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
August 7, 1996
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
0-19266 23-1370721
(Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employment Identification No.)
1720 SUBLETTE AVENUE 63110
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)
(314) 771-2400
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
(a) RIGHTS AGREEMENT. On August 21, 1996 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company declared a dividend distribution
of one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per
share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company to stockholders of record at the
close of business on September 4, 1996. As of August 21, 1996, there were
7,796,682 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit (a "Unit") consisting of
one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per
share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of forty dollars ($40.00) per
Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set
forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of August 21, 1996 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between the Company and Boatmen's Trust Company, as Rights Agent,
which is filed as Exhibit (2) hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to them in the Rights Agreement.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will
be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) days following a
public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire,
beneficial ownership of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) ten (10) business
days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following the
commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person
or group beneficially owning twenty-five percent (25%) or more of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock. 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 September 4, 1996 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. The Company's
Board of Directors has initially reserved 200,000 shares of Preferred Stock for
issuance upon exercise of the Rights. 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
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number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will
be issued.
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. The Rights are not exercisable
until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of business on
September 4, 2006, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution
to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments
amount to at least one percent (1%) of the Purchase Price. No fractional Units
will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on
the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the
date of exercise. Upon payment of the Purchase Price, all Preferred Stock issued
will be fully paid and non-assessable. Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of rights will not be redeemable. Each share of Preferred Stock will be
entitled to a cumulative preferential quarterly dividend payment of the greater
of (a) $1.00 per share or (b) an aggregate of one hundred (100) times the
dividend declared per share of Common Stock. In the event of a liquidation, the
holders of the Preferred Stock will be entitled to a liquidation payment of one
hundred dollars ($100) or one hundred (100) times the payment made per share of
Common Stock.
Each share of Preferred Stock will have one hundred (100) votes, voting
together with the Common Stock on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders of the Company. If, however, at any time, dividends on the
Preferred Stock are in
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arrears in an amount equal to six quarterly dividends (a "default period"),
until such dividends are paid or set apart for payment in full, the holders of
all series of Preferred Stock of the Company shall have the right to elect two
(2) members of the Company's Board of Directors. In addition, during such a
default period, the Company may not declare or pay dividends or other
distributions on or redeem or purchase any shares of stock ranking junior to the
Preferred Stock and is limited in its ability to declare or pay dividends or
other distributions on or to redeem or purchase any shares of Preferred Stock or
stock ranking in parity with the Preferred Stock.
In the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which the
Common Stock is exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to
receive one hundred (100) times the amount received per share of Common Stock.
The Preferred Stock will rank junior to all other series of preferred stock of
the Company which may be created in the future, as to dividends and the
distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide
otherwise. Each of these rights is protected by customary antidilution
provisions.
In the event that, at any time following the Rights Dividend Declaration
Date, (i) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger with an Acquiring
Person and its Common Stock is not changed or exchanged, (ii) a Person becomes
the beneficial owner of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock (unless such transaction is approved by the
Board or such Person is excepted by the Board, in either case before such Person
acquires beneficial ownership of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the
outstanding Common Stock), (iii) an Acquiring Person engages in one or more
"self-dealing" transactions as set forth in the Rights Agreement, or (iv) during
such time as there is an Acquiring Person, an event occurs which results in such
Acquiring Person's ownership interest being increased by more than one percent
(1%) (e.g., a reverse stock split), 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 any of the events set forth in this paragraph (the
"Flip-In Events"), 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 any of the Flip-In Events until such time as the Rights are no
longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
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For example, upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, at an exercise price
of forty dollars ($40) per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person
(or by certain related parties) would entitle its holder to purchase eighty
dollars ($80) worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for
forty dollars ($40). Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
twenty dollars ($20) at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be
entitled to purchase four shares of Common Stock for forty dollars ($40).
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in
which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than following a
permitted transaction as described in the second preceding paragraph), or (ii)
fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold or
transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been
voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise, common 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 the Flip-In Events are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after the occurrence of any of the Flip-In Events, the Board of
Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by an
Acquiring Person which will become void as described above), in whole or in
part, for shares of Common Stock or shares of preferred stock of the Company
having essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock,
at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, subject to
antidilution adjustments.
At any time until ten 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). Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights
Agreement, the decision to redeem shall require the concurrence of a majority of
the Continuing Directors. After the redemption period has expired, the Company's
right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his
beneficial ownership to less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving
the Company. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering
redemption of the Rights, with, where required, the concurrence of the
Continuing Directors, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the
holders of Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption price.
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The term "Continuing Directors" means any member of the Board of Directors
of the Company, and any Person who is subsequently elected to the Board if such
Person is recommended or approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors, but
shall not include an Acquiring Person, or an affiliate, associate or
representaive of an Acquiring Person.
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 as set forth above.
Other than those provisions relating to the principal economic terms of the
Rights, 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 certain circumstances, with the concurrence of the Continuing
Directors) in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not
adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of
any Acquiring Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the
Rights Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period
governing redemption shall be made at such time as the Rights are not
redeemable.
The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company
without conditioning the offer on redemption of the Rights or on a substantial
number of Rights being acquired. The Rights should not interfere with any merger
or other business combination approved by the Board of Directors of the Company
prior to the time that the Rights may not be redeemed (as described above) since
the Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time until such date redeem
all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights. The Rights are
designed to provide additional protection against abusive takeover tactics such
as offers for all shares at less than full value, partial tender offers and
selective open-market purchases. The Rights are intended to assure that the
Company's Board of Directors has the ability to protect stockholders and the
Company if efforts are made to gain control of the Company in a manner that is
not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
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The foregoing description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and
is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement.
(b) DIVIDEND. On August 21, 1996, the Board of Directors of Allied
Healthcare Products, Inc. (the "Company") announced its decision that is was in
the best interest of the Company's stockholders to suspend declaration and
payment of the Company's regular quarterly dividend.
(c) MANAGEMENT. On August 21, 1996 the Board of Directors of the Company
announced that it had elected Barry F. Baker Vice President - Finance and Chief
Financial Officer of the Company.
On August 7, 1996, David V. LaRusso, Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer of the Company resigned effective immediately from his
position as an officer and director of the Company.
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS
(c) Exhibits
(1) Press Release of the Company dated August 22, 1996
(2) Rights Agreement dated August 21, 1996 by and between Allied Healthcare
Products, Inc. and Boatmen's Trust Company, as Rights Agent. The Rights
Agreement includes as Exhibit A thereto the Certificate of Designations,
Preferences and Rights of Series A Preferred Stock of Allied Healthcare
Products, Inc., as Exhibit B thereto the Form of Rights Certificate and as
Exhibit C thereto the Summary of Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
Date: August 21, 1996 By: /s/ James C. Janning
___________________________________
James C. Janning
President and
Chief Executive Officer
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION PAGE
(1) Press Release of the Company dated August 22, 1996.
(2) Rights Agreement dated August 21, 1996 by and
between Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. and
Boatmen's Trust Company, as Rights Agent. The
Rights Agreement includes as Exhibit A thereto
the Certificate of Designations, Preferences and
Rights of Series A Preferred Stock of Allied
Healthcare Products, Inc., as Exhibit B thereto
the Form of Rights Certificate and as Exhibit C
thereto the Summary of Rights to Purchase
Series A Preferred Stock.
Contacts: James C. Janning
Allied Healthcare Products, Inc.
(314) 771-2400
Gary S. Maier
Pondell Parsons & Wilkinson
(310) 207-9300
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS ADOPTS
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
St. Louis, Missouri -- August 22, 1996 -- Allied Healthcare Products, Inc.
Nasdaq/NMS: AHPI) today announced it has adopted a shareholder rights plan to
assure shareholders fair value and equal treatment in the event of any proposed
takeover of the Company.
James C. Janning, president and chief executive officer, said "While the
company did not take this action in response to any effort which management is
aware to acquire control of Allied, the board felt it prudent and in the best
interest of shareholders to establish a rights plan." He added that the rights
plan is similar to those adopted by numerous other companies.
Pursuant to the plan, a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right has
been declared for each outstanding share of common stock to stockholders of
record on September 4, 1996. Generally, the rights will not be exercisable until
a person or group acquires, or commences a tender offer to acquire, beneficial
ownership of more than 25 percent of Allied's common stock. Each right, when
exercisable, entitles the holder to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of
Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, at a purchase price of
forty dollars ($40.00), subject to adjustment. No separate certificates
evidencing the rights will be issued unless and until they become exercisable.
Upon the acquisition of 25 percent of Allied's common stock without the
consent of the board of directors, the holders of the rights, except such
acquiring person, will have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock
(or, in certain circumstances, cash, properties or other securities) having a
value equal to two times the exercise price of the right. In the event of a
merger or other business combination in which Allied is not the surviving entity
or if 50 percent or more of Allied's assets or earning power are sold, the
holders of the rights will have the right to receive, upon exercise, common
stock of the acquiror.
Prior to becoming exercisable, the rights are redeemable by the board of
directors for $0.01 per right. If not so redeemed, the rights will expire on
September 4, 2006.
Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of respiratory
therapy equipment, medical gas equipment and emergency medical products used in
a wide range of hospital and alternate care settings.
######
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
by and between
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
and
BOATMEN'S TRUST COMPANY
as Rights Agent
Dated as of August 21, 1996
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. Certain Definitions 2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent 10
Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates 10
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates 14
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration 16
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange
of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates 17
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price and
Expiration Date of Rights 19
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates 24
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock 24
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date 28
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind
of Shares or Number of Rights 29
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or
Number of Shares 50
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power 50
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares 55
Section 15. Rights of Action 58
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders 59
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder 60
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent 61
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent 62
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent 64
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent 68
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates 70
Section 23. Redemption and Termination 71
Section 24. Exchange 74
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events 76
Section 26. Notices 78
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments 79
Section 28. Successors 81
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of
Directors, etc. 81
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement 82
Section 31. Severability 83
Section 32. Governing Law 83
Section 33. Counterparts 84
Section 34. Descriptive Headings 84
Exhibit A Certificate of Designation, Preferences and
Rights
Exhibit B Form of Rights Certificate
Exhibit C Form of Summary of Rights
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of August 21, 1996 (the "Agreement"),
between Allied Healthcare Products, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Boatmen's Trust Company, a Missouri corporation (the "Rights
Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on August 21, 1996 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration
Date"), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend
distribution of one Right for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter
defined), par value $0.01 per share, of the Company outstanding at the close of
business on September 4, 1996 (the "Record Date"), and has authorized the
issuance of one Right for each share of Common Stock (as such numbers may
hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof), 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-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock of the Company 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");
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NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, but shall not include (i) 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 or (ii) any Person,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, who or which would
otherwise be an Acquiring Person by reason of (A) being the Beneficial Owner of
shares of Common Stock, the beneficial ownership of which was acquired by such
Person (or a predecessor of such Person) pursuant to a transaction or series of
related transactions approved by the Board of Directors before such Person (or a
predecessor of such Person) otherwise became an Acquiring Person or (B) any
other action or transaction which the Board of Directors determines should not,
consistent with the purposes of this Agreement, cause such Person (or a
predecessor of such
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Person) to be deemed an Acquiring Person, which determination is made by the
Board of Directors prior to such Person (or a predecessor of such Person)
otherwise becoming an Acquiring Person.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and
in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect
on the date of this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(d) "Agreement" shall mean this Rights Agreement as originally
executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended pursuant to
the applicable provisions hereof.
(e) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall bedeemed 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
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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, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at
any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, 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 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
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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 also then
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 (e)) or disposing of any
voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this
paragraph (e) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of
securities to be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any
securities acquired through such Person's participation in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date
of such acquisition.
(f) "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(g) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the
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State of Missouri are authorized or obligated by law or executive order
to close.
(h) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
Central Time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Central Time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(i) "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, par value $0.01
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.
(j) "Company" shall mean the Person named as the "Company" in
the first paragraph of this Agreement until a successor corporation shall have
become such or until a Principal Party shall assume, and thereafter be liable
for, all obligations and duties of the Company hereunder, pursuant to the
applicable provisions of this Agreement, and thereafter "Company" shall mean
such successor corporation or Principal Party.
(k) "Continuing Director" shall mean (i) any member of the Board
of Directors of the Company, while such Person is a member of the Board, who is
not an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or
a representative of an Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or
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Associate, or (ii) any Person who subsequently becomes a member of the Board,
while such Person is a member of the Board, who is not an Acquiring Person, or
an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, or a representative of an
Acquiring Person or of any such Affiliate or Associate, if such Person's
nomination for election or election to the Board is recommended or approved by a
majority of the Continuing Directors.
(l) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d) hereof.
(m) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(n) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(o) "equivalent preferred stock" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(p) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1(c) hereof.
(q) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(r) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean the Close of Business on
September 4, 2006.
(s) "Initial Exercise Price" shall be forty dollars ($40.00).
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(t) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity.
(u) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A 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 Preferred Stock authorized to
permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of preferred stock, par
value $.01 per share, of the Company designated for such purpose containing
terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock.
(v) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(w) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) hereof.
(x) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(y) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(z) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(aa) "Rights Agent" shall mean the Person named as the
"Rights Agent" in the first paragraph of this Agreement until a successor Rights
Agent shall have become such pursuant to the
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applicable provisions hereof, and thereafter "Rights Agent" shall mean such
successor Rights Agent. If at any time there is more than one Person appointed
by the Company as Rights Agent pursuant to the applicable provisions of this
Agreement, "Rights Agent" shall mean and include each such Person.
(ab) "Rights Certificates" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(ac) "Rights Dividend Declaration Date" shall have the meaning
set forth in the first WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(ad) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) (A), (B) or (C) hereof.
(ae) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in
clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(af) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include,
without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange
Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become
such.
(ag) "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
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such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(ah) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(ai) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(b) hereof.
(aj) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
(ak) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event
or any Section 13 Event.
(al) "Unit" shall mean one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock.
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.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth
day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date occurs before the Record
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Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date), or (ii) the Close of Business
on the tenth business day (or such later date as the Board shall determine)
after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized,
appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such
plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of
the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation
thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner of twenty-five percent (25%)
or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (the earlier of (i) and
(ii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (A) 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 (B) 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
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such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more right certificates,
in substantially the form set forth in 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 Right Certificates, the Company
shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance
with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole
numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional
Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced
solely by such Rights Certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send or otherwise make available a copy of a Summary of Rights, in
substantially the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT C (the "Summary of Rights"),
by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock
as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder
shown on the records of the Company. 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
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Date or the Expiration Date, 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.
(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
BETWEEN ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC. (THE "COMPANY") AND
BOATMEN'S TRUST COMPANY (THE "RIGHTS AGENT") DATED AS OF AUGUST 21,
1996 (THE "RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE HEREBY
INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AND A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE AT
THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE 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 COMPANY WILL MAIL TO THE HOLDER
OF THIS CERTIFICATE A COPY OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, AS IN EFFECT ON
THE DATE OF MAILING, WITHOUT CHARGE 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.
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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 or other market 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
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to purchase such number of Units as shall be set forth therein at the price set
forth therein (such exercise price per Unit, 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) 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
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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 SUCH
AGREEMENT.
Section 5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President and Chief Executive Officer
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 manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent 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
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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 may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another
Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase
a like
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number of one one-hundredths 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 entitled
such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any
registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights
Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the
Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices
of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor
the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the
transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder
shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of
assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have
provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or
former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company
shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section
4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person
entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may
be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
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<PAGE>
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 AND EXPIRATION
DATE OF RIGHTS. (a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, 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 at any time after the Distribution Date 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
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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
Units (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) the close of business on September 4, 2006 (the "Final Expiration Date"),
or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23
hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the "Expiration
Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each Unit pursuant to the exercise of
a Right shall initially be forty dollars ($40.00), and shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and
shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase
Price per Unit (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
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<PAGE>
shares) certificates for the total number of Units 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 Units 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 by certified check, cashier's 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
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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
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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 Persons 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 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
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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 canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF CAPITAL STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and
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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
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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 Final
Expiration Date. 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 is no longer in effect. 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
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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 Units (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 Units (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 Units (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in 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 Units (or
Common Stock and/or other securities,
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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 Units (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
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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,
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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, he 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:
(A) any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of
any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date of this Agreement, directly or
indirectly, (1) shall merge into the Company or otherwise combine with the
Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such
merger or combination and the Common Stock of the Company shall remain
outstanding and unchanged, (2) shall, in one transaction or a series of
transactions, transfer any assets to the Company or to
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any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for shares of Common
Stock, for shares of other equity securities of the Company, or for securities
exercisable for or convertible into shares of equity securities of the Company
(Common Stock or otherwise) or otherwise obtain from the Company, with or
without consideration, any additional shares of such equity securities or
securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of such equity securities
(other than pursuant to a pro rata distribution to all holders of Common Stock),
(3) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or
otherwise acquire or dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions,
to, from or with (as the case may be) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
assets on terms and conditions less favorable to the Company than the Company
would be able to obtain in arm's-length negotiation with an unaffiliated third
party, other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof,
(4) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or
otherwise acquire or dispose of in one transaction or a series of transactions,
to, from or with (as the case may be) the Company or any of the Company's
Subsidiaries (other than incidental to the lines of business, if any, engaged in
as of the date hereof between the Company and such Acquiring Person or Associate
or Affiliate) assets having an aggregate fair market value of more than
$5,000,000, other than pursuant to a transaction set forth in Section 13(a)
hereof, (5) shall receive
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any compensation from the Company or any of the Company's Subsidiaries other
than compensation for full-time employment as a regular employee at rates in
accordance with the Company's (or its Subsidiaries') past practices, or (6)
shall receive the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a
stockholder and except if resulting from a requirement of law or governmental
regulation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial
assistance or any tax credits or other tax advantage provided by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries, or
(B) 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), alone or together with
its Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend
Declaration Date, become the Beneficial Owner of twenty-five percent (25%) or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, unless the event causing
the twenty-five percent (25%) threshold to be crossed is (a) a transaction set
forth in Section 13(a) hereof, (b) a transaction or series of related
transactions approved by the Board of Directors before such Person (or a
predecessor of such Person) otherwise became an Acquiring Person or (c) any
other action or transaction which the Board of Directors determines should not,
consistent with the
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purposes of this Agreement, cause such Person (or a predecessor of such Person)
to be deemed an Acquiring Person, which determination is made by the Board of
Directors prior to such Person (or a predecessor of such Person) otherwise
becoming an Acquiring Person, or
(C) during such time as there is an Acquiring Person,
there shall be any reclassification of securities (including any reverse stock
split), or recapitalization of the Company, or any merger or consolidation of
the Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other transaction or series of
transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than a
transaction or transactions to which the provisions of Section 13(a) apply
(whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring Person) which
has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than one percent
(1%) the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity
securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which is directly or
indirectly beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Associate or
Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, then, promptly following the occurrence of
any event described in Section 11(a)(ii)(A), (B) or (C) hereof, 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
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number of Units, 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 Units 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 fifty
percent (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 Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other
than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in
full of the Rights 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
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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
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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
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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
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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, 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
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Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock)
or 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, 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 if the Common Stock is listed on
one or more national securities exchanges, means the average daily closing sales
price
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of the Common Stock as reported by the principal national securities exchange on
which the Common Stock is traded for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days
immediately prior to such date, or for purposes of Section 11(a)(i) hereof, the
average daily closing prices for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days
immediately prior to such date, or, if there is no sale of the Common Stock, the
average of the bid and asked prices on such exchange at the close of trading on
such date or, if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities
exchange but is authorized for quotation in the Nasdaq National Market, the last
transaction price per share as reported by the Nasdaq National Market on such
date or, if there is no sale of the Common Stock, the average of the bid and
asked prices as reported by the Nasdaq National Market on such date or, if the
Common Stock is not authorized for quotation on the Nasdaq National Market, the
average of the bid and asked prices as reported in the over the counter market
or, if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange, quoted
in the Nasdaq National Market or quoted in the over the counter market, the fair
market value of a share of Common Stock on such date as shall be determined by
the majority vote of the Board of Directors; 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
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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 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
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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 one
hundred (100) (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 one hundred (100).
(d) 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
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this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one
one-hundredth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one ten-thousandth 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.
(e) 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.
(f) 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 stated Purchase Price, the number of Units purchasable from
time to time
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hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as
provided herein.
(g) 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
Units (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by (i) multiplying
(x) the number of Units 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.
(h) 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 Units 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 Units 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 one-hundredth) obtained
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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 distributed shall be issued, executed and
countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of
the Company, the adjusted
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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.
(i) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of Units issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the
Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express
the Purchase Price per Unit and the number of Units which were expressed in the
initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(j) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number
of Units 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 such number of fully paid and
nonassessable Units at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(k) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date
the number of one one-hundredths of a 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-hundredths of
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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.
(l) 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 or 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.
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(m) 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 or earning power
aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of the
Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons
(other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the
time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any
rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in
effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits
intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders 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.
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(n) 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.
(o) 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
following such event and the denominator of which is
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the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
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) mail a
brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to
the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of
Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 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
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
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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 or
earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any 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 tradable 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
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current Purchase Price by the number of Units 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 Units for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and
dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13
Event, shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right and for all
purposes of this Agreement) by (2) fifty percent (50%) of the Current Market
Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per 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
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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 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,
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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 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 will deliver
to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party
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and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements
for registration 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, there shall be paid to the registered holders of
the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the
current market value of a whole Right means, if the Common Stock is listed on
one or more national securities exchanges, the closing sales price of a share of
Common Stock as reported by the principal national securities exchange on which
the Common Stock is traded for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on
which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable or, if there is
no sale of the
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Common Stock on such date, the average of the bid and asked prices on such
exchange at the close of trading on such date or, if Common Stock is not listed
on a national securities exchange but is authorized for quotation in the Nasdaq
National Market, the last transaction price per share of Common Stock as
reported by the Nasdaq National Market on such date or, if there is no sale of
the Common Stock on such date, the average of the bid and asked prices as
reported by the Nasdaq National Market on such date or, if Common Stock is not
authorized for quotation on the Nasdaq National Market on such date, the average
of the bid and asked prices as reported in the over the counter market or, if
the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange, quoted on the
Nasdaq National Market or quoted in the over the counter market, the fair market
value of a share of Common Stock on such date as shall be determined by the
majority vote of the Board of Directors.
(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-hundredth 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-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock,
the
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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 Unit. For purposes of this Section
14(b), the current market value of one Unit shall be one one-hundredth 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
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Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by
this Section.
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.
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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
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(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 to be
returned 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-hundredths 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
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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. Anything in this
Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be
liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind
whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits) incurred
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without bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, even if
the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and
regardless of the form of action.
(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 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 or stock transfer 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
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paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided,
however, that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor
Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such
successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement,
any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered,
any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor
Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case
at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned,
any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in
the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in
all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in
the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
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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 and Chief Executive Officer, 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
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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
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any
of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of
Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount
of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would
require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment);
nor shall it by any act
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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 and Chief Executive Officer, 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 obtain a
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pecuniary interest 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
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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 to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
thirty (30) days notice in writing mailed to the Rights Agent or successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint
a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate (who shall,
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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
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
any state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do
business as a banking institution in such state, in good standing, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers
and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and
which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent capital and surplus of
at least $100,000,000. 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 mail a notice thereof in writing to
the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give
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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 its Board of Directors to
reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or
class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of 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
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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 (10th)
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
day following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all
but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01
per Right, 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");
provided, however, if the Board of Directors of the Company authorizes
redemption of the Rights in either of the circumstances set forth in clauses (i)
and (ii) below, then there must be Continuing Directors then in office and such
authorization shall require the concurrence of a majority of such Continuing
Directors: (i) such authorization occurs on or after
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the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, or (ii) such authorization occurs
on or after the date of a change (resulting from a proxy or consent
solicitation) in a majority of the directors in office at the commencement of
such solicitation if any Person who is a participant in such solicitation has
stated (or, if upon the commencement of such solicitation, a majority of the
Board of Directors of the Company has determined in good faith) that such Person
(or any of its Affiliates or Associates) intends to take, or may consider
taking, any action which would result in such Person becoming an Acquiring
Person or which would cause the occurrence of a Triggering Event unless,
concurrent with such solicitation, such Person (or one or more of its Affiliates
or Associates) is making a cash tender offer pursuant to a Schedule 14D-1 (or
any successor form) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for all
outstanding shares of Common Stock not beneficially owned by such Person (or by
its Affiliates or Associates); provided further, however, that if, following the
occurrence of a Stock Acquisition Date and following the expiration of the right
of redemption hereunder but prior to any Triggering Event, a Person who is an
Acquiring Person shall have transferred or otherwise disposed of a number of
shares of Common Stock in one transaction or series of transactions, not
directly or indirectly involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which
did not result in the occurrence of a Triggering Event such that such Person is
thereafter a
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Beneficial Owner of twenty-five percent (25%) or less of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock, and (ii) there are no other Persons, immediately following the
occurrence of the event described in clause (i), who are Acquiring Persons, then
the right of redemption shall be reinstated and thereafter be subject to the
provisions of this Section 23. 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) 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
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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 and from time to time after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable
Rights (which shall not include Rights that become void pursuant to the
provisions of the Section 7(e) hereof) for shares of Common Stock or Common
Stock Equivalents, or any combination thereof, 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").
(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
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of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock and/or
Common Stock Equivalents 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 latest 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 shares of Common
Stock for Rights will be effected. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro
rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void
pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of
Rights.
(c) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which
are authorized by the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other
than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit any exchange of
Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company may, at
its
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option, take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares
of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(d) 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, the
Company shall pay to the registered holders of Rights 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 value of a whole share of Common Stock. For
purposes of this Section 24, the value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be
the closing price (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, and the value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall
be deemed to have the same value as the Common Stock on such date.
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
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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 fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of
the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or
Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more
transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), 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
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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
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with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Allied Healthcare Products, Inc.
1720 Sublette Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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 with the Company) as follows:
Boatmen's Trust Company
510 Locust Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63101
Attention: Jane Marten
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 and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, 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
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representing shares of Common Stock. From and after the Distribution Date and
subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, 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 (which lengthening or
shortening, following the first occurrence of an event set forth in clauses (i)
and (ii) of the first proviso to Section 23(a) hereof, shall be effective only
if there are Continuing Directors and shall require the concurrence of a
majority of such Continuing Directors), or (iv) to change or supplement the
provisions hereunder in any manner 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, however, this Agreement may not be
supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence,
(A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as
the Rights are not then redeemable, or (3) 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
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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. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment
shall be made which changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration Date, the
Purchase Price or the number of Units of Preferred Stock for which a Right is
exercisable. 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.
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 beneficiary and 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
(with, where specifically provided
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for herein, the concurrence of the Continuing Directors) shall have the
exclusive power and authority to (i) administer this Agreement and to exercise
all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board (with, where
specifically provided for herein, the concurrence of the Continuing Directors)
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 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 (with, where specifically provided for herein, the
concurrence of the Continuing Directors) 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 the Continuing
Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. BENEFITS OF THIS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior
to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable
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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 day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.
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
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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.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
By: /s/ James C. Janning
____________________________
Name: James C. Janning
Title: President and Chief
Executive Officer
BOATMEN'S TRUST COMPANY
By: /s/ Jerry L. Rector
____________________________
Name: Jerry L. Rector
Title: Vice-President
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS
OF SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
of
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware.
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
"Corporation"), certifies that pursuant to the authority conferred in Article
Fourth of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and in
accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, its Board of Directors has adopted the following
resolution establishing and designating a series of shares and fixing and
determining the relative rights and preferences thereof.
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors
of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, 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 Preferred Stock" and the number of shares constituting
such series shall be 200,000.
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 Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock in preference to the
holders of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common
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 first 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 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
<PAGE>
forth, one hundred (100) times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and one hundred (100) times the aggregate per share
amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other
distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock
or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the
immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with
respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first
issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred
Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after August 21,
1996 (the "Rights Declaration Date") (i) declare any dividend on the
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 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 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 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 Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A 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 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
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<PAGE>
paid on the shares of Series A 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 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 Preferred
Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to
one hundred (100) 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 the 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 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 outstanding immediately prior
to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares
of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock
and any other capital stock of the corporation having general voting
rights 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 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 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
Preferred Stock) with dividends in
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<PAGE>
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 rights of the holders of
Series A 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 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 twenty (20) days
and not later than sixty (60) days after such order or request, such
meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or
stockholders owning in the aggregate
4
<PAGE>
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 sixty (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 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 Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in
arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions,
5
<PAGE>
whether or not declared, on shares of Series A 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 anyshares of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A 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
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A
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 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 Preferred Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity
with the Series A 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 Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and nay be reissued as
6
<PAGE>
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 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 Preferred
Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount
equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon,
whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the "Series 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 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) one hundred (100) (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, 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 Preferred Stock and
Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A 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 one (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 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
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<PAGE>
(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 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 one hundred (100) times the aggregate amount of
stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case
may be, into which or for which each 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 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 Preferred Stock
shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. RANKING. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to
all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock which may be created in
the future as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless
the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. AMENDMENT. The Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner
which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights
of the Series A 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 Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
Section 11. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A 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 Preferred Stock.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC. has caused this
Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights of Series A Preferred Stock
to be executed by its President and Chief Executive Officer and attested to by
its Secretary this 21st day of August, 1996.
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
By: ___________________________
James C. Janning
President and Chief Executive
Officer
ATTEST:
By:____________________________
Barry F. Baker
Secretary
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ____________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 4, 2006 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.]1
Rights Certificate
ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the
number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof,
subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated
as of August 21, 1996 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Allied Healthcare
Products, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Boatmen's Trust
Company, a Missouri corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the
Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (Eastern time) on September 4, 2006 at
the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its
successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid, non-assessable
share of Series A Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a
purchase price of Forty Dollars ($40) per one one-hundredth of a share (the
"Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate
with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The
number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares
which may be purchased
_______________________________
1 The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only
if applicable and shall replace the preceeding sentence.
<PAGE>
upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set
forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of August 21, 1996 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-hundredths 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 day following the Stock Acquisition Date (as such time
period may be extended pursuant to the
2
<PAGE>
Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. In addition, 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. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights
Agreement, the decision to redeem the Rights shall require the concurrence of a
majority of the Continuing Directors. After the expiration of the redemption
period, the Company's right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring
Person reduces his beneficial ownership to 25% or less of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving the
Company.
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-hundredth 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.
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 or withhold consent to 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.
3
<PAGE>
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the
Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of August 21, 1996.
ATTEST: ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.
________________________ By:___________________________
Secretary Name:
Title:
Countersigned:
BOATMEN'S TRUST COMPANY
By:_____________________
Authorized Signature
4
<PAGE>
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _______________________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfer 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:
5
<PAGE>
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) this Rights Certificate ( ) is ( ) is not being sold, assigned
and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate of any such 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.
6
<PAGE>
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires
to exercise Rights represented by
the Rights Certificate.)
To: ALLIED HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, INC.:
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:
____________________________________________________________________
7
<PAGE>
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are
not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such 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.
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.
8
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT C
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK
On August 21, 1996 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the Board of
Directors of Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. (the "Company") declared a
dividend distribution of one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock,
par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company to stockholders
of record at the close of business on September 4, 1996. Each Right entitles the
registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit (a "Unit") consisting of
one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per
share (the "Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of forty dollars ($40.00) per
Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set
forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of August 21, 1996 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between the Company and Boatmen's Trust Company, as Rights Agent.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to them in the Rights Agreement.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will
be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a
Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) ten (10) days following a
public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire,
beneficial ownership of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (the "Stock Acquisition Date"), or (ii) ten (10) business
days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following the
commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person
or group beneficially owning twenty-five percent (25%) or more of such
outstanding shares of Common Stock. 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 September 4, 1996 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.
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. The Rights are not exercisable
until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of
<PAGE>
business on September 4, 2006, unless earlier redeemed by the Company as
described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution
to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments
amount to at least one percent (1%) of the Purchase Price. No fractional Units
will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on
the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the
date of exercise.
In the event that, at any time following the Rights Dividend Declaration
Date, (i) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger with an Acquiring
Person and its Common Stock is not changed or exchanged, (ii) a Person becomes
the beneficial owner of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock (unless such transaction is approved by the
Board or such Person is excepted by the Board, in either case before such Person
acquires beneficial ownership of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the
outstanding Common Stock), (iii) an Acquiring Person engages in one or more
"self-dealing" transactions as set forth in the Rights Agreement, or (iv) during
such time as there is an Acquiring Person, an event occurs which results in such
Acquiring Person's ownership interest being increased by more than one percent
(1%) (e.g., a reverse stock split), 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 any of the events set forth in this paragraph (the
"Flip-In Events"), 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 any of the Flip-In Events until such time as the Rights are no
longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
For example, upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, at an exercise price
of forty dollars ($40) per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person
(or by certain related parties) would entitle its holder to purchase eighty
dollars ($80) worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for
forty dollars ($40). Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
twenty dollars ($20) at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be
entitled to purchase four shares of Common Stock for forty dollars ($40).
2
<PAGE>
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in
which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than following a
permitted transaction as described in the second preceding paragraph), or (ii)
fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company's assets or earning power is sold or
transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been
voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon
exercise, common 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 the Flip-In Events are referred to as the "Triggering Events."
At any time after the occurrence of any of the Flip-In Events, the Board of
Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by an
Acquiring Person which will become void as described above), in whole or in
part, for shares of Common Stock or shares of preferred stock of the Company
having essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock,
at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, subject to
antidilution adjustments.
At any time until ten 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). Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights
Agreement, the decision to redeem shall require the concurrence of a majority of
the Continuing Directors. After the redemption period has expired, the Company's
right of redemption may be reinstated if an Acquiring Person reduces his
beneficial ownership to less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock in a transaction or series of transactions not involving
the Company. Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering
redemption of the Rights, with, where required, the concurrence of the
Continuing Directors, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the
holders of Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption price.
The term "Continuing Directors" means any member of the Board of Directors
of the Company, and any Person who is subsequently elected to the Board if such
Person is recommended or approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors, but
shall not include an Acquiring Person, or an affiliate, associate or
representative of an Acquiring Person.
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 as set forth above.
Other than those provisions relating to the principal economic terms of the
Rights, any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the
Board of
4
<PAGE>
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
certain circumstances, with the concurrence of the Continuing Directors) in
order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the
interests of holders of Rights (excluding the interests of any Acquiring
Person), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement;
provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period governing
redemption shall be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K dated August
7, 1996. 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.
5
