of the Company.
(o) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a)
hereof.
(p) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals at the
beginning of this Agreement.
<PAGE>
(q) "Redemption Date" shall mean the time at which the Board of Directors
of the Company orders redemption of the Rights as provided in Section 23 hereof.
(r) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a)
hereof.
(s) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
the recitals at the beginning of this Agreement.
(t) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause (i), (ii)
or (iii) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(u) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such;
provided that, if such person is determined not to have become an Acquiring
Person pursuant to Section l(a)(ii) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date
shall be deemed to have occurred.
(v) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity
of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect a majority of the
directors or Persons having similar authority of such corporation or other
entity is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or any
corporation or other entity otherwise controlled by such Person.
(w) "Total Exercise Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a)
hereof.
(x) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.
(y) A "Triggering Event" shall be deemed to have occurred upon any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding
Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all
Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becoming an Acquiring Person.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who,
in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall, prior to the Distribution Date, also
be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions
hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may
from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or
desirable, upon ten (10) days' prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The
Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable
for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agents.
<PAGE>
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
(a) Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced (subject
to the provisions of Sections 3(b) and 3(c) hereof) by the certificates for
Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates
shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate Rights
Certificates and (ii) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the surrender for
transfer of such certificates for Common Shares shall also constitute the
surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the
Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested,
send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Rights Certificate"), evidencing
one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided
herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share
has been made pursuant to Section 11(a)(i), Section 11(i) or Section 11(p)
hereof, then at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company
shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance
with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole
numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional
Rights. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such
Rights Certificates and may be transferred by the transfer of the Rights
Certificates as permitted hereby, separately and apart from any transfer of one
or more Common Shares, and the holders of such Rights Certificates as listed in
the records of the Company or any transfer agent or registrar for the Rights
shall be the record holders thereof.
(b) On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company
will send (or cause to be sent) a copy of a Summary of Rights in substantially
the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of Rights"), by first-class,
postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of
Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company.
(c) Unless the Board of Directors, by resolution adopted at or before the
time of the issuance (including pursuant to the exercise of rights under the
Company's benefit plans) of any Common Shares, specifies to the contrary, Rights
shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares that are issued after the Record
Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date
or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the
Distribution Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall also be
deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Quality
Semiconductor, Inc. and BankBoston, N.A. as the Rights Agent, dated as
of August 29, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file
at the principal executive offices of Quality Semiconductor, Inc..
Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such
Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be
evidenced by this certificate. Quality Semiconductor, Inc. will mail to
<PAGE>
the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without
charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or
held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by
any subsequent holder, may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be
evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such
certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or
acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution
Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and
retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights
associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Common
Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be
substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to
time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11
and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be
dated as of the Record Date (or in the case of Rights issued with respect to
Common Shares issued by the Company after the Record Date, as of the date of
issuance of such Common Shares) and on their face shall entitle the holders
thereof to purchase such number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall
be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share being hereinafter referred to as the
"Purchase Price" and the aggregate exercise price of all Preferred Shares
issuable upon exercise of one Right being hereinafter referred to as the "Total
Exercise Price"), but the number and type of securities purchasable upon the
exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as
provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or
any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee of an
Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a
transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any
continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred
Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has
<PAGE>
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a
primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer,
exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to
in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate
and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the
circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any
Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal (if any) or a
facsimile thereof. The Rights Certificates shall be manually countersigned by
the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In
case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights
Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company,
such Rights Certificates nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent
and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though
the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer
of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the
Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights
Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights
Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any
such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to
be kept, at its office designated for such purposes, books for registration and
transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the
names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the
number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and
the date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, DestroyedSection 6.Stolen RTransfer, Split Up,
Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, at any
time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to
the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to
purchase a like number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a
Triggering Event, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as
<PAGE>
the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled such
holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up,
combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates shall make
such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined
or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.
Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action
whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights
Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the
certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver
to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as
the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights
Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e), 23(b) and 24(b) hereof, the registered holder
of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the
Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of
election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights
Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together
with payment of the Purchase Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the Expiration Date.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one-thousandth of a Preferred Share
issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $70.00, shall be
subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof
and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in
accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights,
with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of
the Purchase Price for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or
other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount
equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such
Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof in cash, or by certified
check or cashier's check payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition
<PAGE>
from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the
Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred Shares) a certificate or
certificates for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share to be
purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to
comply with all such requests or (B) if the Company shall have elected to
deposit the total number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon
exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depository agent, requisition from the
depository agent of depository receipts representing such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be
deposited by the transfer agent with the depository agent) and the Company
hereby directs the depository agent to comply with such request, (ii) when
appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu
of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii)
after receipt of such certificates or depository receipts, cause the same to be
delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment
of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced (including to zero)
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iv) hereof) may 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 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.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise
less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing
Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the
Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his or
her duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and
after the first occurrence of a Triggering Event or a Section 13 Event, any
Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or
of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring
Person becomes such (a "Post Transferee"), (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to
any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement,
arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer
which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan,
arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the
avoidance of this Section 7(e) (a "Prior Transferee") or (iv) any subsequent
transferee receiving transferred Rights from a Post Transferee or a Prior
Transferee, either directly or through one or more intermediate transferees,
shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such
Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and
<PAGE>
Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder
of Rights Certificates or to any other Person as a result of its failure to make
any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any of such Acquiring
Person's Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with
respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as
set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i)
completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for
such exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates All Rights
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise
than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled
Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the
Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will use its best efforts to
cause to be reserved and kept available out of and to the extent of its
authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock not reserved for another
purpose (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Shares and/or other securities), the
number of Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of the Triggering
Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) that will be sufficient to permit
the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) If the Company shall hereafter list any of its Preferred Shares on a
national securities exchange, then so long as the Preferred Shares (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon exercise of the Rights may be listed
on a national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to
cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to
the extent that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all
shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official
notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a
<PAGE>
Triggering Event in which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iv)
hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, as the
case may be, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect to the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (iii)
cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all
times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of (A)
the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities
and (B) the date of expiration of the Rights. The Company may temporarily
suspend, for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in
clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the
Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to
become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating, and notify the Rights Agent, that the exercisability of
the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement and
notification to the Rights Agent at such time as the suspension is no longer in
effect. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or
to ensure compliance with, the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various
states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. Notwithstanding any
provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable
in any jurisdiction, unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction
shall have been obtained, or an exemption therefrom shall be available, and
until a registration statement has been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as
may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of
Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred
Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and
payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be
payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Rights
Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company
shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in
respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a person other
than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depository receipts for the
Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the
Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to
deliver any certificates or depository receipts for Preferred Shares upon the
exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax
being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender)
or until it has been established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax
is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date Each person in whose name any
certificate for a number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share is issued upon
the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the
holder of record of Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
multiplied by the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share with respect to
which the Rights have been exercised (and any applicable transfer taxes) was
made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a
date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are closed,
<PAGE>
such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on,
and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which
the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the
exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate
shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which
the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to
vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive
rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of
the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of
Rights The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares or other property
covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this
Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares,
(B) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Common
Shares (by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of Common
Shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of
the Common Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise provided in this
Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) each of the Rights outstanding at the
time of the record date for such dividend or the effective date of such
subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be proportionately adjusted
to that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth
(1/10,000) of a Right) equal to a fraction (the "Exchange Ratio"), the numerator
of which shall be the total number of Common Shares or shares of capital stock
issued in such reclassification of the Common Shares outstanding immediately
following such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification and the
denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding
immediately prior to such time, and the number of Rights that shall thereafter
be issued with respect to each Common Share or share of such other capital stock
that shall become outstanding thereafter prior to the Distribution Date shall be
equal to the total number of outstanding Rights immediately after such event (as
adjusted pursuant to this clause (1)) divided by the total number of outstanding
Common Shares or shares of such other capital stock immediately after such event
(subject to further adjustment pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement);
(2) the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such
dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification shall be adjusted so that the Purchase Price thereafter shall
equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such time by the Exchange Ratio; provided, however, that in no event
shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than
the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon exercise of such Right; and (3) the number of Common Shares or shares of
such other capital stock issuable upon the exercise of each Right shall remain
unchanged immediately after such event, but, in the event of a reclassification,
the kind of shares issuable upon the exercise of each Right immediately after
such reclassification shall be adjusted to be the kind of shares of such other
capital stock issued in such reclassification, rather than Common Shares. 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
<PAGE>
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) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event a Triggering
Event shall have occurred, then promptly following such Triggering Event, proper
provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, except as provided in
Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive for each Right,
upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and payment
of the then-current Total Exercise Price, in lieu of a number of one-thousandths
of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal
the result obtained by multiplying the then-current Purchase Price by the then
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
(or would have been exercisable if the Distribution Date had occurred)
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering Event, and dividing
that product by 50% of the current per share market price (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof) for Common Shares on the date of occurrence of the
Triggering Event (such number of shares being hereinafter referred to as the
"Adjustment Shares").
(iii) The right to buy Common Shares of the Company pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) hereof shall not arise as a result of any Person becoming an Acquiring
Person through an acquisition of Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer.
(iv) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof, the Company may, if the Board of Directors determines that such action
is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the interest of holders of
Rights (and, in the event that the number of Common Shares which are authorized
by the Company's Articles of Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for
issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient
to permit the exercise in full of the Rights, or if any necessary regulatory
approval for such issuance has not been obtained by the Company, the Company
shall): (A) determine the excess of (1) the value of the Common Shares issuable
upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase Price
(such excess, the "Spread") and (B) with respect to each Right, make adequate
provision to substitute for such Common Shares, upon exercise of the Rights, (1)
cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) other equity securities of the
Company (including, without limitation, shares or units of shares of any series
of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of the Company has deemed to
have the same value as Common Shares (such shares or units of shares of
preferred stock are herein called "common stock equivalents")), except to the
extent that the Company has not obtained any necessary shareholder or regulatory
approval for such issuance, (4) debt securities of the Company, except to the
extent that the Company has not obtained any necessary shareholder or regulatory
approval for such issuance, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the
foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such
aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company
based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, if the
Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to
clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first
occurrence of a Triggering Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right
of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being
<PAGE>
referred to herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company
shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and
without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent
available), except to the extent that the Company has not obtained any necessary
shareholder or regulatory approval for such issuance, and then, if necessary,
cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If
the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is
likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized for issuance
upon exercise in full of the Rights or that any necessary regulatory approval
for such issuance will be obtained, the thirty (30) day period set forth above
may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days
after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares or take
action to obtain such regulatory approval (such period, as it may be extended,
the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines that some
action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second sentences of this
Section 11(a)(iv), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e)
hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights and (y)
may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the
Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares, to
take any action to obtain any required regulatory approval and/or to decide the
appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and
to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company
shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights
has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as
the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iv),
the value of the Common Shares shall be the current per share market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares on the Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall be
deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares on such date. (b) In case the
Company shall, at any time after the date of this Agreement, fix a record date
for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Shares
or of any class or series of Equivalent Shares entitling such holders (for a
period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to
subscribe for or purchase Common Shares or Equivalent Shares or securities
convertible into Common Shares or Equivalent Shares at a price per share (or
having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Common
Shares or Equivalent Shares) less than the then current per share market price
of the Common Shares or Equivalent Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such
record date, then, in each such case, the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of Common Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any) outstanding
on such record date, plus the number of Common Shares or Equivalent Shares, as
the case may be, which the aggregate offering price of the total number of
Common Shares or Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, so to be offered (and/or
the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of Common Shares and Equivalent Shares (if any)
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Common Shares or
Equivalent Shares, as the case may be, to be offered for subscription or
purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are
initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in a
<PAGE>
consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value
of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the
holders of the Rights. Common Shares and Equivalent Shares owned by or held for
the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of
any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a
record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are
not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of
the Common Shares or of any class or series of Equivalent Shares (including any
such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend, if any, or a dividend
payable in Common Shares) or subscription rights, options or warrants (excluding
those referred to in Section 11(b)), then, in each such case, the Purchase Price
to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction,
the numerator of which shall be the current market price (as determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof) of a Common Share or an Equivalent Share on such record
date, less the fair market value per Common Share or Equivalent Share (as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) 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 Common
Share or Equivalent Share, as the case may be, and the denominator of which
shall be such current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) of a Common Share or Equivalent Share on such record date. Such
adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and
in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be
adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record
date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations
made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, the "current per share market price"
of any security (a "Security" for the purpose of this Section 11(d)) on any date
shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such
Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is
hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iv) hereof, the "current per share
market price" of any Security on any date shall be deemed to be the average of
the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the ten (10) consecutive
Trading Days immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the
event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined
during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (i)
a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security
or securities convertible into such shares or (ii) any subdivision, combination
or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of the
requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, after the
ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such
subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the
<PAGE>
current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the
current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price
for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale
takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or
admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the last sale price or, if such last sale
price is not reported, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making a
market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is
open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the
Common Shares are not publicly held or so listed or traded, "current per share
market price" shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in
a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all
purposes.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the
Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however,
that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to
be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent
adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest
cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one
hundred-thousandth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the
first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11
shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of
the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or 13(a)
hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to
receive any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the
number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and if
required, the Purchase Price thereof, shall be subject to adjustment from time
to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the
provisions with respect to the Common Shares contained in Sections 11(a), (b),
(c), (e), (h), (i), (j), (k), (1) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9,
10, 13 and 14 with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to
any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
<PAGE>
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in
Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the
calculations made in Section 11(b), each Right outstanding immediately prior to
the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase,
at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of Preferred Shares (calculated to
the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x)
the number of Preferred Shares covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the
Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) to adjust
the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of
Preferred Shares purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights
outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable
for the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was
exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record
prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of
Rights (calculated to the nearest ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price
by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase
Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust
the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if
known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may
be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but,
if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days
later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been
issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section
11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to
holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates
evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of
the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in
substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided
for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase
Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the
number of Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights
Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the
Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share and the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Rights
Certificates issued hereunder.
<PAGE>
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the
Purchase Price below the par or stated value, if any, of the number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the
Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its
counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue as
fully paid and nonassessable shares such number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(1) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment
in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified
event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the
issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the
number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of
the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that
the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate
instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares
(fractional or otherwise) upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, prior to
the Distribution Date, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in
the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine
to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the
Preferred or Common Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred or
Common Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for
cash of Preferred or Common Shares or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred or Common Shares, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred or Common
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, effect or permit to occur any Triggering Event or Section
13 Event, if (i) at the time or immediately after such Triggering Event or
Section 13 Event there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or
securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially
diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights or (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such Section
13 Event, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute,
the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(b) hereof shall have received a
distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates
and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it
will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit
to be taken) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably
foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate
the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the
event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare
<PAGE>
a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide
the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares
(by reverse stock split or otherwise) into a smaller number of Preferred Shares,
or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the
Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a
consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), then, in each such event, except as otherwise provided in this
Section 11 and Section 7(e) hereof: (1) each of the Rights outstanding at the
time of the record date for such dividend or the effective date of such
subdivision, combination or reclassification shall be proportionately adjusted
to that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth
(1/10,000) of a Right) equal to a fraction (the "Exchange Fraction"), the
numerator of which shall be the total number of Preferred Shares or shares of
capital stock issued in such reclassification of the Preferred Shares
outstanding immediately following such time and the denominator of which shall
be the total number of Preferred Shares outstanding immediately prior to such
time, and the number of Rights that shall thereafter be issued with respect to
each Common Share or share of other capital stock that shall be issued in a
reclassification of the Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date shall be
equal to the total number of outstanding Rights immediately after such event (as
adjusted pursuant to this clause (1)) divided by the total number of outstanding
Common Shares or shares of such other capital stock immediately after such event
(subject to further adjustment pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement);
(2) the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such
dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or
reclassification shall be adjusted so that the Purchase Price thereafter shall
equal the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such time by the Exchange Fraction; provided, however, that in no event
shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than
the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable
upon exercise of such Right; and (3) the number of one-thousandths of a
Preferred Share or share of such other capital stock issuable upon the exercise
of each Right shall remain unchanged immediately after such event, but, in the
event of a reclassification, the kind of shares issuable upon the exercise of
each Right immediately after such reclassification shall be adjusted to be the
kind of shares of such other capital stock issued in such reclassification,
rather than Preferred Shares.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares a copy of
such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights
Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing
sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certification or give such
notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or effect
of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully
protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment contained
therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and
until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Shares Acquisition Date, directly or
indirectly:
<PAGE>
(i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction the principal
purpose of which is to change the state of incorporation of the Company or which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof);
(ii) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
that complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with the Company, or
merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or
surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger; or
(iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its
Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions,
assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power
of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or
Persons (other than the Company or one or more of its wholly owned Subsidiaries
in one or more transactions, each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that
(A) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued,
fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as
hereinafter defined), free of any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal
or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one-thousandths of
a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Triggering Event has occurred
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of
such one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Triggering Event by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence) and (2) dividing
that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall
be referred to as the "Total Exercise Price" for each Right and for all purposes
of this Agreement) by 50% of the current per share market price (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Common Shares of such Principal Party
on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event;
(B) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume,
by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such
Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section
11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event;
(D) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited
to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares) in connection
with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that
the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably
may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights.
<PAGE>
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean, in the case of any transaction described
in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a), the Person or Acquiring Person
referred to therein (or such Person's or Acquiring Person's successor,
including, if applicable, the Company, if it is the surviving corporation),
provided, however, that in any such case, (i) if such Person is a direct or
indirect Subsidiary of another Person, "Principal Party" shall refer to such
other Person and (ii) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, of more than one Person, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever
of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate
value, and provided, further, that for purposes of transactions described in
clause (iii) hereof, "Principal Party" shall refer to that Person receiving the
greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such
transaction or transactions.
(c) If, for any reason, the Rights cannot be exercised for Common Shares of
such Principal Party as provided in Section 13(a), then each holder of Rights
shall have the right to exchange its Rights for cash from such Principal Party
in an amount equal to the number of Common Shares that it would otherwise be
entitled to purchase times 50% of the current per share market price, as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof, of such Common Shares of such
Principal Party. If, for any reason, the foregoing formulation cannot be applied
to determine the cash amount into which the Rights are exchangeable, then the
Board of Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized
investment banking firms, and based upon the total value of the Company, shall
determine such amount reasonably and with good faith to the holders of Rights.
Any such determination shall be final and binding on the Rights Agent.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Section 13
shall not be applicable to a transaction described in clauses (i) and (ii) of
Section 13(a) if: (i) such transaction is consummated with a Person or Persons
who acquired Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer (or a wholly-owned
Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons); (ii) the price per share of Common
Shares offered in such transaction is not less than the price per share of
Common Shares paid to all holders of Common Shares whose shares were purchased
pursuant to such Permitted Offer; and (iii) the form of consideration being
offered to the remaining holders of Common Shares pursuant to such transaction
is the same form as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such Permitted
Offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this Section
13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
(e) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless the
Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized Common Shares that
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of
the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the
Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement confirming that such Principal Party shall, upon
consummation of such Section 13 Event, assume this Agreement in accordance with
Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof, that all rights of first refusal or preemptive
rights in respect of the issuance of Common Shares of such Principal Party upon
exercise of outstanding Rights have been waived, that there are no rights,
warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or
arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would
<PAGE>
eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights and that such transaction shall not result in a default by such Principal
Party under this Agreement, and further providing that, as soon as practicable
after the date of such Section 13 Event, such Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act with
respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights
on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration
statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and use
its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with
a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until
the Expiration Date, and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights
and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a national
securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for quotation on
NASDAQ; and
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for
such Principal Party which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.
In the event that at any time after the occurrence of a Triggering Event
some or all of the Rights shall not have been exercised at the time of a
transaction described in this Section 13, the Rights which have not theretofore
been exercised shall thereafter be exercisable in the manner described in
Section 13(a) (without taking into account any prior adjustment required by
Section 11(a)(ii)).
(f) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to
distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such
fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current
market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would
have been otherwise issuable, as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d) hereof.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred
Shares (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth
of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates
which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions that are
integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share). In lieu of
fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one
one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered
holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein
<PAGE>
provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market
value of a Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as
determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives
his or her right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon
exercise of a Right.
Section 15. Rights of Action All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior
to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the
Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his or her own behalf and for
his or her own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action
or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of,
his or her right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in
the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without
limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is
specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate
remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or
threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this
Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in
connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable
only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal
office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the
appropriate forms and certificates fully executed; and
(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights
Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or,
prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is
registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights
Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other
than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither
the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the
contrary.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder No holder,
as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends
<PAGE>
or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a 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 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation
for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of
the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other
disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and
the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to
indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss,
liability or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the
Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for,
or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with,
its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or
certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other securities of
the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney,
endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate,
statement or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be
signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper
Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in
Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation
resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the
corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent,
shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto; provided, however, that such corporation would be eligible for
appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21
hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the
agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor
<PAGE>
Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior
name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights
Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in
its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the
full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal
counsel for the Company), and the opinion or advice 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
or advice.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the
Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter
(including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the
determination of "current per share market price") be proved or established by
the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a
certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights
Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for
any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other
Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the
statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights
Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the
same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been
made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of
the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the
due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or
execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor
shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it
<PAGE>
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights or any
adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount
thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the ascertaining of
the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except
with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after
receipt by the Rights Agent of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12
describing such change or adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be
deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or
reservation of any Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or
any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued,
be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and
deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such
further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required
by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any
one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President,
any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant
Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any
action taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of
any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those
instructions. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from
the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any
action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such
omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action
taken by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal
included in any such application on or after the date specified in such
application (which date shall not be less than five (5) Business Days after the
date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any
such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior
to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission),
the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such
application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any 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 reasonable care was exercised in the selection
and continued employment thereof.
<PAGE>
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend
or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if
there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights
Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent The Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon
thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer
agent of the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares by registered or certified
mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The
Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty
(30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights
Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Preferred Shares
and the Common Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint
a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his or her Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed
by the Company or by such a court, shall be either (a) a corporation organized
and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any state of the
United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust or shareholder services powers and is subject to supervision or
examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its
appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50
million or (b) an affiliate of such a corporation. 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 Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, and mail
a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21,
however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the
resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be.
<PAGE>
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may,
at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as
may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in
the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities
or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance
or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the
redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to
Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or
under any employee plan or arrangement or upon the exercise, conversion or
exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company and (b) may, in any
other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the
Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights
in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued and this sentence shall be null and void ab
initio if, and to the extent that, such issuance or this sentence would create a
significant risk of or result in material adverse tax consequences to the
Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued or would
create a significant risk of or result in such options' or employee plans' or
arrangements' failing to qualify for otherwise available special tax treatment
and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that,
appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance
thereof.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Company may, at its option and with the approval of the Board of
Directors, at any time prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) the
tenth day following the Shares Acquisition Date or such later date as may be
determined by action of a majority of Continuing Directors then in office and
publicly announced by the Company or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all
but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01
per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being
herein referred to as the "Redemption Price") and the Company may, at its
option, pay the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the current
per share market price thereof (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
at the time of redemption) or cash. Such redemption of the Rights by the Company
may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as
the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish; provided, however,
if the Board of Directors of the Company authorizes redemption of the Rights on
or after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then there must be
Continuing Directors then in office and such authorization shall require the
concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company
ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed
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. The Company
shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however,
that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the
validity of such redemption. Within ten (10) days after the action of the Board
of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give
notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then
<PAGE>
outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior
to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the
Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other
than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and
other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the
Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, and subject to
subsection (c) below, the Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the
Board of Directors and a majority vote of the Continuing Directors, at any time
after the occurrence of a Triggering Event, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have
become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for Common Shares
at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to
reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after
the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Ratio
of Exchange"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not
be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than
the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the
Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the
Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without
any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights
shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall
be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights
held by such holder multiplied by the Ratio of Exchange. The Company shall give
public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give,
or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.
The Company shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of
such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of
the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice
of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for
Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of
Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata
based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant
to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued
but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights
as contemplated in accordance with Section 24(a), the Company shall either take
such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for
<PAGE>
issuance upon exchange of the Rights or alternatively, at the option of a
majority of the Board of Directors, with respect to each Right (i) pay cash in
an amount equal to the Current Value (as hereinafter defined), in lieu of
issuing Common Shares in exchange therefor, or (ii) issue debt or equity
securities or a combination thereof, having a value equal to the Current Value,
in lieu of issuing Common Shares in exchange for each such Right, where the
value of such securities shall be determined by a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected by majority vote of the Board of Directors, or
(iii) deliver any combination of cash, property, Common Shares and/or other
securities having a value equal to the Current Value in exchange for each Right.
For purposes of this Section 24(c) only, the Current Value shall mean the
product of the current per share market price of Common Shares (determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) on the date of the occurrence of the event described
above in subparagraph (a)) multiplied by the number of Common Shares for which
the Right otherwise would be exchangeable if there were sufficient shares
available. To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be
taken pursuant to clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 24(c), the Board of
Directors may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period
of up to sixty (60) days following the date on which the event described in
Section 24(a) shall have occurred, in order to seek any authorization of
additional Common Shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution
to be made pursuant to the above provision and to determine the value thereof.
In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares
or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu
of such fractional Common Shares, there shall be paid to the registered holders
of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current per share market value of a whole Common Share (as determined pursuant
to the second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof).
(e) The Company may, at its option, by majority vote of the Board of
Directors, at any time before any Person has become an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights for rights of substantially
equivalent value, as determined reasonably and with good faith by the Board of
Directors, based upon the advice of one or more nationally recognized investment
banking firms.
(f) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 24 and without
any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights
shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall
be to receive that number of rights in exchange therefor as has been determined
by the Board of Directors in accordance with subsection (e) above. The Company
shall give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of
such exchange. The Company shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of
the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the
registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares of the Company. Any
notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of the Rights will be effected.
<PAGE>
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose to effect or permit to occur any
Triggering Event having the effects described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or a
Section 13 Event, the Company shall give notice thereof to each holder of Rights
in accordance with Section 26 hereof at least twenty (20) days prior to
occurrence of such Triggering Event or Section 13 Event.
(b) In case any Triggering Event or Section 13 Event shall occur, then, in
any such case, the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice
of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the
consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Sections 11(a)(ii) and 13
hereof.
Section 26. Notices Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be
given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to
or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Quality Semiconductor, Inc.
851 Martin Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Attention: President
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
BankBoston, N.A.
c/o Boston Equiserve, L.P.
435 Tasso Street
Palo Alto, CA
Attention: Account Manager
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments Prior to the Distribution Date, the
Company may supplement or amend this Agreement in any respect without the
approval of any holders of Rights and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so
directs, execute such supplement or amendment. From and after the Distribution
Date, the Company and the Rights Agent may from time to time supplement or amend
this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights in order to (i)
cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained herein
<PAGE>
which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii)
shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder (which lengthening or shortening,
following the first occurrence of an event set forth in the proviso to Section
23(a) hereof, shall be effective only if there are Continuing Directors and
shall require the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing Directors) or
(iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner that the
Company may deem necessary or desirable and that shall not adversely affect the
interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, this Agreement may not
be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this
sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such
time as the Rights are not then redeemable or (B) any other time period unless
such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the
rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights. Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that states that the
proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section
27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the
Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed
coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.
Section 28. Successors All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement
by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to
the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc For
all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares
outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the
particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is
the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule
13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The
Board of Directors of the Company (and, where specifically provided for herein,
the Continuing Directors) shall have the exclusive power and authority to
administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board, or the Company (or, where specifically provided for
herein, the Continuing Directors), 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 (or, where
specifically provided for herein, by the Continuing Directors) in good faith,
shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the
holders of the Rights Certificates and all other parties and (y) not subject the
Board or the Continuing Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under
<PAGE>
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, the Common Shares).
Section 31. Severability If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of
this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority
to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions,
covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any
such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority
to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company
determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from
this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement,
the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and
shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the date
of such determination by the Board of Directors.
Section 32. Governing Law This Agreement and each Right and each Rights
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of California and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
By: /s/ John P. Goldsberry /s/
Name: John P. Goldsberry
Title: Vice President - Finance and
Chief Financial Officer
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
By: /s/ Geoffrey D. Anderson /s/
Name: Geoffrey D. Anderson
Title: Director, Client Services
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DETERMINATION OF RIGHTS, PREFERENCES AND PRIVILEGES OF
SERIES A PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK OF QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
The undersigned, R. Paul Gupta and John Goldsberry, do hereby certify:
1. That they are the duly elected President and Chief Executive Office and
Secretary, respectively, of Quality Semiconductor, Inc., a California
corporation (the "Corporation").
2. That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by
the Articles of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the said Board of
Directors on August 26, 1997 adopted the following resolutions creating a series
of shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Participating Preferred
Stock:
"RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of the Corporation by the Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Directors does
hereby provide for the issue of a series of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value,
of the Corporation, to be designated "Series A Participating Preferred Stock,"
initially consisting of _____________ shares and to the extent that the
designations, powers, preferences and relative and other special rights and the
qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the Series A Participating
Preferred Stock are not stated and expressed in the Articles of Incorporation,
does hereby fix and herein state and express such designations, powers,
preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications,
limitations and restrictions thereof, as follows (all terms used herein which
are defined in the Articles of Incorporation shall be deemed to have the
meanings provided therein):
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Participating Preferred Stock," par value $0.001 per
share, and the number of shares constituting such series shall be _____________.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior right of the holders of any shares of
any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series
A Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares
of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive when, as
and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the
purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last day of March, June,
September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as
a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the
nearest cent) equal to, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and
<PAGE>
1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash
dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of
Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock of the Corporation
(the "Common Stock") since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the
first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after ________,
1997 (the "Rights Declaration Date") (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock,
or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares,
then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series
A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above immediately
after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares
of Series A Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record
date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on
such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after
the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and
before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends
paid on the shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less
than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such
shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such
shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for
the determination of holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon,
which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the
payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shareIs of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof
to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the
Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
<PAGE>
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock
shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
shareholders of the corporation.
(C) Except as required by law, holders of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be
required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common
Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) The Corporation shall not declare any dividend on, make any
distribution on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Common Stock after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a
share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock unless concurrently therewith it
shall declare a dividend on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as
required by Section 2 hereof.
(B) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall
not (i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem
or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking
junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up)
to the Series A Participating Preferred Stock; (ii) declare or pay dividends on,
make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either
as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A
Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are
payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of
all such shares are then entitled; (iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire
for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time
redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in
exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A
Participating Preferred Stock; (iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, or any
shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Participating Preferred
Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by
publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such
shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the
respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of
<PAGE>
the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in
fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(C) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to
purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof.
All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued
shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of
Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of
Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth
herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding
up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto,
the holders of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall have
received an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions
thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, plus an amount
equal to the greater of (1) $1,000 per share, provided that in the event the
Corporation does not have sufficient assets, after payment of its liabilities
and distribution to holders of Preferred Stock ranking prior to the Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, available to permit payment in full of the $1,000
per share amount, the amount required to be paid under this Section 6 (A)(1)
shall, subject to Section 6(B) hereof, equal the value of the amount of
available assets divided by the number of outstanding shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock or (2) subject to the provisions for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount to be
distributed to the holders of Common Stock (the greater of (1) or (2), the
"Series A Liquidation Preference"). In the event the Corporation shall at
anytime after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common
Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common
Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
under clause (2) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock that were outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately
prior to such event.
(B) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available
to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the
liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which
rank on a parity with the Series A Participating Preferred Stock, then such
remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity
shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.
<PAGE>
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the
shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for
adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of
stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case
may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or
exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or
change of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Participating Preferred
Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. The Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation
shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or
change the powers, preference or special rights of the Series A Participating
Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series A Participating Preferred Stock maybe
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 A Participating Preferred Stock.
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the President or any Vice President and the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of this Corporation be, and they hereby
are, authorized and directed to prepare and file a Certificate of Determination
of Rights, Preferences and Privileges in accordance with the foregoing
resolution and the provisions of California law and to take such actions as they
may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of the foregoing
resolution."
3. That the authorized number of shares of Preferred Stock of the
Corporation is 1,000,000, and that no such Preferred Stock has been issued.
We further declare under penalty of perjury that the matters set forth in
the foregoing Certificate of Determination are true and correct of our own
knowledge.
<PAGE>
Executed at Santa Clara, California on __________, 1997.
R. Paul Gupta, President and
Chief Executive Officer
John Goldsberry, Secretary
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
Form of Rights Certificate
Certificate No. ____ _____ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 OR EARLIER IF TERMINATED BY THE
COMPANY OR IF THE COMPANY EXCHANGES THE RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.01 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE
OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.
[THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS
AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED
HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e)
OF SUCH RIGHTS AGREEMENT.1]
Rights Certificate
This certifies that _____________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement dated as of August 29, 1997 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Quality
Semiconductor, Inc., a California Corporation (the "Company"), and BankBoston,
N.A. (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after the
Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement)and prior to
5:00 P.M., New York time, on September 17, 2007 at the office of the Rights
Agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as Rights
Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, (the "Preferred
Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $70.00 per one-thousandth of a
Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this
Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate
duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and
the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon
exercise hereof) and the Purchase Price set forth above are the number and
Purchase Price as of September 17, 1997, based on the Preferred Shares as
constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase
Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or other securities which may
be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of
certain events.
- ---------------------------
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and
shall replace the preceeding sentence.
<PAGE>
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which
limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of
the Company and the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company, at its option, at
a redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged by the Company in
whole or in part for Common Shares, substantially equivalent rights or other
consideration as determined by the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates,
upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose,
may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like
tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
aggregate amount of securities as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate
or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.
If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be
entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
No fractional portion of less than one one-thousandth of a Preferred
Share will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby
but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to
vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the
Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a 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.
<PAGE>
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of _____________, 1997.
ATTEST: QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
____________________________ By:________________________
Secretary President
Countersigned:
- ---------------------------
as Rights Agent
By:________________________
Authorized Signature
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers unto _________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein,
and does hereby irrevocably cons titute and appoint ___________________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-
named Company, with full power of substitution. Dated: ____________, ____.
------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor
institution(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions
with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant
to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
<PAGE>
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person, or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ]did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated:____________, ____
-----------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor
institution(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions
with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant
to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to
exercise the Rights Certificate)
To:____________________
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to
exercise_________________________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate
to purchase the number of one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such number of
one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or
other identifying number
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and add address) ____________________________________________
- ----------------------------------
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or
other identifying number
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please print name and address) _______________________________________________
- ------------------------------
Dated:____________, _____
-------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor
institution(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions
with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant
to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
<PAGE>
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ]did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated:____________, _____
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor
institution(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions
with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program) pursuant
to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate -- continued
NOTICE
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must
conform to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT C
QUALITY SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
Summary of Rights
Distribution and Transfer of Rights;
Rights Certificate:
The Board of Directors has declared a dividend of one Right for each share
of Quality Semiconductor, Inc. Common Stock outstanding. Prior to the
Distribution Date referred to below, the Rights will be evidenced by and trade
with the certificates for the Common Stock. After the Distribution Date, Quality
Semiconductor, Inc. (the "Company") will mail Rights certificates to the
Company's shareholders and the Rights will become transferable apart from the
Common Stock.
Distribution Date:
Rights will separate from the Common Stock and become exercisable following
the tenth day (the "Distribution Date") (or such later date as may be determined
by a majority of the Directors not affiliated with the acquiring person or group
(the "Continuing Directors")) after a person or group (a) announces acquisition
of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the Company's Common Stock (the
"Shares Acquisition Date") if such acquisition was not approved by the Company's
Board of Directors or a committee thereof) or (b) announces a tender or exchange
offer, the consummation of which would result in ownership by a person or group
of 15% or more of the Company's Common Stock.
Preferred Stock Purchasable
Upon Exercise of Rights:
After the Distribution Date, each Right will entitle the holder to
purchase, for $70.00, one one-thousandth of a share of the Company's Preferred
Stock with economic terms similar to that of one share of the Company's Common
Stock.
<PAGE>
Flip-In:
If an acquiror (an "Acquiring Person") obtains beneficial ownership of 15%
or more of the Company's Common Stock (other than pursuant to a tender offer
deemed fair by the Board of Directors (a "Permitted Offer") and if such
acquisition was not approved by the Company's Board of Directors or a committee
thereof)), then each Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person or
its affiliates) will entitle the holder thereof to purchase, for the exercise
price, a number of shares of the Company's Common Stock having a then current
market value of twice the exercise price.
Flip-Over:
If, after the Shares Acquisition Date (defined above), (a) the Company
merges into another entity, (b) an acquiring entity merges into the Company or
(c) the Company sells more than 50% of the Company's assets or earning power,
then each Right (other than Rights owned by an Acquiring Person or its
affiliates) will entitle the holder thereof to purchase, for the exercise price,
a number of shares of Common Stock of the person engaging in the transaction
having a then current market value of twice the exercise price (unless the
transaction satisfies certain conditions and is consummated with a person who
acquired shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer, in which case the Rights will
expire).
Exchange Provision:
At any time after an event triggering the flip-in or flip-over rights and
prior to the acquisition by the Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the
outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the
Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person or its affiliates), in
whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right (subject to
adjustment).
Redemption of the Rights:
Rights will be redeemable at Company's option for $0.01 per Right at any
time on or prior to the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by a
majority of the Continuing Directors) after the Shares Acquisition Date.
<PAGE>
Expiration of the Rights:
The Rights expire on the earliest of (a) Sepember 17, 2007, (b) exchange or
redemption of the Rights as described above, or (c) consummation of a merger or
consolidation or sale of assets resulting in expiration of the Rights as
described above.
Amendment of Terms of Rights:
The terms of the Rights Agreement may be amended in any respect without the
consent of the Rights holders on or prior to the Distribution Date; thereafter,
the terms of the Rights and the Rights Agreement may be amended without the
consent of the Rights holders in order to cure any ambiguities or to make
changes which do not adversely affect the interests of Rights holders (other
than the Acquiring Person).
Voting Rights:
Rights will not have any voting rights.
Anti-Dilution Provisions:
Rights will have the benefit of certain customary anti-dilution provisions.
Taxes:
The Rights distribution should not be taxable for federal income tax
purposes. However, following an event which renders the Rights exercisable or
upon redemption of the Rights, shareholders may recognize taxable income.
The foregoing is a summary of certain principal terms of the Shareholder
Rights Plan only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed
terms of the Rights Agreement dated as of August 29, 1997, between the Company
and the Rights Agent.
