SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
-----------
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report: August 20, 1997
(Date of earliest event reported)
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Virginia 0-13990 54-1589611
(State or Other Jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer
of Incorporation) Identification No.)
6630 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23230
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(804) 281-6700
<PAGE>
Item 5. Other Events.
Acquisition of Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company and
Transnation Title Insurance Company. On August 20, 1997, Lawyers Title
Corporation (the "Company"), Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation, a Virginia
corporation, Reliance Insurance Company, a Pennsylvania corporation ("RIC"), and
Reliance Group Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, entered into a Stock
Purchase Agreement, under which the Company will acquire from RIC all of the
issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of Commonwealth Land Title
Insurance Company, a Pennsylvania corporation, and of Transnation Title
Insurance Company, an Arizona corporation (the "Stock Purchase Agreement").
The press release issued by the Registrant on August 21, 1997 in
connection with the execution of the Stock Purchase Agreement and attached
hereto as Exhibit 99 is incorporated herein by reference.
Amendment to Rights Plan. In October 1991, the Company issued one
preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each share of Common Stock,
without par value (the "Common Shares"), of the Company outstanding on October
1, 1991. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company
one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
without par value (the "Series A Preferred Shares"), of the Company at a price
of $85 per one one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share (the "Purchase
Price"), subject to adjustment. The terms of the Rights are set forth in a
Rights Agreement, dated October 1, 1991, between the Company and Sovran Bank,
N.A., as Rights Agent, as amended by the Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated
June 22, 1992, between the Company, NationsBank, N.A. (formerly Sovran Bank,
N.A.) and Wachovia Bank of North Carolina, N.A., as successor Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agreement"). On August 20, 1997, the Company amended and restated the
Rights Agreement in its entirety (the "Restated Rights Agreement").
The Rights will be evidenced by Common Share certificates until the
earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement that a person or
group of affiliated or associated persons have acquired beneficial ownership of
20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (an "Acquiring Person") or (ii) 10
business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of
Directors prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or
announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or
group of 20% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates
being called the "Distribution Date"). As defined in the Restated Rights
Agreement, an Acquiring Person is not deemed to include RIC or any Affiliate of
RIC by virtue of the approval, execution, delivery or performance of the Stock
Purchase Agreement or the Voting and Standstill Agreement (as defined in the
Stock Purchase Agreement), or by the acquisition of Common Shares or shares of
the Company's 7% Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, without par
value (the "Series B Preferred Shares") by RIC or any Affiliate of RIC as
provided in the Restated Rights Agreement.
The Restated Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution
Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be
transferable with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date
(or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share
certificates issued after August 20, 1997 upon transfer or new issuance of
Common Shares will contain a legend incorporating by reference the terms of the
Restated Rights Agreement (as such may be amended from time to time).
Notwithstanding the absence of the aforementioned legend or the existence of an
earlier form of legend, certificates evidencing Common Shares outstanding on or
prior
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to August 20, 1997 shall also evidence one Right for each Common Share evidenced
thereby. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the
Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares
outstanding as of August 20, 1997, even without such legend, will also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the
Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right
Certificates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of
the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right
Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on August 20, 2007 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the Final
Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or
exchanged by the Company, in each case, as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Series A Preferred Shares
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
Series A Preferred Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Series A
Preferred Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase
Series A Preferred Shares at a price, or securities convertible into Series A
Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than the then-current market
price of the Series A Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to holders
of the Series A Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or retained
earnings or dividends payable in Series A Preferred Shares) or of subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Series A Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also
subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a
stock dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Series A Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will
not be redeemable. Each Series A Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum
preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1 per share but will be entitled to
an aggregate dividend equal to 100 times the dividend declared per Common Share.
In the event of liquidation, the holders of the Series A Preferred Shares will
be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $100 per share but
will be entitled to an aggregate payment equal to 100 times the payment made per
Common Share. Each Series A Preferred Share will have 100 votes, voting together
with the Common Shares. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or
other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged, each Series A Preferred
Share will be entitled to receive an amount equal to 100 times the amount
received per Common Share. These rights are protected by customary antidilution
provisions.
Because of the nature of the Series A Preferred Shares' dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a
Series A Preferred Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should
approximate the value of one Common Share.
In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other
business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or
earning power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person,
proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter
have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current
exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the
acquiring company that at the time of such transaction will have a market value
of two times the exercise price of the Right.
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In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person, proper provision shall be made so that each
holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person
(which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive, upon
the exercise thereof at the then current exercise price of the Right, that
number of Common Shares having a market value of two times the exercise price of
the Right.
At any time after any person or group of affiliated or associated
persons becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person
or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors
of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person
or group, that will have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio
of one Common Share, or one one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share, per
Right (subject to adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Series A Preferred Shares will be issued
(other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Series A Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be
evidenced by depository receipts), and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash
will be made based on the market price of the Series A Preferred Shares on the
last trading day prior to the date of exercise.
At any time prior to the time that any person or group becomes an
Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in
whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price").
The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time on such basis
and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate, and the only right of the holders of Rights will be
to receive the Redemption Price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, except that (i) the
Restated Rights Agreement prohibits certain amendments that would make RIC or
any Affiliate of RIC an Acquiring Person and (ii) from and after such time as
any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring
Person, the Restated Rights Agreement provides that no such amendment may
adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
The Restated Rights Agreement (which includes as Exhibit A an amended
form of Right Certificate) is attached hereto as an exhibit and is incorporated
herein by reference. The foregoing description of the rights is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the Restated Rights Agreement and such exhibit thereto.
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Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
(c) Exhibits.
No. Description
4.1 Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of
August 20, 1997, between the Company and Wachovia
Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent, which Amended and
Restated Rights Agreement includes an amended Form of
Rights Certificate.*
99 Press Release, dated August 21, 1997, issued by the
Company.*
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*Filed Herewith
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<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
Dated: August 29, 1997 By: /s/ Charles H. Foster, Jr.
------------------------------------
Charles H. Foster, Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
<PAGE>
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
No. Description
4.1 Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of August 20,
1997, between Lawyers Title Corporation and Wachovia Bank,
N.A., as Rights Agent, which Amended and Restated Rights
Agreement includes an amended Form of Rights Certificate.*
99 Press Release, dated August 21, 1997, issued by Lawyers Title
Corporation.*
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*Filed Herewith
Exhibit 4.1
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
and
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.
Rights Agent
Amended and Restated Rights Agreement
Dated as of August 20, 1997
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
<S> <C> <C>
Section 1. Certain Definitions................................................................................2
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent........................................................................7
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates........................................................................7
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.........................................................................9
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.................................................................10
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.................................................................10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.....................................11
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates................................................13
Section 9. Availability of Series A Preferred Shares.........................................................13
Section 10. Series A Preferred Shares Record Date.............................................................14
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights................................14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares........................................24
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power..............................25
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares...........................................................26
Section 15. Rights of Action..................................................................................28
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Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders........................................................................29
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.................................................29
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.......................................................................30
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.........................................30
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent............................................................................31
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent............................................................................34
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates................................................................35
Section 23. Redemption........................................................................................35
Section 24. Exchange..........................................................................................36
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events..........................................................................38
Section 26. Notices...........................................................................................39
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments........................................................................40
Section 28. Successors........................................................................................41
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement........................................................................41
Section 30. Severability......................................................................................41
Section 31. Governing Law.....................................................................................41
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Section 32. Counterparts......................................................................................41
Section 33. Descriptive Headings..............................................................................42
Section 34. Effective Time....................................................................................42
Exhibit A Form of Right Certificate........................................................................A-1
</TABLE>
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Amended and Restated Rights Agreement
This Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (as amended from time to
time, this "Agreement"), dated as of August 20, 1997, between Lawyers Title
Corporation, a Virginia corporation (the "Company"), and Wachovia Bank, N.A.
(formerly Wachovia Bank of North Carolina, N.A.) (the "Rights Agent," which term
shall include any successor Rights Agent hereunder).
The Company and Sovran Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent, entered into a
Rights Agreement, dated as of October 1, 1991 (hereinafter referred to as the
"Original Rights Agreement") with respect to the declaration of one preferred
share purchase right ("Right") for each Common Share (as such term is
hereinafter defined) outstanding on October 1, 1991 (the "Record Date"), each
Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a Series A
Preferred Share (as such term is hereinafter defined) (which, as a result of a
three-for-two stock split in May 1993 became the right to purchase two-thirds of
one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share), upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in the Original Rights Agreement, and the Board of
Directors of the Company authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with
respect to each Common Share that became outstanding between the Record Date and
the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final
Expiration Date (as such terms were defined in the Original Rights Agreement).
The Company, NationsBank, N.A. (formerly Sovran Bank, N.A.) and
Wachovia Bank of North Carolina, N.A. entered into an Amendment to the Original
Rights Agreement as of June 22, 1992 (hereinafter references to the Original
Rights Agreement are as so amended), pursuant to which Wachovia Bank of North
Carolina, N.A. was appointed successor Rights Agent under the Original Rights
Agreement.
The Original Rights Agreement provides that until any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Original Rights Agreement),
the Company may make any provisions with respect to the Rights which the Company
may deem necessary or desirable. No Person has become an Acquiring Person (as
such terms are defined in the Original Rights Agreement).
<PAGE>
The Company wishes each Right to be the right to purchase one
one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share (as such term is hereinafter
defined).
The Company and the Rights Agent desire to amend and restate the
Original Rights Agreement in its entirety, pursuant to and in accordance with
Section 27 thereof, as set forth herein. Accordingly, in consideration of the
foregoing and the mutual agreements set forth herein, 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 (as such
term is hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 20% or more of the
Common Shares (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company then
outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is
hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person
shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an acquisition of Common
Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding,
increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person
to 20% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided,
however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of
the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases
by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the
Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such
Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person." Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith
that a Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant
to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such
inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as
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practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" for any purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, RIC (as such term is hereinafter defined) and any
Affiliate of RIC shall not be, or be deemed to be, an Acquiring Person by virtue
of (i) the approval, execution, delivery or performance of the Stock Purchase
Agreement (as such term is hereinafter defined) or the Voting and Standstill
Agreement (as such term is defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement), or (ii) the
acquisition of the Transaction Shares (as such term is hereinafter defined) by
RIC or any Affiliate of RIC; provided, however, that in the event RIC or any
Affiliate or Associate of RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner of any Common Shares
of the Company or of any Series B Preferred Shares (as such term is hereinafter
defined) other than the Transaction Shares, the provisions of this sentence
(other than this proviso) shall not be applicable.
(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of
and shall be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or
indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or only after the
passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with and
between underwriters and selling group members with respect to
a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the
exercise of conversion
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rights, exchange rights, rights (other than these Rights),
warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a
Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to
beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or
exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the
right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any
security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to
vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or
consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or
consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with,
the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the
Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule
13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor
report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any
of such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with
respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the
purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent
contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or
disposing of any securities of the Company.
Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership
to the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding," when used with reference to a
Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the
number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number
of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person
would be deemed to beneficially own hereunder.
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(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the state in which
the Rights Agent has its principal office are authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.
(e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean
5:00 P.M., Richmond, Virginia time, on such date; provided, however, that if
such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Richmond, Virginia
time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the
Company shall mean the shares of common stock, without par value, of the
Company. "Common Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the
Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest
voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of
another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such
first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3 hereof.
(h) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7 hereof.
(i) "LTIC" shall mean Lawyers Title Insurance
Corporation, a Virginia corporation.
(j) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, trust,
partnership, association, limited liability company, corporation or other
entity, and shall include any executor, administrator or successor (by merger or
otherwise) of such Person.
(k) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7 hereof.
(l) "Reliance" shall mean Reliance Group Holdings, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation.
(m) "RIC" shall mean Reliance Insurance Company, a
Pennsylvania corporation.
(n) "Series A Preferred Shares" shall mean the shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, without par value, of the
Company.
(o) "Series B Preferred Shares" shall mean the shares of
7% Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, without par value, of the
Company.
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(p) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date
of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither (i) the approval, execution, delivery or performance of the
Stock Purchase Agreement or the Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such term is
defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement), nor (ii) the acquisition of the
Transaction Shares by RIC or any Affiliate of RIC, shall cause, or be deemed to
cause, a Shares Acquisition Date to occur; provided, however, that in the event
RIC or any Affiliate or Associate of RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner of any
Common Shares of the Company or of any Series B Preferred Shares other than the
Transaction Shares, the provisions of this sentence (other than this proviso)
shall not be applicable.
(q) "Stock Purchase Agreement" shall mean the Stock
Purchase Agreement by and among the Company, LTIC, RIC and Reliance dated as of
August 20, 1997.
(r) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation
or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity
securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
(s) "Transaction Shares" shall mean (i) the Company's
Common Shares or Series B Preferred Shares acquired by RIC or any Affiliate of
RIC pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement or pursuant to Section 4.2 of the
Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such term is defined in the Stock Purchase
Agreement), (ii) the Company's Common Shares acquired by RIC or any Affiliate of
RIC upon conversion of the Series B Preferred Shares in accordance with the
terms of the Series B Preferred Shares, and (iii) the Company's Common Shares
acquired by RIC or any Affiliate of RIC as a result of corporate action taken by
the Board of Directors of the Company with respect to any pro rata distribution
of Common Shares in connection with any stock split, stock dividend,
recapitalization, reclassification or similar transaction.
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Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the
Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the
Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with
the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such
appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as
it may deem necessary or desirable.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the
Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as
may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement 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 entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of
the first public announcement of the intention of 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 entity holding Common Shares for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer
the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming the Beneficial
Owner of Common Shares aggregating 20% or more of the then outstanding Common
Shares (including any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and
prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein
referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced
(subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for
Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates
shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right
Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Right Certificates will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares; provided,
however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither (i) the approval, execution, delivery or performance of the Stock
Purchase Agreement or the Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such term is
defined in the Stock Purchase
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Agreement), nor (ii) the acquisition of the Transaction Shares by RIC or any
Affiliate of RIC shall cause, or be deemed to cause, a Distribution Date to
occur; provided, however, that in the event RIC or any Affiliate or Associate of
RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner of any Common Shares of the Company or of any
Series B Preferred Shares other than the Transaction Shares, the provisions of
the foregoing proviso to this sentence (other than this second proviso) shall
not be applicable. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the
Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the
Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested,
send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of
Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate,
in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (a "Right Certificate"),
evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held. As of the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) As soon as practicable hereafter, the Company will
mail a letter summarizing the amended terms of the Rights to each holder of
record of Common Shares as of the date hereof, at such holder's address as shown
on the records of the Company.
(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become
outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to
in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the date hereof but prior to
the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final
Expiration Date shall evidence one Right for each Common Share represented
thereby and shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed
to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain rights as set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights
Agreement between Lawyers Title Corporation and Wachovia Bank,
N.A., dated as of August 20, 1997 (as such may be amended from
time to time, the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on
file at the principal executive offices of Lawyers Title
Corporation. 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.
Lawyers Title Corporation will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after
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receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights
issued to any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined
in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.
Certificates representing Common Shares that were issued and outstanding at the
Record Date shall evidence one Right for each Common Share evidenced thereby
notwithstanding the absence of the foregoing legend, and certificates
representing Common Shares issued after such time but prior to the date hereof
bearing the form of the legend set forth in the Original Rights Agreement shall
evidence one Right for each Common Share on the terms set forth in this
Agreement. Until the Distribution Date, with respect to Rights evidenced by
certificates for Common Shares, the surrender for transfer of any such
certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the
Common Shares represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or
acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution
Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled
and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights
associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates
(and the forms of election to purchase Series A Preferred Shares and of
assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same
as Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and
such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement,
or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or
regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock
exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to
usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths
of a Series A Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one
one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share set forth therein (the "Purchase
Price"), but the number of such one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share
and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
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Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Right
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the
Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents,
or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed
thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by
the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In
case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right
Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company,
such Right 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 Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer
of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company
by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right
Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right
Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any
such person was not such an officer.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to
be kept, at its principal office, books for registration and transfer of the
Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of
each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates. Subject
to the provisions of 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
earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing
Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have
been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up,
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combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths
of a Series A Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates
surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder
desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or
Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights
Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be
transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the
Rights Agent. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the
person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case
may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any
transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights.
(a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may
exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in
whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the
Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side
thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office of the Rights
Agent, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of
a Series A Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to
the earliest of (i) the close of business on August 20, 2007 (the "Final
Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in
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Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at which such
Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Series A Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall
initially be $85, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the
United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and
an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder
of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified
check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the
Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the Series A Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Series A
Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes
its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which
case certificates for the Series A Preferred Shares represented by such receipts
shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the
Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii)
when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in
lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same
to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, deliver such cash to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right
Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new
Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights
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remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered
holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to
the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split
up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of
its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled
form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no
Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted
by any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to
the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such
case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Series A Preferred Shares. The
Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept
available out of its authorized and unissued Series A Preferred Shares, the
number of Series A Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7. The
Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be
necessary to ensure that all Series A Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise
of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Series A
Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly
authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
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 Right Certificates or of
any Series A Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall
not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in
respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other
than, or the issuance or delivery of
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certificates or depositary receipts for the Series A Preferred Shares in a name
other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing
Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or
depositary receipts for Series A Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any
Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by
the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has
been established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is
due.
Section 10. Series A Preferred Shares Record Date. Each person
in whose name any certificate for Series A Preferred Shares is issued upon the
exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of
record of the Series A Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing
such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any
applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such
surrender and payment is a date upon which the Series A Preferred Shares
transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have
become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated,
the next succeeding Business Day on which the Series A Preferred Shares transfer
books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced
thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights
of a holder of Series A Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or
Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Series A Preferred 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 Series A
Preferred Shares payable in Series A Preferred
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Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Series A Preferred Shares, (C) combine the
outstanding Series A Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Series A
Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Series A Preferred Shares (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise
provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the
record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital
stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the
aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had
been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Series A
Preferred Shares 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; provided, however, that in no
event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less
than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement,
in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right
shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal
to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of
Series A Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall
equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by
the number of one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share for which a Right
is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per
share market price of the Company's Common Shares (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event. In the event
that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and the Rights shall then be
outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would eliminate or
diminish the benefits
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intended to be afforded by the Rights. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) (other than
the proviso contained in this sentence) shall not apply to (i) the approval,
execution, delivery or performance of the Stock Purchase Agreement or the Voting
and Standstill Agreement (as such term is defined in the Stock Purchase
Agreement), or (ii) the acquisition of the Transaction Shares by RIC or any
Affiliate of RIC; provided, however, that in the event RIC or any Affiliate or
Associate of RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner of any Common Shares of the
Company or of any Series B Preferred Shares other than the Transaction Shares,
the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) shall be applicable.
From and after the occurrence of an event subject to
this Section 11(a)(ii), any Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially
owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring
Person) shall be void and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no
right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. No Right
Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 that represents Rights
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to
the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right
Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an
Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence
or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the
Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void
pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled. Neither the Company nor
the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Rights Certificate
or to any other Person as a result of the Company's failure to make, or any
delay in making (including any such failure or delay by the Board of Directors
of the Company) any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its
Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be
sufficient Common Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized
but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the
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Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall
take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares
for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after
good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to
authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each
Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number
of Series A Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share
market price of one Series A Preferred Share multiplied by such number or
fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share of
the Company as of the date of issuance of such Series A Preferred Shares or
fraction thereof.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Series A Preferred
Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such
record date) to subscribe for or purchase Series A Preferred Shares (or shares
having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Series A Preferred
Shares ("equivalent Series A Preferred Shares")) or securities convertible into
Series A Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Series A
Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per
share, if a security convertible into Series A Preferred Shares or equivalent
preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the
Series A Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) 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 Series A Preferred
Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Series A Preferred
Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Series A
Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of
which shall be the number of Series A Preferred Shares outstanding on such
record date plus the number of additional Series A Preferred Shares and/or
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equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into
which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible);
provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such
subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be
in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent,
which shall be conclusive for all purposes. Series A Preferred Shares owned by
or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the
purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options
or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
making of a distribution to all holders of the Series A Preferred Shares
(including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of
evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash
dividend or a dividend payable in Series A Preferred Shares) 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 then current per share market
price of the Series A Preferred Shares on such record date, less the fair market
value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent, which shall be conclusive for all purposes) of the portion of the assets
or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights
or warrants applicable to one Series A Preferred Share and the denominator of
which shall be such current per share market price of the Series A Preferred
Shares;
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provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the
exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of
capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. 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
again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such
record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the "current per share market price" of any security (a "Security"
for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the
average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share
market price of the Security is determined during a period following the
announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on
such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into
such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such
Security and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend
date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per
share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market
price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day
shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in
either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the
National Association of Securities
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Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations system ("NASDAQ") or such other system then
in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board
of Directors of the Company. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which
the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or
admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security
is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a
Business Day.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation
hereunder, the "current per share market price" of the Series A Preferred Shares
shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i).
If the Series A Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the "current per share
market price" of the Series A Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to
be the current per share market price of the Company's Common Shares as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If neither the Company's Common Shares nor
the Series A Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, "current
per share market price" shall mean the fair value per share as determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent, which shall be
conclusive for all purposes.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required
unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in
the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this
Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth
of a Series A Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or
security 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)
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three years from the date of the transaction which requires such
adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any
Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to
Section 11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become
entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Series
A Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right 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 Series A Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c),
inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the
Series A Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company
subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence
the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share purchasable from time to time
hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as
provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election
as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Series A Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the
number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to
this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution
for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred
Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights
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outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable
for the number of one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of
record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number
of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing
the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the
Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to
adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and,
if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date
may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter,
but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later
than the date of the public announcement. If Right 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 Right Certificates on such record date Right 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 Right Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed
shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein
and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the
Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of
one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share which were expressed in the
initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
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(k) Before taking any action that would cause an
adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredth of the then par
value, if any, of the Series A Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the
Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of
its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally
issue fully paid and nonassessable Series A Preferred Shares at such adjusted
Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require
that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date
for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of
such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record
date of the Series A Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of
the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Series A
Preferred Shares 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 upon the occurrence of the event requiring
such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine
to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Series A
Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Series A Preferred Shares at
less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Series A
Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or
exchangeable for Series A Preferred Shares, dividends on Series A Preferred
Shares payable in Series A Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or
warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company
to holders of its Series A Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such
shareholders.
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(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this
Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or
pay any dividend on the Company's Common Shares payable in the Company's Common
Shares or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the
Company's Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of
dividends in the Company's Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of the
Company's Common Shares, then in any such case (A) the number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon
proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of
one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share so purchasable immediately
prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of the
Company's Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the
denominator of which is the number of the Company's Common Shares outstanding
immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share of the Company
outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it
that number of Rights which each Common Share of the Company outstanding
immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments
provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a
dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation
is effected.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of
Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof,
the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Company's
Common Shares or the Series A Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and
(c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in
accordance with Section 25 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in
relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein and shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have
received such a certificate.
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Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets
or Earning Power. In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after a
Person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company shall consolidate with,
or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall consolidate with
the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such
merger, all or part of the Company's Common Shares shall be changed into or
exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or
cash or any other property, (c) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or
one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or
more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets
or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any
other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned
Subsidiaries, or (d) the Company shall be a party to a statutory share exchange
with any other Person (other than a subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
that would not eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights) then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i)
each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter
have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the
then current Purchase Price multiplied by the. number of one one-hundredths of a
Series A Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Series A Preferred Shares, such
number of Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor
thereto or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by
(A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one
one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share for which a Right is then
exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share
market price of the Common Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger,
sale, transfer or share exchange; (ii) the issuer of such Common Shares shall
thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer or share exchange, all the obligations and duties of the
Company
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pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed
to refer to such issuer; and (iv) such issuer shall take such steps (including,
but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares
in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may
be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be
applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares
thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company shall not
consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange
unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company
shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13
if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments
or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result
of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially
diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of
this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or
sales or other transfers. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, this Section 13 (other than the proviso contained in this sentence)
shall not apply to (i) the approval, execution, delivery or performance of the
Stock Purchase Agreement or the Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such term is
defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement), or (ii) the acquisition of the
Transaction Shares by RIC or any Affiliate of RIC; provided, however, that in
the event RIC or any Affiliate or Associate of RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner
of any Common Shares of the Company or of any Series B Preferred Shares other
than the Transaction Shares, the provisions of this Section 13 shall be
applicable.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. (a) The
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute
Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole
Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a),
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the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the
Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any
day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes
place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way,
in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if
the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high
bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ
or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such
market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on
such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company
shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of Series A Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples
of one one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights
or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Series A Preferred
Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth
of a Series A Preferred Share). Fractions of Series A Preferred Shares in
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share may, at
the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an
appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it;
provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary
receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are
entitled as beneficial owners of the Series A Preferred
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Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Series A
Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Series A Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of
Right 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
Series A Preferred Share. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current
market value of a Series A Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a
Series A Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of
this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Company's Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Company's Common Shares), without
the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Company's Common Shares), may, in
his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain
any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act
in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right
Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this
Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the
holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights
would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and
will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and
injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of
any Person subject to, this Agreement.
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Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right,
by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Company's Common
Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates
are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered
at the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat
the person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution
Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute
owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations
of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common
Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent)
for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall
be affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.
No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Series A Preferred
Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable
on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained
herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any
Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or
any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the
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Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. The Company agrees to
pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration
and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent and its
officers, employees, agents and directors for, and to hold each of them harmless
against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done
or omitted by the Rights Agent or such other indemnified party in connection
with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, or the exercise or
performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The indemnity provided
for in this Section 18 shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the
termination of this Agreement.
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 Right Certificate or
certificate for the Series A Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other
securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of
attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by
the proper person or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set
forth in Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights
Agent. 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
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stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement
without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of
any of the parties hereto; provided, 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 Right Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right
Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right
Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights
Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such
Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates
and in this Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes
the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms
and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right
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 advice or 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
advice or opinion.
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(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 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 a Person reasonably believed by the
Rights Agent to be any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of
the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be
full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good
faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such
certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the
Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason
of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in
the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to
verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to
have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent is serving as an administrative
agent and shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of
any provision 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 Right 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 Right Certificate; nor shall it
be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the
Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in
the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof)
provided for in this Agreement, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts
that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the
exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such
change or adjustment is
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required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Series
A Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right
Certificate or as to whether any Series A Preferred Shares will, when issued, be
validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by
the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
a Person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be any one of the Chairman
of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President,
the Secretary or the 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 by it in good faith in accordance with
instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for
those instructions.
(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not
Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights
Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal
entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such
act, default, neglect or
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misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and
continued employment thereof.
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 30 days' notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each
transfer agent of the Company's Common Shares or Series A Preferred Shares by
registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by
first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent upon 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
Company's Common Shares or Series A Preferred Shares by registered or certified
mail, and to the holders of the Right 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 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 Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any
Right 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 of any state of the United
States, 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 a combined capital and surplus of at least $50
million. 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,
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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 Company's
Common Shares or Series A Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not
affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights
Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding
any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the
Company may, at its option, issue new Right 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 Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. Redemption. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company
may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding
Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, 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"). The redemption of the Rights by the Board of Directors may
be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the
Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a)
of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any
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defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption.
Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all
the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they
appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution
Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Company's Common
Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed
given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price
will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may
redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other
than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and
other than in connection with the purchase of the Company's Common Shares prior
to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company
may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall
not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share of
the Company per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange
ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such
exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or
any entity holding the Company's Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of
any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Company's Common Shares then
outstanding. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the
provisions of this Section 24(a) (other than the proviso contained in this
sentence) shall not apply to (i) the approval, execution, delivery or
performance of the Stock Purchase Agreement or the
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Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such term is defined in the Stock Purchase
Agreement), or (ii) the acquisition of the Transaction Shares by RIC or any
Affiliate of RIC; provided, however, that in the event RIC or any Affiliate or
Associate of RIC becomes the Beneficial Owner of any Common Shares of the
Company or of any Series B Preferred Shares other than the Transaction Shares,
the provisions of this Section 24(a) shall be applicable.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares of the
Company equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such
exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such
notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly
shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent.
Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of the Company's Common Shares for Rights
will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights
which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based
on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to
the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient
Common Shares of the Company issued but not outstanding or authorized but
unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with
this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to
authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In
the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such
action as may be necessary
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to authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for
each Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a
number of Series A Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current
per share market price of one Series A Preferred Share multiplied by such number
or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share
as of the date of issuance of such Series A Preferred Shares or fraction
thereof.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common
Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the
purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share
shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the
second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. (a) In case the Company
shall propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of its Series A Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to
the holders of its Series A Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly
cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Series A Preferred Shares
rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Series A
Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights
or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Series A Preferred
Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding Series A Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with, 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 or
more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company
and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a
Page 38
<PAGE>
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares),
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right
Certificate, 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, or 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 Common Shares and/or Series A Preferred Shares, if
any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of
any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the Series A Preferred Shares for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10
days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of
participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Series A
Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter
give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26
hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe
such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right
Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in
writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Lawyers Title Corporation
6630 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23230
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Page 39
<PAGE>
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right 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:
Wachovia Bank, N.A.
Shareholder Services Department
301 North Church Street
P.O. Box 3001
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. The Company may from
time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or
supplement any provision contained herein, or to make any other provisions with
respect to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any
such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company
and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that (a) this Agreement shall not be
amended in any manner which would make RIC or any Affiliate of RIC an Acquiring
Person as a result of the acquisition of the Transaction Shares, and (b) from
and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement
shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of
the holders of Rights. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may at any
time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this
Agreement to change the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a),
including by lowering such thresholds to not less than the greater of (i) the
sum of .001% and the largest percentage of the outstanding Common Shares of the
Company then known by the
Page 40
<PAGE>
Company to be beneficially owned by any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant
to the terms of any such plan) and (ii) 10%.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of
this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall
bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns
hereunder.
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement
shall be construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Company,
the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and,
prior to the Distribution Date, the Company's Common Shares) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the Company's Common Shares).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
.terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and for all purposes shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts
to be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be
deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute
but one and the same instrument.
Page 41
<PAGE>
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall
not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
Section 34. Effective Time. This Agreement shall be deemed to
be in full force and effective immediately prior to the execution and delivery
of the Stock Purchase Agreement and the Voting and Standstill Agreement (as such
term is defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement).
[SIGNATURES ON NEXT PAGE]
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<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
By: /s/ John M. Carter By: /s/ Charles H. Foster, Jr.
------------------------- ---------------------------
Title: Assistant Secretary Title: Chairman & CEO
------------------------- ---------------------------
Attest: WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.
By: /s/ Virginia C. Lahey By: /s/ Deborah N. Keaton
------------------------- ---------------------------
Title: Asst. Secretary & AVP Title: Vice President
------------------------- ---------------------------
Page 43
<PAGE>
Exhibit A
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- ___ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER AUGUST 20, 2007, OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR
EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT
AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
This certifies that ________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the
Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of August 20, 1997 (the "Rights
Agreement"), between Lawyers Title Corporation, a Virginia corporation (the
"Company"), and Wachovia Bank, N.A. (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the
Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the
Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Richmond, Virginia time, on August 20,
2007 at the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its
successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, without par value) (the
"Series A Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of $85 per one
one-hundredth of a Series A Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election
to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a Series A Preferred Share
which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase
Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of August 20, 1997,
based on the Series A Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided
in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Series A Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the
Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events.
This Right 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 Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the
Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
Page A-1
<PAGE>
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of
Series A Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or
Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If
this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled
to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates
for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of
$.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Series A
Preferred Shares or shares of the Company's Common Stock, without par value.
No fractional Series A Preferred Shares 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 Series A Preferred Share, which
may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but
in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Series A
Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time
be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of ___________, ____.
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
By: ______________________________
Title: ______________________________
Countersigned:
WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.
By: _________________________
Authorized Signature
Page A-2
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _____________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_______________________________________________________________________________
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _______________________ Attorney,
to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named
Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: __________________, ____
____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________
Signature
_______________________________________________________________________________
Page A-3
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
To: LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
___________________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to
purchase the Series A Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights
and requests that certificates for such Series A Preferred Shares be issued in
the name of:
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 Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Dated: ___________________, ____
____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
Page A-4
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
_______________________________________________________________________________
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
____________________________
Signature
_______________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase,
as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this
Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any
change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment
or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the
Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights
evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or
Election to Purchase will not be honored.
Page A-5
LAWYERS TITLE CORPORATION CONTACT: H. Randolph Farmer
6630 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230 804-281-6855
Telephone: 804-281-6700; FAX: 804-282-5453
G. William Evans
804-281-6752
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 1997
Lawyers Title Corporation To Purchase Commonwealth, Transnation Title;
new parent company will represent largest family of title companies in U.S.
Lawyers Title Corporation (NYSE:LTI), holding company for Lawyers Title
Insurance Corporation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, announces the
signing of a definitive agreement to purchase Commonwealth Land Title Insurance
Company and Transnation Title Insurance Company, headquartered in Philadelphia,
from Reliance Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:REL). The parent company, to be named
LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., will have over 500 office locations across
the country and will have a combined revenue base of over $1.3 billion (based on
1996 data). Based on 1996 title revenues, LandAmerica will represent the largest
family of title insurance companies in the United States.
Terms of the definitive agreement, which is subject to shareholder and
regulatory approval, call for a total purchase price of approximately $456.4
million, based on Lawyers Title's current stock price and the stated value of
the preferred shares. Subject to various terms and conditions with regard to
sale, conversion and voting, Lawyers Title will issue to Reliance approximately
4.474 million shares of common stock and $110 million of 7% preferred stock at
stated value, which is initially convertible into 4.825 million shares of common
stock and has an estimated market value of $133 million assuming Lawyers Title's
current stock price. Additionally, Reliance will receive $207.5 million in cash
and the proceeds from an offering of approximately 1.316 million shares of
Lawyers Title common stock that is to take place proximate to the closing of the
transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Charles H. Foster, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Lawyers Title,
stated, "We believe that in our business, economies of scale, expanded
distribution channels, enhanced technological capabilities, and a broader array
of real estate products and services materially add to our ability to provide
superior service and value to our customers. The combination of Lawyers Title
with Commonwealth and Transnation results in a stronger, more effective
organization by all those measures. Accordingly, LandAmerica will be
well-positioned to meet the emerging demands of today's marketplace and
establish itself as the industry leader".
Mr. Foster continued, "From our shareholders' perspective, we expect that the
transaction will create accretion to earnings per share and will add to our
return on equity. Further, LandAmerica will have the strongest statutory capital
position in the industry."
Herbert Wender, chairman and chief executive officer of Commonwealth and
Transnation, said, "Lawyers Title, Commonwealth and Transnation have similar
operating cultures and philosophies. These similarities should better enable us
to generate the potential synergies of the combination."
Mr. Foster will be chairman and chief executive officer of LandAmerica Financial
Group, Inc. Mr. Wender will become vice-chairman and chief operating officer and
join the board of directors. Jan Alpert, currently president of Lawyers Title,
will become president of LandAmerica. Jeffrey A. Tischler, currently executive
<PAGE>
vice president and chief financial and administrative officer of Commonwealth
and Transnation, will become executive vice president and chief financial
officer of LandAmerica. G. William Evans, currently senior vice president,
treasurer and chief financial officer of Lawyers Title, will become executive
vice president of information technology of LandAmerica. The headquarters of
LandAmerica will be in Richmond.
Lawyers Title Corporation also reported that its Board of Directors has amended
the Company's Rights Agreement, first adopted in 1991. The most significant
changes to the Rights Agreement are to provide that the agreement with Reliance
will not "trigger" the rights, to extend the expiration date of the Rights
Agreement from October 1, 2001 to August 20, 2007, and to increase the exercise
price of the rights from $60 to $85 to reflect current conditions.
A letter to shareholders regarding the amended Rights Agreement and a summary of
certain terms of the amended Rights Agreement will be mailed to shareholders
shortly.
Lawyers Title offers a full line of title insurance services to residential and
commercial customers through its network of subsidiaries, branch offices, agents
and approved attorneys in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. In addition to
title insurance, the company offers access to a broad range of auxiliary
services, including environmental insurance, document preparation, tax
disbursement and reporting, credit reporting, flood certification services,
property appraisals, single and multisite surveys, relocation services and
tax-deferred property exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code.
