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VISTA INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
AND
NORWEST SHAREOWNER SERVICES
Rights Agent
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of May 24, 2000
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Rights Agreement ("Rights Agreement"), is dated as of May 24,
2000, between VISTA Information Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Norwest Shareowner Services (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company on April 25, 2000 (i)
authorized the issuance and declared a dividend of one right ("Right") for each
share of the common stock of the Company ("Common Stock") outstanding as of the
Close of Business (as such term is hereinafter defined) on June 16, 2000 (the
"Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth
of a share of Series R Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers
and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation attached
hereto as EXHIBIT A upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set
forth, and (ii) further authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to
each share of Common Stock of the Company that shall become outstanding between
June 16, 2000, and the Distribution Date (as such term is hereinafter defined);
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
agreements herein set forth, the parties agree as follows:
1. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement the
following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such
term is hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates (as such
term is hereinafter defined) and Associates (as such term is hereinafter
defined) of such Person, without the prior approval of the Board of Directors,
shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of fifteen
percent (15%) or more of the outstanding Common Stock; provided, however, that
in no event shall a Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, is the Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the
Company's outstanding shares of Common Stock, become an Acquiring Person solely
as a result of a reduction of the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock,
including repurchases of outstanding shares of Common Stock by the Company,
which reduction increases the percentage of outstanding shares of Common Stock
beneficially owned by such Person, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall
become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Company's outstanding shares
of Common Stock then outstanding solely by reason of a reduction of the number
of shares of outstanding Common Stock, and shall thereafter become the
Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then
such Person shall be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" unless upon the
consummation of the acquisition of such additional shares of Common Stock such
person does not own fifteen percent (15%) or more of the shares of Common Stock
then outstanding, and PROVIDED FURTHER, that an Acquiring Person shall not
include an Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter defined) or a
Grandfathered Person (as such term is hereinafter defined); provided further
that a Grandfathered Person shall become an Acquiring Person if,
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(i) without the prior approval of the Board of Directors, the Grandfathered
Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of an additional number of shares, in
addition to such Grandfathered Person's shares of Common Stock Beneficially
Owned on the Record Date, equal in the aggregate to 1% or more of the Common
Stock then outstanding, or (ii) in any event, if such Grandfathered Person
becomes the Beneficial Owner of 30% or more of the Company's Common Stock; but
(iii) a Grandfathered Person shall not become an Acquiring Person solely by
reason of a reduction of the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock.
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 (including, without limitation, because (i) such
Person was unaware that it beneficially owned a percentage of Common Stock that
would otherwise cause such Person to be an "Acquiring Person" or (ii) such
Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership but had no actual
knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership under this Agreement)
and without any intention of changing or influencing control of the Company, and
such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of
Common Stock 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 or to have become an "Acquiring Person" for any
purposes of this Agreement.
(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 ("Exchange
Act"), as in effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of
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, directly or indirectly, 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), whether or not in
writing, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights
(other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however,
that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially
own," securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered
securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote or
dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule
13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, or any
comparable or successor rule), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person
shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own", any
securities if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security
(1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a
public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with,
the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also
then reportable by
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such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or
successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting except
as described in the proviso to clause (B) of subparagraph (ii) of this Section
1(c) or disposing of any securities of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no
Person who is an officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person shall be
deemed, solely by reason of such Person's status or authority as such, to be the
"Beneficial Owner" of, to have "Beneficial Ownership" of or to "beneficially
own" any securities that are "beneficially owned" (as defined in this Section
1(c)), including, without limitation, in a fiduciary capacity, by an Exempt
Person or by any other such officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for
purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of
Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in
accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New
York or the State of California are authorized or obligated by law or executive
order to close.
(e) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., New York time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(f) "Common Stock" when used with reference to the
Company shall mean the common stock of the Company. "Common Stock" when used
with reference to any Person other than the Company which shall be organized in
corporate form shall mean the capital stock or other equity security with the
greatest per share voting power of such Person or, if such Person is a
Subsidiary of or is controlled by another Person, the Person which ultimately
controls such first-mentioned Person. "Common Stock" when used with reference to
any Person other than the Company which shall not be organized in corporate form
shall mean units of beneficial interest which shall represent the right to
participate in profits, losses, deductions and credits of such Person and which
shall be entitled to exercise the greatest voting power per unit of such Person.
(g) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(h) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(d) hereof.
(i) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
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(j) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(a) hereof.
(k) "Equivalent Preferred Stock" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.
(l) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 1 hereof.
(m) "Exempt Person" shall mean the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, including, without limitation, in its fiduciary
capacity, any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or of
any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person, organized, appointed, established
or holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or any
Person funding other employee benefits for employees of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company.
(n) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7(a) hereof.
(o) "Flip-In Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii)(A), 11(a)(ii)(B) or 11(a)(ii)(C) hereof.
(p) "Flip-In Exercise Payment" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(q) "Flip-In Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(r) "Flip-Over Event" shall mean any event described in
clause (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(s) "Flip-Over Exercise Payment" shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 13(a) hereof.
(t) "Grandfathered Person" shall mean each of Century
Capital Management, Century Capital Partners, L.P., Century Capital Partners II,
L.P., Moore Corporation Limited, Moore North America, Inc., and the Affiliates
and Associates of such Persons; provided that each of such Persons shall cease
to be a Grandfathered Person at such time as each such Person ceases to
Beneficially Own in excess of 15% of the Company's Common Stock.
(u) "NASDAQ" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
9(b) hereof.
(v) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm,
corporation, partnership, trust or other entity.
(w) "Preferred Stock" shall mean the Series R Preferred
Stock, $0.001 par value of the Company having the rights, powers and preferences
set forth in EXHIBIT A hereto, and, to the extent that there is not a sufficient
number of shares of Series R Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full
exercise of the Rights, any other series of Preferred Stock, $0.001
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par value of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms
substantially similar to the terms of the Series R Preferred Stock.
(x) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(y) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) hereof.
(z) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(aa) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(bb) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 23(a) hereof.
(cc) "Right Certificate" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(a) hereof.
(dd) "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.
(ee) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such or such earlier date as a majority of the directors shall
become aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person.
(ff) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(gg) "Subsidiary" of a Person shall mean any corporation
or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary
voting power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or other
persons performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by such Person and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise
controlled by such Person.
(hh) "Summary of Rights" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(b) hereof.
(ii) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d) hereof.
(jj) "Triggering Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii)(A), 11(a)(ii)(B) or 11(a)(ii)(C) or Section 13 hereof.
(kk) "Voting Power" shall mean the voting power of all
securities of the Company then outstanding and generally entitled to vote for
the election of directors of the Company.
Any determination required by the definitions contained in this Section
1 shall be made by the Board of Directors of the Company in its good faith
judgment, which determination shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the
holders of the Rights.
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2. APPOINTMENT OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as it may deem
necessary or desirable. In the event the Company appoints one or more Co-Rights
Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agents and any Co-Rights Agents
shall be as the Company shall determine.
3. ISSUANCE OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the
Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date
occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record 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 an Exempt Person)
of, or of the first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than
an Exempt Person) to commence (which intention to commence remains in effect for
five business days after such announcement), a tender or exchange offer upon the
successful consummation of which such Person, together with its Affiliates and
Associates, would be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Stock (irrespective of whether any shares are actually purchased pursuant
to any such offer) (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(c) hereof) by the certificates
for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock
and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) each Right will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of a share (subject to adjustment as
hereinafter provided) of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will mail, by first-class, postage prepaid
mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of Business on
the Distribution Date, as shown by the records of the Company, to the address of
such holder shown on such records, a Right certificate in substantially the form
of EXHIBIT B hereto ("Right Certificate") evidencing one Right for each share of
Common Stock so held. As of and after the Distribution Date the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable
thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase
Preferred Stock, substantially in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT C
("Summary of Rights"), by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record
holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the
address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of
Common Stock that are issued (either as an original issuance or from the
Company's treasury) after the Record Date prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. With respect to certificates
representing such shares of Common Stock, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof
together with the Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or, if
earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer
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of any certificate for Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date (with or
without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto), shall also constitute
the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented thereby.
(d) Certificates issued for Common Stock (including,
without limitation, certificates issued upon transfer or exchange of Common
Stock) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date
or the Expiration Date 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 the Rights Agreement between VISTA
Information Solutions, Inc. and Norwest Shareowner Services, as Rights
Agent, dated as of May 24, 2000, as the same may be amended from time
to time (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are incorporated
herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal
executive office of VISTA Information Solutions, Inc. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will
be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced
by this certificate. VISTA Information Solutions, Inc. will mail to the
holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without
charge after receipt by it of a written request therefor. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES AS PROVIDED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS ISSUED TO,
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN
ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR AN ASSOCIATE
OR AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) THEREOF AND CERTAIN
TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BE NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE
TRANSFERABLE.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall, until
the Distribution Date, be evidenced by such certificates alone, and registered
holders of Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated
Rights, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also
constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the Common
Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires
any shares of Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the
Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Expiration Date, any Rights
associated with such shares of Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired
so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with
the shares of Common Stock no longer outstanding.
Notwithstanding this paragraph (d), the omission of a legend shall not
affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any
holder of the Rights.
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4. FORM OF RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof), when,
as and if issued, shall be substantially in the form set forth in EXHIBIT B
hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such
legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem
appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Rights
Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any 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 Sections 11, 13 and 22 hereof, the Right
Certificates evidencing the Rights issued on the Record Date whenever such
certificates are issued, shall be dated as of the Record Date and the Right
Certificates evidencing Rights to holders of record of Common Stock issued after
the Record Date shall be dated as of the Record Date but shall also be dated to
reflect the date of issuance of such Right Certificate. On their face, Right
Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase, for each Right, one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, or other securities or property as
provided herein, as the same may from time to time be adjusted as provided
herein, at the price per share of $20.00, as the same may from time to time be
adjusted as provided herein (the "Purchase Price").
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Rights
Agreement, any Right Certificate that represents Rights that are or were at any
time on or after the earlier of the Stock Acquisition Date or the Distribution
Date beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate
thereof (or any transferee of such Rights) shall have impressed on, printed on,
written on or otherwise affixed to it (if the Company or the Rights Agent has
knowledge that such Person is an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate
thereof or transferee of such Persons or a nominee of any of the foregoing) the
following legend:
The beneficial owner of the Rights represented by this Right
Certificate is an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate (as
defined in the Rights Agreement) of an Acquiring Person or a subsequent
holder of such Right Certificates beneficially owned by such Persons.
Accordingly, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby
are null and void and will no longer be transferable as provided in the
Rights Agreement.
The provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 24 of this Rights Agreement
shall be operative whether or not the foregoing legend is contained on any such
Right Certificates.
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5. COUNTERSIGNATURE AND REGISTRATION.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of
the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and have affixed thereto the
Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned, either manually or by
facsimile, by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so
countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of
the 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,
issued and delivered 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.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent
will keep or cause to be kept, at one of its offices designated for such
purposes, records for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued
hereunder. Such records 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, the date of each of the Right Certificates and
the certificate numbers for each of the Right Certificates.
6. TRANSFER, SPLIT UP, COMBINATION AND EXCHANGE OF RIGHT
CERTIFICATES; MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN RIGHT CERTIFICATES.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 11(a)(ii)
and 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date
and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or 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 (i) transferred or (ii) split
up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates,
entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Preferred
Stock or other securities as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates
surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder
desiring to transfer any Right Certificate shall surrender the Right Certificate
at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes with the form of
assignment on the reverse side thereof duly endorsed (or enclose with such Right
Certificate a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company
and the Rights Agent), duly executed by the registered holder thereof or his
attorney duly authorized in writing, and with such signature guaranteed by a
member of a securities approved medallion program. Any registered holder
desiring to split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate shall make such
request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right
Certificate or Right Certificates to be split up, combined or exchanged at the
principal office of the Rights Agent. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject
to Sections 4(b), 7(e), 11 and 14 hereof, countersign (by manual or facsimile
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signature) 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.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof, 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, if requested by the Company,
reimbursement to the Company of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and
upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if
mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like
tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the
Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
7. EXERCISE OF RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE; EXPIRATION DATE OF RIGHTS.
(a) Subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Rights shall
become exercisable, and may be exercised to purchase Preferred Stock, 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 (with such
signature duly guaranteed), to the Rights Agent at 161 North Concord Exchange,
South St. Paul, MN 55075-1139 together with payment of the Purchase Price with
respect to each Right exercised, subject to adjustment as hereinafter provided,
at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of (i) May 23, 2010 (the
"Final Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (such date being herein referred to as the
"Redemption Date") or (iii) the time at which all such Rights are exchanged as
provided in Section 24 hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein
referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price and the number of shares of
Preferred Stock or other securities or consideration to be acquired upon
exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided
in Sections 11 and 13 hereof. The Purchase Price shall be payable in lawful
money of the United States of America, in accordance with Section 7(c) hereof.
(c) Except as provided in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, upon
receipt of a Right Certificate with the form of election to purchase duly
executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be
reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) or so much thereof as is
necessary for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable
transfer tax, by cash, certified check or official bank check payable to the
order of the Company or the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall, subject to
Section 20(k), thereupon promptly (i) requisition from any transfer agent of the
Preferred Stock (or make available if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent)
certificates for the number of shares of Preferred Stock so elected to be
purchased and the Company will comply and hereby authorizes and directs such
transfer agent to comply with all such requests, (ii) requisition from the
Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares
in accordance with Section 14(b) hereof, and (iii) promptly after receipt of
such Preferred Stock certificates 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
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be designated by such holder, and, when appropriate, after receipt promptly
deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate. In the event of a purchase of securities, other than Preferred
Stock, pursuant to Section 11(a) or Section 13 hereof, the Rights Agent shall
promptly take the appropriate actions corresponding to the foregoing clauses (i)
through (iii). In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other
securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to
Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that
such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution
by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.
(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, 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 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.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of
any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered
holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form
of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate
surrendered for such exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
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 canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled 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 Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company and after any Securities and Exchange Commission retention
requirements, destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
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9. RESERVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that at all times it
will cause to be reserved and kept available, out of and to the extent of its
authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another
purpose (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities)
or held in its treasury, the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following
the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) that, as provided in
this Agreement, including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to
permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights, provided, however, that
the Company shall not be required to reserve and keep available shares of
Preferred Stock or other securities sufficient to permit the exercise in full of
all outstanding Rights pursuant to the adjustments set forth in Section
11(a)(ii), Section 11(a)(iii) or Section 13 hereof unless, and only to the
extent that, the Rights become exercisable pursuant to such adjustments.
(b) The Company shall (i) use its best efforts to cause,
from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the Rights and all
shares of Preferred Stock (and following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
other securities) issued or reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof to be
reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated
Quotations System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in use or exchange on
which the shares of Common Stock are traded, and if the Preferred Stock shall
become listed on any national securities exchange, to cause, from and after such
time as the Rights become exercisable, the Rights and all shares of Preferred
Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities)
issued or reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof to be listed on such
exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise and (ii) if then
necessary, to permit the offer and issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock
(and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities),
register and qualify such share of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) under the Securities Act and
any applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws (to the extent exemptions
therefrom are not available), cause such registration statement and
qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after such filing and
keep such registration and qualifications effective until the Expiration Date of
the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to
exceed ninety (90) days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare
and file a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit it to
become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public
announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no
longer in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the
requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until
a registration statement under the Securities Act (if required) shall have been
declared effective.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take
all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock
(and following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, other securities) delivered
upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for
such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price in respect thereof), be
duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares
in accordance with applicable law.
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(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will
pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes which may
be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or
of any shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) upon
the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any
transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of
Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of
certificates for Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) upon
exercise of Rights in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the
Right Certificate, and the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver a
Right Certificate or certificate for Preferred Stock (or other securities, as
the case may be) to a person other than such registered holder 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 satisfaction that no such tax is due.
10. PREFERRED STOCK RECORD DATE. Each Person in whose name any
certificate for shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may
be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to
have become the holder of record of the shares of Preferred Stock (or other
securities, as the case may be) 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. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby,
the holder of a Right Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights
of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the 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.
11. ADJUSTMENTS TO NUMBER AND KIND OF SHARES, NUMBER OF RIGHTS OR
PURCHASE PRICE. The number and kind of shares subject to purchase upon the
exercise of each Right, the number of Rights outstanding and the Purchase Price
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 Rights Agreement (A) declare or pay any dividend on Preferred
Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide or split the
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a greater number of shares, (C)
combine or consolidate the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller
number of shares or effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of
Preferred Stock, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a),
the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or
of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and
the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case
may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the
holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon
payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of
shares of capital stock or other securities, which, if such Right had been
exercised immediately prior to such date, the holder thereof would have owned
upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which
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would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be
in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 24, in the event:
(A) any Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person, at any time after the date of
this Agreement, directly or indirectly, (1) shall consolidate with or merge with
and into the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or otherwise combine with the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries and the Company or such Subsidiary shall be
the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation, merger or
combination and the Common Stock of the Company shall remain outstanding and no
shares thereof shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities
of the Company or of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (2)
shall, in one or more transactions, other than in connection with the exercise
of a Right or Rights and other than in connection with the exercise or
conversion of securities exercisable for or convertible into securities of the
Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, transfer any assets or property to
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in exchange (in whole or in part) for any
shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or any securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of any class of
capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or otherwise obtain
from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, with or without consideration, any
additional shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of any
class of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than as
part of a pro rata offer or distribution by the Company or such Subsidiary to
all holders of such shares), or (3) shall sell, purchase, lease, exchange,
mortgage, pledge, transfer or otherwise acquire (other than as a pro rata
dividend) or dispose, to, from or with, as the case may be, in one transaction
or a series of transactions, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, assets
(including securities) on terms and conditions less favorable to the Company or
such Subsidiary than the Company or such Subsidiary would be able to obtain in
arm's-length negotiation with an unaffiliated third party, or (4) shall receive
any compensation from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for services other
than compensation for employment as a regular or part-time employee, or fees for
serving as a director, at rates in accordance with the Company's (or its
Subsidiary's) past practices, or (5) shall receive the benefit, directly or
indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder), of any loans, advances,
guarantees, pledges or other financial assistance or any tax credits or tax
advantage provided by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (6) shall
engage in any transaction with the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries)
involving the sale, license, transfer or grant of any right in, or disclosure
of, any patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, know-how or any other
intellectual or industrial property rights recognized under any country's
intellectual property laws which the Company (including its Subsidiaries) owns
or has the right to use on terms and conditions not approved by the Board; or
(B) any Person, alone or together with
its Affiliates and Associates, shall become an Acquiring Person; or
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(C) during such time as there is an
Acquiring Person, there shall be any reclassification of securities (including
any reverse stock split), or any recapitalization of the Company, or any merger
or consolidation of the Company with any of its Subsidiaries or any other
transaction or series of transactions involving the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (whether or not with or into or otherwise involving an Acquiring
Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Acquiring Person) which has the
effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing by more than 1% the proportionate
share of the outstanding shares of any class of equity securities of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, or securities exercisable for or convertible into
equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which is directly
or indirectly beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or
Associate of any Acquiring Person (any of (A), (B) or (C) being referred to
herein as a "Flip-In Event"), then upon the first occurrence of such Flip-In
Event (A) the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price in
effect immediately prior to the Flip-In Event multiplied by the number of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such Flip-In Event, whether or not such Right was then
exercisable, and (B) each holder of a Right, except as otherwise provided in
this Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the Purchase Price
(as so adjusted), in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of
shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal
the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) by 50% of
the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of such Flip-In Event; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of shares of Common Stock so
receivable upon the exercise of a Right shall, following the Flip-In Event, be
subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section 11(f)
hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however,
from and after the Flip-In Event, any Rights that are beneficially owned by (x)
any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person),
(y) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate)
who becomes a transferee after the Flip-In Event or (z) a transferee of any
Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee
prior to or concurrently with the Flip-In Event pursuant to either (I) a
transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any
Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding
regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer which the Board of Directors
has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has the
purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent
transferees of such Persons, shall be void without any further action and any
holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to
such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. The Company shall use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) are
complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Right Certificates
or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with
respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees
hereunder. From and after the Flip-In Event, no Right Certificate shall be
issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are
or have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, and any Right
Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or
have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be canceled.
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(iii) The Company may at its option substitute for
a share of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with
the foregoing subparagraph (ii) such number or fractions of shares of Preferred
Stock having an aggregate current market value equal to the Current Market Price
of a share of Common Stock. In the event that there shall not be sufficient
shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to
permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii), the Board of Directors shall, to the extent permitted by
applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company
is a party (A) determine the excess (such excess, the "Spread") of (1) the value
of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right in
accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the "Current Value") over (2)
the Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii)), and (B) with respect to each Right (other than Rights which have become
void pursuant to the foregoing subparagraph (ii)), make adequate provision to
substitute for the shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with the
foregoing paragraph (ii) upon exercise of the Right and payment of the Purchase
Price (as adjusted in accordance therewith), (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such
Purchase Price, (3) shares of Preferred Stock or other equity securities of the
Company (including, without limitation, shares or fractions of shares of
preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation
rights substantially comparable to those of the shares of Common Stock, are
deemed in good faith by the Board of Directors to have substantially the same
value as the shares of Common Stock (such shares of Preferred Stock and shares
or fractions of shares of preferred stock are being hereinafter referred to as
"Common Stock Equivalents", (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other
assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value which, when
added to the value of the shares of Common Stock actually issued upon exercise
of such Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less
the amount of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value
has been determined by the Board of Directors upon the advice of a nationally
recognized investment banking firm selected in good faith by the Board of
Directors; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Company shall not make adequate
provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days
following the date of the Flip-In Event (the "Flip-in Trigger Date"), then the
Company shall be obligated to deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law
and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon
the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of such
Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if
necessary, such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the extent
available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an
aggregate value equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company
shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional
shares of Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents could be authorized for
issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set
forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety
(90) days after the Flip-In Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek
stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares or Common
Stock Equivalents (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is
hereinafter called the "Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company
determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third
sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to
the last sentence of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding
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Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the
expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of
additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to the first sentence of Section 11(a)(iii) and to determine the
value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a
public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been
temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the
value of the Common Stock shall be the Current Market Price per share of the
Common Stock on the Flip-In Trigger Date and the per share or per unit value of
any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price
per share of the Common Stock on such date. The Board of Directors may, but
shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive
Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant to
this Section 11(a)(iii).
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders
of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period
expiring within forty-five calendar days after such record date) Preferred
Stock, shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the
Preferred Stock ("equivalent preferred stock") or securities convertible into
Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred
Stock or equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if
a security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less
than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date,
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred
Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock (and/or the aggregate initial
conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase
at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number
of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be
offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities
so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may
be paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other
than cash, the value of such non-cash 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. Shares of Preferred
Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed
outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be
made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that
such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted
to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had
not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution
made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the
continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash, assets (other than a
dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock
other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those
referred to
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in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record
date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately
prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the
Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the
fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness to
be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share
of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be such Current Market
Price per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is
not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder,
other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current
Market Price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the
average of the daily closing prices per share of the Common Stock for the thirty
consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior
to such date, and for purpose of computations made pursuant to Section
11(a)(iii) hereof, the "Current Market Price" per share of the Common Stock on
any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share
of the Common Stock for the ten consecutive Trading Days immediately following
such date; PROVIDED, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price
per share of the Common Stock is determined during a period following the
announcement by the issuer of the Common Stock of (i) any dividend or
distribution on the Common Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
and other than the Rights), (ii) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of the Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of the
requisite thirty Trading Day or ten Trading Day period, as set forth above,
after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date
for such subdivision, combination or reclassification occurs, then, and in each
such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into
account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last
sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or,
if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New
York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted
to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to
trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted sale 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 shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the
Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making
a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used
and shall be binding on the Rights Agent. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a
day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of
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Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of
business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading
on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not
publicly held or not so listed or traded, "Current Market Price" per share shall
mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement
filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the
"Current Market Price" per share (or one one-hundredth of a share) of Preferred
Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common
Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence
thereof). If the Current Market Price per share (or one one-hundredth of a
share) of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or
if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner
described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "Current Market Price" per
share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to
100 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock
splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market
Price per share of the Common Stock and the "Current Market Price" per one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall, be equal to the Current
Market Price per share of the Common Stock (as appropriately adjusted). If
neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed
or traded, "Current Market Price" per shall mean the fair value per share as
determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would
require an increase or decrease of at least one percent in the Purchase Price;
PROVIDED, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock
or other share or one-hundred-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the
case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any
adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier
of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which mandates such
adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter
exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other
than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable
upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock
contained in Section 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m)
hereof, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect
to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
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(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 shares of
Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election
as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest
one-hundred-thousandth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock 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 or any adjustment to the number of shares of
Preferred Stock for which a Right may be exercised made pursuant to Sections
11(a)(i), 11(b) or 11(c), to adjust the number of Rights in lieu of any
adjustment in the number of shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the
exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the
number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of shares of Preferred
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment.
Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall
become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one hundred-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 ten 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 may bear, at the option
of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the
names of the holders of record of 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 shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right
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Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the
Purchase Price per share and the number of shares which were expressed in the
initial Right Certificate issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an
adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the
shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or other capital stock issuable upon
exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action, including
using its best efforts to obtain any required stockholder approvals, which may,
in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may
validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock,
Preferred Stock or other capital stock at such adjusted Purchase Price. If upon
any exercise of the Rights, a holder is to receive a combination of Common Stock
and Common Stock Equivalents, a portion of the consideration paid upon such
exercise, equal to at least the then par value of a share of Common Stock of the
Company, shall be allocated as the payment for each share of Common Stock of the
Company so received.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require
that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date
for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of
such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record
date the shares of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the
Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the shares of
Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any,
issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior
to such adjustment; PROVIDED, however, that the Company shall deliver to such
holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right
to receive such additional shares of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or
securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of
Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i)
consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance for cash of
any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii)
issuance for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their
terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv)
stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in
this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock
shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not,
at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person,
(ii) merge with or into any other Person, or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit
any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any
other Person or Persons, if (x) at the time of or immediately after such
consolidation, merger or sale there are any charter or by-law provisions or any
rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in
effect which substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended
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to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately
after such consolidation, merger or sale, the stockholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates. The Company shall not
consummate any such consolidation, merger or sale unless prior thereto the
Company and such other Person shall have executed and delivered to the Rights
Agent a supplemental agreement evidencing compliance with this subsection.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or
Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the
time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will
diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the
Record Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare or pay any dividend
on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock,
(ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number
of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued
or delivered thereafter, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of
Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such
event equals the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated
with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction,
the numerator or which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the occurrence of such event and the denominator of which
shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following
the occurrence of such event.
12. CERTIFICATION OF ADJUSTMENTS. Whenever an adjustment is made
as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare
a certificate signed by its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice
President and by the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or
any Assistant Secretary of the Company setting forth such adjustment and a brief
statement of the facts giving rise to such adjustment, (b) promptly file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the
Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to
each holder of a Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to
each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance
with Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of
the Company to give such notice shall not affect the validity of or the force or
effect of or the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be
fully protected in relying on any certificate prepared by the Company pursuant
to Sections 11 and 13 and on any adjustment therein contained and shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have
received such certificate. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Sections 11 and
13 of this Rights Agreement shall be effective as of the date of the event
giving rise to such adjustment.
13. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OR TRANSFER OF ASSETS OR EARNING
POWER.
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(a) In the event that following the first occurrence of a
Flip-In Event, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with,
or merge with and into, any other Person or Persons and the Company shall not be
the surviving or continuing corporation of such consolidation or merger, or (y)
any Person or Persons shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, the
Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of
such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or
merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or of the
Company or cash or any other property other than, in the case of the
transactions described in subparagraphs (x) or (y), a merger or consolidation
which would result in all of the Voting Power represented by the securities of
the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent
(either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into securities of the
surviving entity) all of the Voting Power represented by the securities of the
Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or
consolidation and the holders of such securities not having changed as a result
of such transactions), or (z) the Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries
shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer to any other Person or any Affiliate
or Associate of such Person, in one transaction, or a series of related
transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole), then, on
the first occurrence of any such event (a "Flip-Over Event"), proper provision
shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right (other than Rights which have
become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) shall thereafter have the
right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price (as
theretofore adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof), in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock or
Common Stock of the Company, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully
paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the
Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens,
encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall equal
the result obtained by dividing the Purchase Price (as theretofore adjusted in
accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) by 50% of the Current Market Price per
share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger,
sale or transfer; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Purchase Price (as theretofore
adjusted in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) and the number of shares
of Common Stock of such Principal Party so receivable upon exercise of a Right
shall be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with Section
11(f) hereof to reflect any events occurring in respect of the Common Stock of
such Principal Party after the occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall
assume, by virtue of such Flip-Over Event, all the obligations and duties of the
Company pursuant to this Rights Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" for all
purposes of this Rights Agreement shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such
Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section
11 hereof shall only apply to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Flip-Over Event; and (iv) such Principal Party shall take such
steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of
shares of its Common Stock in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection
with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that
the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably
may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon
the exercise of the Rights; provided, however, that, upon the
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subsequent occurrence of any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially
all assets, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, reorganization or
other extraordinary transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder
of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right,
such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property which such holder would
have been entitled to receive had he, at the time of such transaction, owned the
shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party purchasable upon the exercise of a
Right, and such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not
limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may necessary to permit the
subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such
cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in
(x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof; (A) the Person that is
the issuer of the securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company
are converted in such merger or consolidation, or, if there is more than one
such issuer, the issuer the Common Stock of which has the greatest aggregate
market value or (B) if no securities are so issued, (x) the Person that is the
other party to the merger or consolidation and that survives said merger or
consolidation, or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the Common
Stock of which has the greatest market value or (y) if the Person that is the
other party to the merger or consolidation does not survive the merger or
consolidation, the Person that does survive the merger or consolidation
(including the Company if it survives); and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in
(z) of the first sentence in Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred
pursuant to such transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party
to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or
earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of
the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons as
is the issuer of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of
shares outstanding;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in any such case described in the foregoing (b)(i) or
(b)(ii), (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not
been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12
of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of
another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, the term
"Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person, or (2) if such Person is a
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stocks
of all of which are and have been so registered, the term "Principal Party"
shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock
having the greatest market value of shares outstanding, or (3) if such Person is
owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons
that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set
forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the owners having an
interest in the joint venture as if the Person owned by the joint venture was a
Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and the Principal Party in
each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the
same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the total of such interests.
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(c) The Company shall not consummate any consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer referred to in Section 13(a) unless the Principal Party
shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock that
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of
the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the
Company and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of
Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance with
their terms and that such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets
shall not result in a default by the Principal Party under this Rights Agreement
as the same shall have been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections
13(a) and (b) hereof and further providing that, as soon as practicable after
executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party at its
own expense shall:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement
under the Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the
securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use
its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as
soon as practicable after such filing and use its best efforts to cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Act) until the date of expiration of the Rights,
and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of
the Principal Party shall become listed on a national securities exchange, to
list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on such securities exchange and, if the Common Stock of
the Principal Party shall not be listed on a national securities exchange, to
cause the Rights and the securities purchased upon exercise of the Rights to be
reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical
financial statements for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with
the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the
Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first
refusal or preemptive rights in respect of the shares of Common Stock of the
Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
In the event that any of the transactions described in Section 13(a) hereof
shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a transaction described in
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised
shall thereafter be exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(d) Furthermore, in case the Principal Party which is to
be a party to a transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in
any of its authorized securities or in its Certificate of Incorporation or
By-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision
would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue, in
connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction
referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party
at less than the then Current
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Market Price per share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or
securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock of such Principal
Party at less than such then current market price (other than to holders of
Rights pursuant to this Section 13) or (ii) providing for any special payment,
tax or similar provisions in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of
such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13; then, in such
event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not
consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such
Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such
Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the
authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will
have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of
the proposed transaction.
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 holders of record
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 then
current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a),
the then current market value of a Right shall be determined in the same manner
as the Current Market Price of a share of Common Stock shall be determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples
of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights
or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred
Stock (other fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock). Fractions of shares of Preferred Stock in integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock represented by
such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may 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 one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of
one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be the Current Market
Price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii)
hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, the
Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares or units of Common
Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or other securities upon exercise of the
Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of such
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or other securities. In lieu of
fractional shares or units of such Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or
other
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securities, the Company may 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 a share or unit of such
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalent or other securities. For purposes of
this Section 14(c), the Current Market Value shall be determined in the manner
set forth in Section 11(d) hereof for the Trading Day immediately prior to the
date of such exercise and, if such Common Stock Equivalent is not traded, each
such Common Stock Equivalent shall have the value of one one-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of a Right
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Right or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right.
15. RIGHTS OF ACTION. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, other than any rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant
to Sections 18 and 20 below, are vested in the respective holders of record of
the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of
record of the Common Stock); and any holder of record of any Right Certificate
(or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent
of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior
to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for
his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or
proceeding against the Company or any other Person 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,
accordingly, that they 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. Holders of Rights
shall be entitled to recover the reasonable costs and expenses, including
attorneys' fees, incurred by them in any action to enforce the provisions of
this Agreement.
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 not
be evidenced by a Right Certificate and will be transferable only in connection
with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates
will be transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly
endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer;
(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 Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute
owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations
of ownership or writing on the Right Certificate or the associated Common Stock
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent or the
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transfer agent of the Common Stock) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the
Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary;
and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to
any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform
any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or
permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of
competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated
or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; PROVIDED, however, that the Company must use its
best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise
overturned as soon as possible.
17. RIGHT CERTIFICATE HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. No holder
of a Right, as such, shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends in respect of
or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of Common Stock or any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of
the Rights, 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 stockholder of the Company or any right to vote in the election
of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting
thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive
notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided
in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights in respect
of any such stock or securities, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights
evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with
the provisions hereof.
18. CONCERNING THE RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent
reasonable compensation for all service 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
Rights Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The
Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless
against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent for any thing done
or omitted to be done by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and
administration of this Rights Agreement, including the cost and expenses of
defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The indemnity provided
herein shall survive the expiration of the Rights and the termination of this
Rights Agreement. Anything in this agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect or consequential
loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost
profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such
loss damage and regardless of the form of action.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur
no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Rights Agreement in reliance upon any
Right Certificate, certificate for Common Stock or other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
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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, guaranteed, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or
Persons.
19. MERGER OR CONSOLIDATION OR CHANGED NAME OF RIGHTS AGENT.
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or
any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights
Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation
succeeding to the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under
this Agreement without the execution or filing of any 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.
(b) 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 such 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
Certificate shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in
this Rights Agreement.
20. DUTIES OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties
and obligations imposed by this Rights 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 opinion of such counsel shall be
full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any
action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and in accordance with
such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Rights Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any
fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring
Person and the determination of "Current Market Price") be proved or established
by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically
prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by
certificate signed by the President or any
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Vice President and by the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and
such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action
taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Rights
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for
its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason
of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Rights 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 shall not be under any
responsibility in respect of the validity of this Rights 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 Rights
Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any
adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 11, 13, 23 or 24 hereof or
responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the
ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment
(except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates
after receipt of a Certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12 describing any
such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any
representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares
of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Rights Agreement or any Right
Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock 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 Rights Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any
Vice President or the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer or
any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice
or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for
any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with
instructions of any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for
written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent,
set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights
Agent under this Rights Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action
shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. Subject to Section 20(c)
hereof, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken by, or
omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such
application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall
not be less than five Business Days after the date any officer of the Company
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<PAGE>
actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented
in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the
effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received
written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be
taken or omitted.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director,
officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in
any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend
money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not
the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the
Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other
entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such
act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in
the selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the
Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise
of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment
of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered
to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the
form of assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse
thereof, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an
affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not
take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer
without first consulting with the Company.
21. CHANGE OF RIGHTS AGENT. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Rights
Agreement upon 30 days' notice in writing, or such earlier period as shall be
agreed to in writing, mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock 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 (with or without cause) upon 30 days' notice in writing,
or such earlier period as shall be agreed to in writing, mailed to the Rights
Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent
of the Common Stock 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of
this Section 21, in no event shall the resignation or removal of a Rights Agent
be effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been appointed and have
accepted such appointment. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment
within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been
31
<PAGE>
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 incumbent Rights Agent or the holder of record 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) a corporation organized and doing business under the
laws of the United States or any State thereof, 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 $50,000,000 or (b) an Affiliate controlled by a corporation
described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor
Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and
responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without
further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer
to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and
execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for
the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the
Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent
and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and 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.
22. ISSUANCE OF NEW RIGHT CERTIFICATES. Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of this Rights 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 per share and the number or kind or class of
shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the Right
Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Rights Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock
following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the
Rights, the Company shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or
sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or
arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities
hereinafter issued by the Company, in each case existing prior to the
Distribution Date, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number
of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (i)
no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the
Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a
significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right
Certificate shall be issued, if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment
shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
23. REDEMPTION.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time prior to the earlier of (x) the first occurrence of a
Flip-In Event or (y) the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, redeem all
but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of
$0.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any
stock
32
<PAGE>
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof
(such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price").
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights (or at such later time as
the Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption),
and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the
Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights
shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public
notice of any such redemption; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or
any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption.
Within ten (10) days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the
redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board of Directors may
establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), 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 Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall
be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice
of redemption shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption
Price will be made. The failure to give notice required by this Section 23(b) or
any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken
by the Company.
(c) In the case of a redemption permitted under Section
23(a), the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with
respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of
redemption of the Rights and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to the
registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses as they appear on the
registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the
registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such action,
all outstanding Right Certificates shall be null and void without any further
action by the Company.
33
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24. EXCHANGE OF RIGHTS FOR COMMON STOCK.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its
option, at any time after the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, exchange all or
part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which (i) shall not include
Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) and
(ii) shall include, without limitation, any Rights issued after the Distribution
Date in accordance with Section 22) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange
ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect
any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange
Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing the Board of Directors shall not be
empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than an
Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person,
becomes the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock aggregating 50% or more
of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. From and after the occurrence of
an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have not
been exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall thereafter be exercisable
only in accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this
Section 24(a).
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors
of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of
this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a
holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock
equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such
exchange; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such
notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly
shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent.
Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given,
whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will
state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights
will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights
which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based
on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to
the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the
Company, at its option, may substitute, and, in the event that there shall not
be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized
but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with
this Section 24, the Company shall substitute to the extent of such
insufficiency, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable
upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fractions
thereof (or equivalent preferred shares, as such term is defined in Section
11(b)) having an aggregate current per share market price (determined pursuant
to Section 11(d) hereof) equal to the current per share market price of one
share of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the
date of the Flip-In Event.
34
<PAGE>
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient
shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to
permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section
24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize
additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions
of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence
fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common
Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market
value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the purposes of this paragraph (d),
the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the Current
Market Price of a share of Common Stock (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof for
the purposes of computations made other than pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)) for
the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this
Section 24.
25. NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTIONS.
(a) In case the Company, after the Distribution Date,
shall propose (i) to effect any of the transactions referred to in Section
11(a)(i) or to pay any dividend to the holders of record of its Preferred Stock
payable in stock of any class or to make any other distribution to the holders
of record of its Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend),
or (ii) to offer to the holders of record of its Preferred Stock or options,
warrants, or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase shares of Preferred
Stock (including any security convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred
Stock) or shares of stock of any other class or any other securities, options,
warrants, convertible or exchangeable securities or other rights, or (iii) to
effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock or any recapitalization or
reorganization of the Company, or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger
with or into, 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 more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and
its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person or Persons, or (v) to
effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each
such case, the Company shall give to each holder of record of a Right
Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such transaction
referred to in Section 11(a)(i), or such dividend or distribution, or the date
on which such reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer of assets, liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to
take place and the record date for determining participation therein by the
holders of record of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such
notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii)
above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of
record of the Preferred Stock 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 record of
Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
35
<PAGE>
(b) In case any of the transactions referred to in
Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 of this Rights Agreement are proposed, then, in
any such case, the Company shall give to each holder of Rights, in accordance
with Section 26 hereof, notice of the proposal of such transaction at least 10
days prior to consummating such transaction, which notice shall specify the
proposed event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under
Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 hereof, as the case may be, and, upon
consummating such transaction, shall similarly give notice thereof to each
holder of Rights.
(c) The failure to give notice required by this Section
25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action
taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.
26. NOTICES. Notices or demands authorized by this Rights
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of record of
any Right Certificate or Right to or on behalf of 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:
VISTA Information Solutions, Inc.
5060 Shoreham Place
San Diego, CA 92122
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Subject to the provisions of Section 20 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Rights Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of
record of any Right Certificate or Right 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:
Norwest Shareowner Services
161 North Concord Exchange
South St. Paul, MN 55075-1139
Attention: Account Management
Notices or demands authorized by this Rights Agreement to be given or made by
the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of record of any Right Certificate
or Right 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 it
appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the
Distribution Date, on the registry books of the Transfer Agent.
27. SUPPLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS. Except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then
redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights
Agent shall if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this
Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights. At
any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as provided in the
penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent
shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the
approval of any holders of
36
<PAGE>
Right Certificates in order to (i) cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or
supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent
with any other provisions herein, (iii) shorten or lengthen any time period
hereunder, or (iv) change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner
which the Company may deem necessary or desirable; PROVIDED that no such
supplement or amendment shall adversely affect the interests of the holders of
Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
an Acquiring Person), and no such amendment may cause the Rights again to become
redeemable or cause the Agreement again to become amendable other than in
accordance with this sentence. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Rights
Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which
changes the Redemption Price. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of
the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the
holders of Common Stock.
28. SUCCESSORS. All of the covenants and provisions of this Rights
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.
29. BENEFITS OF THIS RIGHTS AGREEMENT. Nothing in this Rights
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 Common Stock) any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim under this Rights Agreement; but this Rights Agreement
shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and
the holders of record of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, the Common Stock).
30. GOVERNING LAW. This Rights Agreement and each Right
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to
be made solely by residents of such state and performed entirely within such
state.
31. COUNTERPARTS. This Rights 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.
32. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. Descriptive headings of the several
sections of this Rights Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall
not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions
hereof.
33. SEVERABILITY. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
of this Rights Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Rights Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights
Agreement to be duly executed, and their seals affixed and attested, all as of
the date and year first above written.
37
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[SEAL]
ATTEST: VISTA Information Solutions, Inc.
By:__________________________________ By:__________________________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
[SEAL]
ATTEST: Norwest Shareowner Services
By:__________________________________ By:__________________________________
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
38
<PAGE>
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
----
<S> <C>
1. Certain Definitions..................................................................1
2. Appointment of Rights Agent..........................................................6
3. Issuance of Right Certificates.......................................................6
4. Form of Right Certificates...........................................................8
5. Countersignature and Registration....................................................8
6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates...........................9
7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.......................10
8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates..................................11
9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock...........................11
10. Preferred Stock Record Date........................................................13
11. Adjustments to Number and Kind of Shares, Number of Rights or Purchase Price.......13
12. Certification of Adjustments.......................................................22
13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power...............23
14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares............................................26
15. Rights of Action...................................................................27
16. Agreement of Right Holders.........................................................28
17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder..................................28
18. Concerning the Rights Agent........................................................29
19. Merger or Consolidation or Changed Name of Rights Agent............................29
20. Duties of Rights Agent.............................................................30
21. Change of Rights Agent.............................................................32
22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.................................................33
23. Redemption.........................................................................33
24. Exchange of Rights for Common Stock................................................34
25. Notice of Proposed Actions.........................................................35
26. Notices............................................................................36
27. Supplements and Amendments.........................................................37
28. Successors.........................................................................37
29. Benefits of this Rights Agreement..................................................37
30. Governing Law......................................................................38
31. Counterparts.......................................................................38
32. Descriptive Headings...............................................................38
33. Severability.......................................................................38
</TABLE>
i
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VISTA INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
CERTIFICATE
OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS
OF THE TERMS OF THE
SERIES R PREFERRED STOCK
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
We, the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Secretary,
respectively, of VISTA Information Solutions, Inc., organized and existing under
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by
the Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the said Board of
Directors adopted the following resolution creating a series of Seven Hundred
Thousand (700,000) shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series R Preferred
Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its
Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be
and it hereby is created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the
powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special
rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions thereof are as follows:
Section 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series R Preferred Stock" (the "Series R Preferred Stock"),
$0.001 par value per share, and the number of shares constituting such series
shall be Seven Hundred Thousand (700,000).
Section 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) The dividend rate on the shares of Series R Preferred
Stock shall be for each quarterly dividend (hereinafter referred to as a
"quarterly dividend period"), which quarterly dividend periods shall commence on
January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 each year (each such date being
referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date") (or in the case of
original issuance, from the date of original issuance) and shall end on and
include the day next preceding the first date of the next quarterly dividend
period, at a rate per quarterly dividend period (rounded to the nearest cent)
equal to the greater of (a) $50.00 or (b) subject to the provisions for
adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, PLUS 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
cash, based upon the fair market value at the time the non-cash dividend or
other distribution is declared as determined in good faith by the Board of
Directors) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared (but not
withdrawn) on the Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation
(the
<PAGE>
"Common Stock") during the immediately preceding quarterly dividend period, or,
with respect to the first quarterly dividend period, since the first issuance of
any share or fraction of a share of Series R Preferred Stock. In the event this
Company shall at any time after May 24, 2000 (the "Rights Declaration Date") (i)
declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to
which holders of shares of Series R Preferred Stock were entitled immediately
prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted
by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
outstanding shares of Series R Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series R
Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record
date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on
such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or
unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after
the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series R Preferred
Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to
accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but
unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series
R Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at
the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series R Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 45 days
prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series R Preferred
Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series R Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof
to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the
Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series R Preferred
Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by
multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Certificate of
Incorporation or by law, the holders of shares of Series R Preferred Stock and
the holders of shares of Common
<PAGE>
Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, in the Certificate of
Incorporation and in the By-laws, holders of Series R Preferred Stock shall have
no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the
extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth
herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series R Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to
the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.
Section 5. LIQUIDATION, DISSOLUTION OR WINDING UP. In the event of any
voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation, the holders of the Series R Preferred Stock shall be entitled to
receive the greater of (a) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) per share, plus accrued
dividends to the date of distribution, whether or not earned or declared, or (b)
an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to
holders of Common Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after
the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii)
combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in
each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series R Preferred Stock
were entitled immediately prior to such event pursuant to clause (b) of the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction
the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 6. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In case the Corporation shall
enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which
the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of
Series R Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock,
securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may
be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date
(i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii)
subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set
forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares
of Series R Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such
event.
<PAGE>
Section 7. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series R Preferred Stock shall
not be redeemable.
Section 8. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series R Preferred Stock may be issued in
fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such
holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends,
participate in distributions and have the benefit of all other rights of holders
of Series R Preferred Stock. All payments made with respect to fractional shares
hereunder shall be rounded to the nearest whole cent.
Section 9. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series R Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series R Preferred Stock
outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other
distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series R Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any
other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series R
Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series R Preferred Stock
and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in
proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then
entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series R Preferred Stock,
provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise
acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of
the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution,
liquidation or winding up) to the Series R Preferred Stock; or
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration any shares of Series R Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock
ranking on a parity with the Series R Preferred Stock, except in accordance with
a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board
of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of
Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other
relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes shall
determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the
respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 9, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.
<PAGE>
Section 10. RANKING. The Series R Preferred Stock shall be junior to
all other Series of the Corporation's preferred stock as to the payment of
dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any series shall
provide otherwise.
Section 11. AMENDMENT. The Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or
change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series R Preferred Stock
so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of
two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series R Preferred Stock voting
together as a single class.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate
and do affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 25th day
of May 2000.
___________________________________
Thomas R. Gay, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Attest:
_______________________________
Neil Johnson, Secretary
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. W- __________Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MAY 23, 2010, OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR
EXCHANGED. AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, THE RIGHTS MAY BE
REDEEMED AT $.001 PER RIGHT OR EXCHANGED FOR PREFERRED STOCK
ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. IN THE EVENT
THAT THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE ISSUED TO
A PERSON WHO IS AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR CERTAIN TRANSFEREES OF
THE RIGHTS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY SUCH PERSONS, THIS RIGHT
CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY SHALL BE NULL
AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
RIGHT CERTIFICATE
VISTA INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
This certifies that ___________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement dated as of May 24, 2000 ("Rights Agreement") between VISTA
Information Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Norwest
Shareowner Services (the "Rights Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any
time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights
Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on May 23, 2000 at the
principal office of the Rights Agent, or its successors as Rights Agent,
designated for such purposes, one one-hundredth of a fully paid and
nonassessable share of Series R Preferred Stock of the Company ("Preferred
Stock") at a purchase price of $20.00 per one one-hundredth of a share, as the
same may from time to time be adjusted in accordance with the Rights Agreement
("Purchase Price"), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate
with the Form of Election to Purchase
<PAGE>
duly executed. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein
shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Rights Agreement.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number
of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities 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 and, upon the
happening of certain events, securities other than shares of Preferred Stock, or
other property, may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate, as provided by the Rights Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, if the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of any
such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who,
after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or any Affiliate or Associate
of an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall be null and void and will no longer be
transferable and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such
Rights from and after the occurrence of such Flip-In Events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
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 of the Rights Agent,
the Company and the holders of record of the Right Certificates, which
limitation of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of
such Rights under the specific
2
<PAGE>
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement
are on file at the principal executive office of the Company and are available
upon written request to the Company.
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 of record to purchase a like aggregate
number of shares of Preferred Stock 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, at any time prior to
the earlier of (i) the occurrence of a Flip-In Event (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement) or (ii) the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in
the Rights Agreement), the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed
by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right. Subject
to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Company may, at its option, at
any time after a Flip-In Event, exchange all or part of the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate for shares of the Company's Common Stock or for Preferred Stock
(or shares of a class or series of the Company's preferred stock having the same
rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock).
In the event (i) any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person or
(ii) any of the types of transactions, acquisitions or other events described
above as self-dealing transactions occur,
3
<PAGE>
and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Board may require all or any portion of
the outstanding Rights (other than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person which
have become void) to be exchanged for Common Stock on a pro rata basis, at an
exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock or one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class or series of the Company's preferred
stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject
to adjustment).
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock shall be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are
integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which
may, at the option of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), and no
fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued upon the exchange of any Right
or Rights evidenced hereby, and in lieu thereof, as provided in the Rights
Agreement, fractions of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock shall receive
an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then Current Market Price
(as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) of a share of Preferred Stock
or Common Stock, as the case may be.
No holder of this Right Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote
or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Common Stock or
of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein
be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a
stockholder of the Company or any right to vote in the election of directors, or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or
withhold consent to any corporate action or to receive notice of meetings or
other actions affecting stockholders
4
<PAGE>
(other than certain actions specified 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 or exchanged 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 ___________________, 20__.
ATTEST: VISTA INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
_____________________________ By: _______________________________
Secretary
Title: _______________________________
COUNTERSIGNED: NORWEST SHAREOWNER SERVICES
As Rights Agent
By: __________________________________
Authorized Officer
5
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder
desires to transfer any or all of the Rights
represented by this Right Certificate)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name, address and social security or other
identifying number of transferee)
___________________________________ (_______________) of the Rights represented
by this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest in and to
said Rights, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints
_________________________ attorney to transfer said Rights on the books of the
within-named Company with full power of substitution.
Dated: _______________, ______. __________________________
(Signature)
Signature Guaranteed:
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the rights evidenced by this Right Certificate [ ] are [ ] are
not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or
was an Acquiring Person (as such capitalized terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated:________________, _______ _________________________
(Signature)
Signature Guaranteed:
6
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
(continued)
NOTICE
The signatures to the foregoing Assignment and the foregoing
Certificate, if applicable, must correspond to the name as written upon the face
of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement
or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a participant in a
Securities Transfer Association ("STA") recognized signature program.
In the event that the foregoing Certificate is not duly executed, with
signature guaranteed, the Company may deem the Rights represented by this Right
Certificate to be Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such capitalized terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement), and not issue any Right Certificate or Right Certificates in
exchange for this Right Certificate.
7
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse of Right Certificate
(continued)
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder
desires to exercise any or all of the Rights
represented by this Right Certificate)
To: Vista Information Solutions, Inc.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _________________
____________________________________________________ (__________) of the Rights
represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of the Common Stock
of the Company, or other securities or property issuable upon the exercise of
said number of Rights pursuant to the Rights Agreement.
The undersigned hereby requests that a certificate for any such
securities and any such property be issued in the name of and delivered to:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name, address and social security or other
identifying number of issuee)
The undersigned hereby further requests that if said number of Rights
shall not be all the Rights represented by this Right Certificate, a new Right
Certificate for the remaining balance of such Rights be issued in the name of
and delivered to:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name, address and social security or other
identifying number of issuee)
Dated:_________________, _______ ___________________________
(Signature)
Signature Guaranteed:
8
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
(continued)
CERTIFICATE
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes
that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate [ ] are [ ] are
not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to
the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated:________________, _______ ___________________________
(Signature)
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and the foregoing
Certificate, if applicable, must correspond to the name as written upon the face
of the this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever, and 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.
In the event that the foregoing Certificate is not executed, with
signature guaranteed, the Company may deem the Rights represented by this Right
Certificate to be Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such capitalized terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement), and not issue any Right Certificate or Right Certificates in
exchange for this Right Certificate.
9
<PAGE>
AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES ANY RIGHTS
THAT ARE ISSUED TO, BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO AN ACQUIRING PERSON
(AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OR AN ASSOCIATE OR AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON WILL BE NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO
LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
VISTA INFORMATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
SUMMARY OF TERMS OF
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
NATURE OF RIGHT: When exercisable, each Right (a "Right")
will initially entitle the holder to
purchase one one-hundredth of a share of
Series R Preferred Stock ("Preferred Stock")
of VISTA Information Solutions, Inc. (the
"Company").
MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION: The Rights will be distributed to holders of
the Company's outstanding Common Stock as a
dividend of one Right for each share of
Common Stock. The Rights will also be
attached to all future issuances of Common
Stock prior to the Distribution Date (as
defined below).
EXERCISABILITY: Rights become exercisable on the earlier of:
(i) the tenth day following the date of
public announcement by the Company or by any
person or group (an "Acquiring Person") that
such person or group has acquired beneficial
ownership of 15% or more of the Company's
outstanding Common Stock, or (ii) the tenth
business day (unless extended by the Board
prior to the time a person becomes an
Acquiring Person) following the
commencement, or announcement of an
intention to commence, by any person or
group of a tender or exchange offer which
would result in such person owning 15% or
more of the outstanding Common Stock of the
Company (the earlier of such dates being
referred to as the "Distribution Date"),
PROVIDED that an Acquiring Person does
not include an Exempt Person (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
Rights will trade separately from the Common
Stock once the Rights become exercisable.
EXERCISE PRICE: $20.00 per Right, which is the amount that
in the judgment of the Board of Directors
represents the long-term value of the Common
Stock over the term of the Rights Agreement
(the "Exercise Price").
TERM: The Rights will expire upon the earlier of
(i) ten years after the date of issuance, or
May 23, 2010 or (ii) redemption or exchange
by the Company as described below.
REDEMPTION OF RIGHTS: Rights are redeemable at a price of $0.001
per Right, by the vote of the Company's
Board of Directors, at any time until the
occurrence of a Flip-In Event (defined
below).
PREFERRED STOCK: The Preferred Stock purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights will be nonredeemable
and junior to any other series of preferred
stock the Company may issue (unless
otherwise provided in the terms of such
other series). Each share of Preferred Stock
will have a preferential cumulative
quarterly dividend in an amount equal to the
greater of (a) $50.00 or (b)
<PAGE>
100 times the dividend declared on each
share of Common Stock. In the event of
liquidation, the holders of Preferred Stock
will receive a preferred liquidation payment
equal to the greater of (a) $2,000 per
share, plus accrued dividends to the date of
distribution whether or not earned or
declared, or (b) an amount per share equal
to 100 times the aggregate payment to be
distributed per share of Common Stock. Each
share of Preferred Stock will have 100
votes, voting together with the shares of
Common Stock. In the event of any merger,
consolidation or other transaction in which
shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or
changed into other securities, cash and/or
other property, each share of Preferred
Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times
the amount and type of consideration
received per share of Common Stock. The
rights of the Preferred Stock as to
dividends, liquidation and voting, and in
the event of mergers and consolidations, are
protected by customary anti-dilution
provisions. Fractional shares (in integral
multiples of one one-hundredth) of Preferred
Stock will be issuable; however, the Company
may elect to distribute depositary receipts
in lieu of such fractional shares. In lieu
of fractional shares other than fractions
that are multiples of one one-hundredth of a
share, an adjustment in cash will be made
based on the market price of the Preferred
Stock on the last trading date prior to the
date of exercise. Because of the nature of
the Preferred Stock's dividend, liquidation
and voting rights, the value of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock
purchasable upon exercise of each Right
should approximate the long-term value of
one share of Common Stock.
RIGHTS IN EVENT OF SELF-DEALING In the event that an Acquiring Person
TRANSACTION OR ACQUISITION OF engages in certain self-dealing transactions
SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF COMMON with the Company, or a Person becomes the
STOCK beneficial owner of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Stock ("Flip-In Events"),
a holder of a Right thereafter has the right
to purchase, upon payment of the then
current Exercise Price, in lieu of one
one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock,
such number of shares of Common Stock having
a market value at the time of the
transaction equal to the Exercise Price
divided by one-half the Current Market Price
(as defined in the Rights Agreement) of the
Common Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Rights held by the Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate thereof or certain
transferees will be null and void and no
longer be transferable.
Self-dealing transactions are defined to
include (i) a consolidation, merger or other
combination of an Acquiring Person with the
Company in which the Company is the
surviving corporation, (ii) the transfer of
assets to the Company in exchange for
securities of the Company, (iii) any other
acquisition of securities of the Company by
an Acquiring Person (other than in a pro
rata distribution to all stockholders), (iv)
the sale, purchase, transfer, distribution,
lease, mortgage, pledge or acquisition of
assets by the Acquiring Person to, from or
with the Company on other than an arm's
length basis, (v) compensation to an
Acquiring Person for services (other than
for employment as a regular or part-time
employee or director on a basis consistent
with the Company's past practice), (vi) a
loan or provision of other financial
assistance (except proportionately as a
stockholder) to an Acquiring Person, (vii)
the licensing, sale or other transfer of
proprietary technology or know-how from the
Company to the Acquiring Person on terms not
approved by the Board of Directors, or
(viii) a reclassification, recapitalization
or other transaction with the effect of
increasing by more than 1% the Acquiring
Person's proportionate share of any class of
securities of the Company.
2
<PAGE>
RIGHTS IN EVENT OF If, following the occurrence of a Flip-In
BUSINESS COMBINATION: Event, the Company is acquired by any person
in a merger or other business combination
transaction in which the Common Stock is
exchanged or converted or in which the
Company is not the surviving corporation, or
50% or more of its assets or earnings power
are sold to any person, each holder of a
Right (other than an Acquiring Person, or
Affiliates or Associates thereof) shall
thereafter have the right to purchase, upon
payment of the then current Exercise Price,
such number of shares of common stock of the
acquiring company having a current market
value equal to the Exercise Price divided by
one-half the Current Market Price of such
common stock.
EXCHANGE OPTION: In the event (i) any person or group becomes
an Acquiring Person or (ii) any of the types
of transactions, acquisitions or other
events described above as self-dealing
transactions occur, and prior to the
acquisition by such person or group of 50%
or more of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock, the Board may require all or any
portion of the outstanding Rights (other
than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person
which have become void) to be exchanged for
Common Stock on a pro rata basis, at an
exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock
or one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock (or of a share of a class or series of
the Company's Preferred Stock having
equivalent rights, preferences and
privileges) per Right (subject to
adjustment).
FRACTIONAL SHARES: No fractional shares of Common Stock will be
issued upon exercise of the Rights and, in
lieu thereof, a payment in cash will be made
to the holder of such Rights equal to the
same fraction of the current market value of
a share of Common Stock.
ADJUSTMENT: The Exercise Price payable, and the number
of shares of Preferred Stock or other
securities or property issuable, upon
exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent
dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination
or reclassification of the Preferred Stock,
(ii) upon the grant to holders of the
Preferred Stock of certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or
convertible securities at less than the
current market price of the Preferred Stock
or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of
the Preferred Stock of evidences of
indebtedness or assets (excluding dividends
payable in Preferred Stock) or of
subscription rights or warrants (other than
those referred to above). The number of
Rights associated with each share of Common
Stock is also subject to adjustment in the
event of a stock split of the Common Stock
or a stock dividend on the Common Stock
payable in Common Stock or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common
Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to
the Distribution Date.
RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDER: The Rights themselves do not entitle the
holder thereof to any rights as a
stockholder, including, without limitation,
voting rights or to receive dividends.
3
<PAGE>
AMENDMENT OF RIGHTS: Until the Rights become nonredeemable, the
Company may, except with respect to the
redemption price, amend the Agreement in any
manner. After the Rights become
nonredeemable, the Company may amend the
Agreement to cure any ambiguity, to correct
or supplement any provision which may be
defective or inconsistent with any other
provisions, to shorten or lengthen any time
period under the Rights Agreement, or to
change or supplement any provision in any
manner the Company may deem necessary or
desirable, provided that no such amendment
may adversely affect the interests of the
holders of the Rights (other than the
Acquiring Person or its Affiliates or
Associates) or cause the Rights to again be
redeemable or the Agreement to again be
freely amendable.
A COPY OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT IS AVAILABLE, FREE OF CHARGE, FROM THE
COMPANY AT 5060 SHOREHAM PLACE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92121, ATTENTION:
SECRETARY. THIS SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT DOES NOT
PURPORT TO BE COMPLETE AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHICH IS
INCORPORATED IN THIS SUMMARY DESCRIPTION BY REFERENCE.
4
