SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report : May 18, 2000
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ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 1-10738 13-3499319
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(State or other (Commission (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.)
incorporation)
142 West 57th Street
New York, New York 10019
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number including area code: (212) 541-3300
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Not Applicable
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(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Item 5. Other Events.
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On May 18, 2000, the Board of Directors of AnnTaylor Stores
Corporation (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right
for each outstanding share of Company Common Stock to stockholders of
record at the close of business on May 30, 2000 (the "Record Date"). Each
Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit
consisting of one one-thousandth of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Series A
Preferred Stock") at a Purchase Price of $125 per Unit, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. Subject to certain exceptions specified
in the Rights Agreement, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and
a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days
following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or
associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the
"Stock Acquisition Date"), other than as a result of repurchases of stock
by the Company or certain inadvertent actions by institutional or certain
other stockholders or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the
Board shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring
Person. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by
the Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with and only with
such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued
after the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any
certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Company reserves the
right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as defined
below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised
so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on May 18, 2010, unless such
date is extended or the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the
Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the
separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock
issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each
holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise,
Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other
securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the exercise
price of the Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the
occurrence of the event set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are,
or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were,
beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However,
Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set forth
above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company
as set forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $125 per Right, each Right
not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following
an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to
purchase $250 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted
above) for $125. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
$25 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to
purchase 10 shares of Common Stock for $125.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition
Date, (i) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination
transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the
Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in
which the Company is the surviving corporation and the Common Stock of the
Company is changed or exchanged, or (iii) 50% or more of the Company's
assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a
Right (except Rights which have previously been voided as set forth above)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of
the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price
of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second
preceding paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or
more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may exchange the Rights
(other than Rights owned by such person or group which have become void),
in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class
or series of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights,
preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).
At any time until ten business days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors). Immediately
upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the
Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of
Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the
distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the
Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize
taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common
Stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the
acquiring company or in the event of the redemption of the Rights as set
forth above.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by
the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After
the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be
amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which
do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten
or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement. The foregoing
notwithstanding, no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights are
not redeemable.
The Rights Agreement, dated as of May 18, 2000, between the
Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent,
specifying the terms of the Rights attached hereto as an exhibit is
incorporated by reference to such exhibit.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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(c) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. Exhibit
4 Rights Agreement, dated as of May 18, 2000, between AnnTaylor
Stores Corporation and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, which includes as Exhibit B thereto, the Form of
Rights Certificates.
99.1 Press Release issued by the Company on May 19, 2000.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
By: /s/ Jocelyn F. L. Barandiaran
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Name: Jocelyn F. L. Barandiaran
Title: Senior Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary
Date: May 23, 2000
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No. Exhibit Page
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4 Rights Agreement, dated as of May 18, 2000
between AnnTaylor Stores Corporation and
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, which includes as Exhibit B thereto,
the Form of Rights Certificates.
99.1 Press Release issued by the Company on May 19, 2000.
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
between
ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
and
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER AND TRUST COMPANY
Dated as of May 18, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions.....................................2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent............................12
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates........................13
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates............................17
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration......................20
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost
or Stolen Rights Certificates..........................21
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.........................................24
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates...........................................30
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock..........31
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date............................35
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights.............................37
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares..............................................62
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.....................63
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares................70
Section 15. Rights of Action.......................................73
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders............................74
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder............................................76
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent............................77
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent...........................................79
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.................................80
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.................................86
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates....................88
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.............................90
Section 24. Exchange...............................................92
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events...............................95
Section 26. Notices................................................98
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments............................100
Section 28. Successors............................................101
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors, etc........................................101
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement............................105
Section 31. Severability..........................................103
Section 32. Governing Law.........................................104
Section 33. Counterparts..........................................105
Section 34. Descriptive Headings..................................105
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A --Certificate of Designation,
Preferences and Rights
Exhibit B --Rights Certificate
Exhibit C --Summary of Rights
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of May 18, 2000 (the "Agreement"), between
AnnTaylor Stores Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York banking corporation
(the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
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WHEREAS, on May 18, 2000 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the
Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend
distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each share of common
stock, par value $0.0068 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock")
outstanding at the close of business on May 30, 2000 (the "Record Date"),
and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may
hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof)
for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Record
Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury)
and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined), each Right initially
representing the right to purchase one one- thousandth of a share of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company (the "Preferred
Stock") having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of
Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as
Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set
forth (the "Rights").
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or
which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be
the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of
the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company, or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan,
or (iv) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent
(15%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding as a result of
a reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding due to the
repurchase of shares of Common Stock by the Company unless and until such
Person, after becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial
Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the then outstanding shares of
Common Stock, acquires beneficial ownership of additional shares of Common
Stock representing one percent (1%) or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding, or (v) any such Person who has reported or is required to
report such ownership (but less than 20%) on Schedule 13G under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date
of the Agreement (the "Exchange Act") (or any comparable or successor
report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or
reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the
Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such
schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10
Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the
same, certifies to the Company that such Person acquired shares of Common
Stock in excess of 14.9% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of
the Rights and who, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter
does not acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial
Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding;
provided, however, that if the Person requested to so certify fails to do
so within 10 Business Days, then such Person shall become an Acquiring
Person immediately after such 10- Business-Day period.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933.
(c) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(d) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of,
and shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to
acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after
the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of
conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or
otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence
of a Triggering Event (as hereinafter defined), or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a
Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date
(as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in
connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to
vote or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding, whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a
Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a
result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such
security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises
solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D
under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates
or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding,
voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the
proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing of
any voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing
in this paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an
underwriter of securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to
"beneficially own," any securities acquired through such Person's
participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until
the expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition, and
then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person
at such expiration of forty days.
(e) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New
York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f) "close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such
date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on
the next succeeding Business Day.
(g) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value
$0.0068 per share, of the Company, except that "Common Stock," when used
with reference to any Person other than the Company, shall mean the capital
stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity
securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the
management, of such Person.
(h) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(i) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(j) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(k) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(a) hereof.
(l) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(m) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities and Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended.
(n) "Exchange Ratio" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 24 hereof.
(o) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(p) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(q) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.
(r) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to
permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of preferred stock
of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially
similar to the terms of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
(s) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 13(b) hereof.
(t) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a)(ii) hereof.
(u) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(v) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(w) "Rights Agent" shall have the meaning set forth in
the parties clause at the beginning of this Agreement and any successor
thereto appointed in accordance with Section 19 or 21 hereof.
(x) "Rights Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(a) hereof.
(y) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the
meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(z) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event
described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(aa) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(bb) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(cc) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date
of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall
include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section
13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an
Acquiring Person has become such.
(dd) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any
Person, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient
to elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise
controlled by such Person.
(ee) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ff) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(b) hereof.
(gg) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(hh) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii)
Event or any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company 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 Stock), 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.
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.
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(a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the
tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth
Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the Record
Date, the close of business on the Record Date), or (ii) the close of
business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall
determine) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person
(other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any
Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is commenced within the meaning of
Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act,
if upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person
(the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution
Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of
paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock
registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which
certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for
Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares
of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as
practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by
first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of the
Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more
right certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the
"Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock
so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an
adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made
pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights
Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights
Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and
cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the
Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights
Certificates.
(b) The Company will make available, as promptly as
practicable following the Record Date, a copy of a Summary of Rights, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the "Summary of
Rights") to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior
to the Expiration Date. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock
outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Stock and the
registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders
of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the
Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7(a) hereof), the
transfer of any certificates representing shares of Common Stock in respect
of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the
Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock. All references herein
to certificates for the Common Stock shall be deemed to include all
uncertificated shares of Common Stock which are evidenced by notation in
the Stock records of the Comnpany.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of
Common Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such
shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights,
and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof
to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement dated as of
May 28, 2000 between AnnTaylor Stores Corporation (the "Company") and
the Rights Agent thereunder, as it may be amended from time to time
(the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal
offices of the Rights Agent. Under certain circumstances, as set
forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by
separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this
certificate. The Rights Agent will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date
of mailing, without charge, promptly 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 Stock represented by such certificates
shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of
Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights,
and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
---------------------------
(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each
be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have
such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are
not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be
required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation
made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange
on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the
Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record
Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set
forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one
one- thousandths of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type
of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase
Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section
3(a), Section 11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights
beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration)
from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring
Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or
(B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined
is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary
purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon
transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights
Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent
feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person
or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms
are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights
Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and
void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights
Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
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(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf
of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice
President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have
affixed thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be
attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either
manually or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be
countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned.
In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights
Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the
Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by
the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same
force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates
had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights
Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at
the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a
proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at
the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not
such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent
will keep, or cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices
designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates
upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the
Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number
of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the
date of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section
7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than
Rights Certificates representing Rights that may have been exchanged
pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the
registered holder to purchase a like number of one one- thousandths of a
share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Stock,
other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights
Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitles such holder (or
former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder
desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate
or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights
Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or
offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights
Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with
respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until
the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights
Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates
or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon
the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14
hereof and Section 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
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable
expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and
cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will
execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights
Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of
the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time after the
Distribution Date, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may
exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein,
including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth
in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof), in whole or
in part, upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of
election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly
executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the
aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one
one-thousandths of a share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as
the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable,
at or prior to the earlier of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on May 18,
2010, or such later date as may be established by the Board of Directors
prior to the expiration of the Rights (such date, as it may be extended by
the Board, the ("Final Expiration Date"), or (ii) the time at which the
Rights are redeemed or exchanged as provided in Section 23 and Section 24
hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the
"Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one- thousandth of a
share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall
initially be $125, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Section 11 and Section 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in
accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each
Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share
of Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as
the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to
any applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights
Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the
Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary
agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the
Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu
of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after
receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be
delivered to or, upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or
upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment
of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank
draft payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is
obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the
Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such
other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution
by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the
right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon
any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole
shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights
Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a
new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining
unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon
the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered
in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the
provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or
Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person
(or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to
or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such
Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration)
from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring
Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing
agreement, arrangement or understanding 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), shall become null and
void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any
rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision
of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable
efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b)
hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of
Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make
any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates,
Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the
occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless
such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side
of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided
such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall
reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.
All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer,
split-up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or
any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in
cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled
by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as
expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company
shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the
Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate
purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise
thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates
to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy
such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a
certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause
to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares
of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other
securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its
treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities)
that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof,
will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding
Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and,
following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be
listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best
efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become
exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such
exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file,
as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be
delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in
accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under
the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to
become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause
such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all
times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the
date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities,
and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also
take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with,
the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in connection with
the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for
a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in
clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the
exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration
statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability
of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
announcement at such time as the suspension has been rescinded. In
addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is
required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily
suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration
statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of
this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any
jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not
have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under
applicable law, or a registration statement shall not have been declared
effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take
all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths
of a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon
exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for
such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will
pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and
charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the
Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company
shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be
payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a
Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of the
registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered
for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one
one- thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or
other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the
registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax shall have
been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights
Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to
the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in whose
name any certificate for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may
be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed
to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred
Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon
which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered
and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer taxes) was
made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is
a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed,
such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares
(fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company
are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder
of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a
stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights
shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to
receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive
rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings
of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of
shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are
subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after
the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred
Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the
outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred
Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its
capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including
any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger
in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e)
hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date
for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of
Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such
date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any
Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and
kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may
be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such
date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the
Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and
been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision,
combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would
require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i)
shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment
required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(ii) In the event any Person shall, at any time
after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring
Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring
Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, then,
promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision
shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided
below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of
shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result
obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
then number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for
which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that
product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be
referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all
purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common
Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares,
the "Adjustment Shares").
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of
Common Stock which are authorized by the Company's Restated
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, but which are not
outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon
exercise of the Rights, are not sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall (A)
determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (the "Current Value"), and (B) with respect to
each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision
to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right
and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or
units of shares, of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock,
which the Board has deemed to have essentially the same value or
economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred
stock being referred to as "Common Stock Equivalents")), (4) debt
securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination
of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current
Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where
such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the
advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by
the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made
adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above
within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the
Company's right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the
later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the "Section
11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company shall be obligated to
deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without
requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to
the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares
and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes
of the preceding sentence, the term "Spread" shall mean the excess of
(i) the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board
determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional
shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise
in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may
be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90)
days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the
Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such
additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be
extended, is herein called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent
that action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third
sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide,
subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the
exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution
Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for such
authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate
form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to
determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well
as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer
in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each
Adjustment Share shall be the current market price per share of the
Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share
or per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to
equal the current market price per share of the Common Stock on such
date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within
forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or
shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the shares of
Preferred Stock ("Equivalent Preferred Stock")) or securities convertible
into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of
Preferred Stock or per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a
conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock
or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less than the Current Market Price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock
on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record
date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record
date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate
offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or
Equivalent Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date,
plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent
Preferred Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which
the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In
case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part
or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such
consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board 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. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or
held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the
purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or
warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash
(other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in
Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than
Preferred Stock) or evidences of indebtedness, or of subscription rights or
warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the
Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined
by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current
Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of
Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so
to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to
a share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such
Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not
been fixed.
(d)(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed
to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common
Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to
such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on
any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per
share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days
immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that
the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock is determined during
a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of
(A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of
such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common
Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Stock, and the ex-dividend date for such
dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the
commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading
Day period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current
Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex- dividend
trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price,
regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with
respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed
on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common
Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock
are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange,
the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and
low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the
shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market
maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board. If on any
such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair
value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board
shall be used. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock
are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business
or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is
not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market Price per
share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by
the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with
the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be
determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock
in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence
thereof). If the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock
cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred
Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described
in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per
share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount
equal to 1,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such
events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with
respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of this
Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred
Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, Current Market Price
per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share
as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be
conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the
Current Market Price of a Unit shall be equal to the Current Market
Price of one share of Preferred Stock divided by 1,000.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment
would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the
Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under
this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest
ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth
of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the
first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this
Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years
from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii)
the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right
thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital
stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other
shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price
thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on
terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to
the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h),
(i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14
hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any
such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company
subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number
of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time
to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further
adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election
as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as
a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall
thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
that number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
(calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x)
the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately
prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the
product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such
adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of
any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights
outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be
exercisable for the number of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such
adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the
number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the
nearest one-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 one one- thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock 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 share and the number of one
one-thousandth of a share which were expressed in the initial Rights
Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an
adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any,
of the number of one one- thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate
action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that
the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock at such
adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require
that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record
date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the
occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised
after such record date the number of one one- thousandths of a share of
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if
any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock 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) or securities upon the
occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in
the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by
this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the
Board of Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order
that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii)
issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the
Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred
Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or
exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (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 Stock shall not
be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not,
at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit
any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of
related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more
than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company
and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately
after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or
other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which
would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended
to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of
the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for
purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of
Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and
Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or
Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at
the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action
will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to
be afforded by the Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the
Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i)
declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common
Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with each
share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter
but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so
that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common
Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by
multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock
immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator which shall be
the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to
the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the
occurrence of such event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and
Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate
setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting
for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each
transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such
certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief
summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with
Section 27 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on
any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets,
Cash Flow or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition
Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or
merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the
Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such
consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall
consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall
be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger
and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for
stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other
property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or
more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or
earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person
or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one
or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof),
then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i)
each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then
current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and
freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such
term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances,
rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the
result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the
number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a
Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one
one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing
that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event,
shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all
purposes of this Agreement) by (2) 50% of the Current Market Price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common
Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section
13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and
shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and
duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company"
shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being
specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply
only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common
Stock) 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 shares of
Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and
(v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect
following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean:
(i) in the case of any
transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of
Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into
which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such
merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the
Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in
clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is
the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or
earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such
Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding
twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act,
and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the
Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, "Principal Party"
shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common
Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered, "Principal
Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common
Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any such
consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall
have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior
thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the
terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further
providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation,
merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the
Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under
the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable
upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its
best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of
the Act) until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) take such all such other action as may be
necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities
purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to
the registration or qualification of such securities under all
requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and
the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets
as may be necessary or appropriate; and
(iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights
historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of
its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive
mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a
Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall
thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section
11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence
fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which
such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal
to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For
purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right
shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise
issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day,
the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either
case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the
principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so
quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in
use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished
by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights, selected by
the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market
maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on
such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one- thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon
exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one- thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock).
In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company
may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such
Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of
Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market
value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one
one-thousandth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock
upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common
Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates
at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash
equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value
of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share
of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any
fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this
Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement are vested in the respective registered holders of the
Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered
holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock),
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
Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may
institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company
to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the
Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such
Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or
any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy
at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific
performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against
actual or threatened violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person
subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the
Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(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;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the
Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a
Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated
Common Stock 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 Stock
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent,
subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to
be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability
to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to
perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any
preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued
by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or
administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or
executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority,
prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation;
provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have any such
order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.
No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote,
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of
one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities
of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the
Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any
Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or
any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter
submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other
actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 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 disbursements and other
disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this
Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The
Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it
harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
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 Common Stock 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.
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, stock transfer or other
shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement
without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part
of any of the parties hereto; but only if such corporation would be
eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions
of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall
succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such
successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor
Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the
successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates
shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this
Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent
shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have
been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates
shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such
Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided
in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes
the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following
terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights
Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who
may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent
as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance
with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any
fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any
Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved
or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action
hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be
herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the
President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the
Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the
provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for
its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason
of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or
in the Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to
its countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements
and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any
responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the
execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the
Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights
Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be
responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition
contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be
responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11,
Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or
amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts
that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise
of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such
adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any
shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this
Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common
Stock or Preferred Stock will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged
and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances
as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or
performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder
from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the
Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant
Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for
any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance
with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested
in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with
or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though
it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall
preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company
or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either
itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall
not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or
misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company
resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided,
however, reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued
employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the
Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any
financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in
the 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 Common Stock and Preferred
Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs
after the Distribution Date, to the registered 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 Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by
registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs after the
Distribution Date, 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 Rights Certificate for
inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether
appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a legal business
entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
of the State of New York or of any other state of the United States, in
good standing, having an office in the State of New York, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer or
shareholder services powers or (b) an affiliate of a legal business entity
described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor
Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and
responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without
further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver
and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by
it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance,
act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of
any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with
the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and the Preferred Stock, and, if such appointment occurs after the
Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered
holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for
in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the
legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or
the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to
the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates
evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board 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 shares
of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption
or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares
of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options
or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the
Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other
case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board 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 if, and to the extent that,
the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate
adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company
may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of
business on the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date
(or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record
Date, the close of business on the tenth Business Day following the Record
Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all, but not less than
all, of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per
Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the
"Redemption Price"). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement
to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's
right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option,
pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the
Current Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common
Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed
appropriate by the Board of 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 for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the
Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall
give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the
then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each
holder's last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights
Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
transfer agent for the Common Stock. 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.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange
all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not
include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
7(e) hereof) for Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common
Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio").
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company 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 Stock 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 Stock then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection
(a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only
right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number
of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such
holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give
public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to
give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such
exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to
all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear
upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in
the manner 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 Stock 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 any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the
Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Stock (or Equivalent
Preferred Stock, as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11
hereof) for Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred
Stock) for each share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect
stock splits, stock dividends and other similar transactions after the date
hereof.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient
shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but
unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance
with this Section 24, the shares of Company shall take all such action as
may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for
issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of
Common Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction
of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the
purposes of this subsection (e), the current market value of a whole share
of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (as
determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at
any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in
stock of any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other
distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular
quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the
Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Stock rights or
warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred
Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation
or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the
Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to
effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its
Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a
series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the assets, cash flow
or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to
any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with
Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give
to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which
shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend,
distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation
therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date
is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action
covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least
twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or
the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred
Stock whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section
11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall
as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate, to the extent feasible and 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 Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to
Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or,
if appropriate, other securities.
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 by the Rights Agent with the Company) as
follows:
AnnTaylor Stores Corporation
142 West 57th Street
New York, New York 10019
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by
this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or
made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another
address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as
follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
2 Broadway, 19th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Compliance Department
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of
certificates representing shares of Common Stock) 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 and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company
so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common
Stock. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights
Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement
without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to
cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained
herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions
herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to
change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the
Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person);
provided, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen any
time period hereunder, 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 which 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 Stock. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this
Agreement may not be amended at a time when the Rights are not redeemable.
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 shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time,
including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial
Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-
3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The
Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and
powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be
necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of
this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or
advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a
determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the
Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and
determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions
with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good
faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not
subject the Board, or any of the directors on the Board, to any liability
to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company,
the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates
(and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common
Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement;
but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of
the Common Stock).
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 Business Day following
the date of such determination by the Board of Directors. Without limiting
the foregoing, if any provision requiring a specific group of Directors of
the Company to act is held by any court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, such determination
shall then be made by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance
with applicable law and the Company's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, and By-laws.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each
Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State
applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such
State.
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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above
written.
Attest: ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
By /s/ Jocelyn F. L. Barandiaran By /s/ J. Patrick Spainhour
------------------------------ ------------------------
Jocelyn F. L. Barandiaran J. Patrick Spainhour
Senior Vice President, Chairman of the Board
General Counsel
and Secretary
Attest: CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST COMPANY
By /s/Kim Mainente By /s/ Michael J. Nelson
--------------------------- ---------------------
Kim Mainente Michael J. Nelson
President
Exhibit A
FORM OF
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND
RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware
We, J. Patrick Spainhour, Chairman of the Board, and Jocelyn
F.L. Barandiaran, Secretary, of AnnTaylor Stores Corporation, a corporation
organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware, in accordance with the provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO
HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the said
Corporation, as amended, the said Board of Directors on May 18, 2000,
adopted the following resolution creating a series of 120,000 shares of
Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, a series of Preferred
Stock of the Corporation be, and it hereby is, created, and that the
designation and amount thereof and the voting powers, preferences and
relative, participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of
such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof
are as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series
shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and
the number of shares constituting such series shall be 120,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of
any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to
the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to
dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per
share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or
(b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000
times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times
the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends
or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common
Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value
$.0068 per share, 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 Junior Participating Preferred
Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after May 18, 2000
(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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately
prior to such event under clause (b) 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 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 Junior 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);
provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been
declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, a dividend of $1.00 per share on the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from
the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of
such shares of Series A Junior 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 Junior
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 Junior 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 Junior 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 shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting
rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a
vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. 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 number of votes
per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders
of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters
submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If, at any time, dividends on any Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal
to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such
contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a
"default period") which shall extend until such time when all accrued
and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and
for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been
declared and paid or set apart for payment. During each default
period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in
arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon,
voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to
elect two (2) directors.
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of the
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be
exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to
subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of
stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders,
provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders
of any other series of Preferred Stock, if any, to increase, in
certain cases, the authorized number of directors shall be exercised
unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of
Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.
The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not
affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting
right. At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall
exercise such voting right initially during an existing default
period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect
directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors
as may then exist up to two (2) directors or, if such right is
exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) directors. If the
number which may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount
to the required number, the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have
the right to make such increase in the number of directors as shall
be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number.
After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have exercised their
right to elect directors in any default period and during the
continuance of such period, the number of directors shall not be
increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred
Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity
securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock.
(iii) Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during
an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to
elect directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder
or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent
(10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding,
irrespective of series, may request, the calling of a special meeting
of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be
called by the President, a Vice-President or the Secretary of the
Corporation. Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at
which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to
this Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of
Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last
address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation. Such
meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not
later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the
calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request,
such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%)
of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Paragraph (C)(iii), no such
special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days
immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of
the stockholders.
(iv) In any default period, the holders of Common Stock,
and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall
continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors until
the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to
elect two (2) directors voting as a class, after the exercise of
which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred
Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been
elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default
period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as
provided in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of
a majority of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the
holders of the class of stock which elected the director whose office
shall have become vacant. References in this Paragraph (C) to
directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall
include directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as
provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.
(v) Immediately upon the expiration of a default period,
(x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect
directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by the
holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the
number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in
the certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any
increase made pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (C)(ii) of this
Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter
in any manner provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation
or by-laws). Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the
provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be
filled by a majority of the remaining directors.
(D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior
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) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Junior 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 Junior 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as
to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid
ratably on the Series A Junior 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 Junior 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 Junior
Participating Preferred Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any
shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase
offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board
of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the
Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual
dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the
respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will
result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares
of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph
(A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such
time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the
Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled
promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their
cancellation become authorized but unissued 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 Junior
Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an
amount equal to $1,000 per share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock,
plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions
thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the "Series
A Liquidation Preference"). Following the payment of the full amount of the
Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made
to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have
received an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by
(ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C)
below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and
recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause
(ii), the "Adjustment Number"). Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of
all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and
Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their
ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed
in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred
Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
(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 Junior 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. In the event, however, that there are not
sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common
Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the
holders of Common Stock.
(C) 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 Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior
to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of 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 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 Junior 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 Junior 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 Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred
Stock, if any, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of
assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. At any time when any shares of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, neither the Restated
Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended, nor this
Certificate of Designation shall be amended in any manner which would
materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the
Series A Junior 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 Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
voting separately as a class.
Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle
the holder, in proportion to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise
voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have
the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this
Certificate and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of
perjury this 18th day of May, 2000.
J. Patrick Spainhour,
Chairman of the Board
Attest:
Jocelyn F. L. Barandiaran
Secretary
Exhibit B
Form of Rights Certificate
Certificate No. R- ________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MAY 18, 2010, UNLESS EXTENDED PRIOR THERETO BY THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE
SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01 PER RIGHT ON
THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES,
RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED
IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY
BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING
PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS
ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE
AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]*
- --------
* The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
Rights Certificate
ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered
owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the
owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Rights Agreement, dated as of May 18, 2000 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between AnnTaylor Stores Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York
banking corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at
any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on May 18, 2010 (unless
such date is extended prior thereto by the Board of Directors), at the
office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its
successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid,
non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price of $125 per one
one-thousandth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon presentation and
surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase
and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by
this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased
upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share
set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of May 18, 2000,
based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. The Company
reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event
(as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights
be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term
is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are
defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances
specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder
hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the
occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the
number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, which may
be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening
of certain events, including Triggering Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions
and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part
hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full
description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and
immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of
the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary
suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights
Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and
are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the
Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing
Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one
one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by
the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have
entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be
exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender
hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of
whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights
evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option
at a redemption price of $.01 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of
the close of business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Stock
Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the
Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. In addition, under
certain circumstances following the Stock Acquisition Date, the Rights may
be exchanged, in whole or in part, for shares of the Common Stock, or
shares of preferred stock of the Company having essentially the same value
or economic rights as such shares. Immediately upon the action of the Board
of Directors of the Company authorizing any such exchange, and without any
further action or any notice, the Rights (other than Rights which are not
subject to such exchange) will terminate and the Rights will only enable
holders to receive the shares issuable upon such exchange.
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred
Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by
depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as
provided in the Rights Agreement. The Company, at its election, may require
that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred
Stock would be issued.
No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of
Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any
time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in
the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder
hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give consent to or withhold
consent from any corporate action, or, to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights
Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise,
until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have
been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of _________ __, ____
ATTEST: ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
By_____________________________
- ------------------------------
Secretary Title:
Countersigned:
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER
& TRUST COMPANY
By______________________________
Authorized Signature
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires
to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest
therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
__________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on
the books of the within named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: __________________, _____
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold,
assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
(as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: _______________, _____
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate
in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change
whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: AnnTaylor Stores Corporation:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
__________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the
shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such
other securities of the Company or of any other person which may be
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates
for such shares be issued in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of
such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
(Please print name and address)
Dated: _______________, _____
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ]
are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person
(as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.
Dated: ______________, _____
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever.
Exhibit C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED STOCK
On May 18, 2000, the Board of Directors of AnnTaylor Stores
Corporation (the "Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right
for each outstanding share of Company Common Stock to stockholders of
record at the close of business on May 30, 2000 (the "Record Date"). Each
Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit
consisting of one one-thousandth of a share (a "Unit") of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Series A
Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of $125 per Unit, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights
Certificates will be distributed. Subject to certain exceptions specified
in the Rights Agreement, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and
a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days
following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or
associated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the
"Stock Acquisition Date"), other than as a result of repurchases of stock
by the Company or certain inadvertent actions by institutional or certain
other stockholders or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the
Board shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or
exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring
Person. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by
the Common Stock certificates and will be transferred with and only with
such Common Stock certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued
after the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any
certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such
certificate. Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Company reserves the
right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as defined
below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised
so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and
will expire at 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on May 18, 2010, unless such
date is extended or the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the
Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights
Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the
separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock
issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each
holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise,
Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other
securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the exercise
price of the Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the
occurrence of the event set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are,
or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were,
beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However,
Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set
forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the
Company as set forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $125 per Right, each Right
not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following
an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to
purchase $250 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted
above) for $125. Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
$25 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to
purchase 10 shares of Common Stock for $125.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition
Date, (i) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination
transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the
Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in
which the Company is the surviving corporation and the Common Stock of the
Company is changed or exchanged, or (iii) 50% or more of the Company's
assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a
Right (except Rights which have previously been voided as set forth above)
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of
the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price
of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second
preceding paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and
prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or
more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may exchange the Rights
(other than Rights owned by such person or group which have become void),
in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or
one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class
or series of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights,
preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).
At any time until ten business days following the Stock
Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in
part, at a price of $.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other
consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors). Immediately
upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the
Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of
Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption price.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the
distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the
Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize
taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common
Stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the
acquiring company or in the event of the redemption of the Rights as set
forth above.
Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by
the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After
the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be
amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which
do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten
or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement. The foregoing
notwithstanding, no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights are
not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement is being filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration
Statement on Form 8-A/Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 22, 2000. A copy
of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Rights Agent.
This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and
is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
ANNTAYLOR LOGO
ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
ADOPTS STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
New York, New York, May 19, 2000 - AnnTaylor Stores Corporation
(NYSE: ANN) announced today that its Board of Directors adopted a
Stockholder Rights Plan, pursuant to which rights will be distributed as a
dividend at the rate of one Right for each share of Common Stock of the
Company held by stockholders of record as of the close of business on May
30, 2000.
The Rights Plan is designed to deter coercive takeover tactics
including the accumulation of shares in the open market or through private
transactions and to prevent an acquirer from gaining control of the Company
without offering a fair and adequate price to all of the Company's
stockholders. The Rights will expire on May 18, 2010. The Rights Plan was
not adopted in response to any pending effort to acquire control of the
Company.
Each Right initially will entitle stockholders to buy one unit of a
share of a new series of preferred stock for $125. The Rights generally
will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership
of 15% or more of the Voting Power of the Company as represented by the
Company's Common Stock or commences a tender or exchange offer upon
consummation of which such person or group would beneficially own 15% or
more of the Voting Power of the Company as represented by the Company's
Common Stock.
A copy of the Stockholder Rights Plan will be filed shortly with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ann Taylor is one of the country's leading women's specialty
retailers, operating 421 stores in 42 states, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico.
Contact: Investor Relations: Media Relations:
Barry Erdos Jill Golden
EVP - Chief Financial Officer Vice President - Corporate
(212) 541-3318 Communications
(212) 541-3269
