Exhibit 4.1
_________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
AND
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
Rights Agreement
Dated as of May 31, 2001
________________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Section Page
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Section 1. Certain Definitions................................................................. 4
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent......................................................... 8
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates........................................................ 8
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates......................................................... 10
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration................................................... 11
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates;
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates............................ 11
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights....................... 12
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates................................. 14
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock....................................... 14
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date......................................................... 16
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number
of Rights........................................................................... 16
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.......................... 25
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power................ 25
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares............................................. 28
Section 15. Rights of Action.................................................................... 29
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders......................................................... 29
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.................................. 30
Section 18. Concerning the Right Agent.......................................................... 30
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent........................... 31
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.............................................................. 31
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.............................................................. 33
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Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates................................................. 34
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.......................................................... 35
Section 24. Exchange............................................................................ 35
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events............................................................ 37
Section 26. Notices............................................................................. 37
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.......................................................... 38
Section 28. Successors.......................................................................... 39
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc........................... 39
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.......................................................... 39
Section 31. Severability........................................................................ 39
Section 32. Governing Law....................................................................... 40
Section 33. Counterparts........................................................................ 40
Section 34. Descriptive Headings................................................................ 40
EXHIBIT A FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES
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AND RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING
PREFERRED STOCK OF SOLITRON DEVICES, INC............................................ A-1
EXHIBIT B FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE.......................................................... B-1
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EXHIBIT C SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK....................................... C-1
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Rights Agreement
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of May 31, 2001 (the "Agreement"), between
Solitron Devices, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Continental
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the "Rights Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Company's 1991 Rights Agreement, and the rights issued
thereunder, will expire at the close of business on June 20, 2001.
WHEREAS, on May 31, 2001 (the "Rights Dividend Declaration Date"), the
Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend
distribution of one Right for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter
defined) of the Company outstanding at the close of business on June 20, 2001
(the "Record Date"), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such
number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p)
hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Record
Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company's treasury) and
the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) each Right initially representing
the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights, powers and
preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and
Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth (the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the
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following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the
Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding,
but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, any Person or
entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the
terms of any such plan or any Person who beneficially owns and is known by the
Company to be the Beneficial Owner as of the date of this Agreement of 20% or
more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the date of this Agreement;
provided, however, that a Person shall not become an Acquiring Person if such
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Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall become the Beneficial
Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding solely as a
result of a reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding due to
the repurchase of shares of Common Stock by the Company, unless and until such
time as such
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Person shall purchase or otherwise become (as a result of actions taken by such
Person or its Affiliates or Associates) the Beneficial owner of any additional
shares of Common Stock.
(b) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(c) "Adverse Person" shall mean any Person declared to be an
Adverse Person by the Board of Directors upon determination that the criteria
set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) apply to such Person.
(d) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date of
this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").
(e) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and shall
be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of
time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether
or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange
rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided,
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however, that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of,
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or to "beneficially own," (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender
or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted
for purchase or exchange, (B) securities issuable upon exercise of
Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, (C)
securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the
occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such
Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or
pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the "Original Rights")
or pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof in connection with an adjustment
made with respect to any Original Rights, or (D) securities acquired
by a Person in business as an underwriter in connection with such
Person's participation in good faith of a firm commitment of
underwriting to the Company;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose
of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule
13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act),
including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding,
whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not
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be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any
security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement,
arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement,
arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy
given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made
pursuant to, and in accordance with, the
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applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Exchange Act, and (B) is not also then reportable by such Person on
Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor
report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by
any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which
such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates) has any
agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing),
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a
revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of
this paragraph (e)) or disposing of any voting securities of the
Company; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (e) shall
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cause a person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to
be the "Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," any securities
acquired through such person's participation in good faith in a firm
commitment underwriting until the expiration of 25 days after the date
of such acquisition.
(f) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(g) "Close of Business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M.,
New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a
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Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M. New York City time, on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(h) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, $.01 par value, of
the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with reference to any Person
other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the
greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having
power to control or direct the management, of such Person.
(i) "Common Stock Equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(j) "Current Market Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d) hereof.
(k) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(l) "Distribution Date' shall have the meaning set for in Section
3(a) hereof.
(m) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
1(d) hereof.
(n) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
7(a) hereof.
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(n) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean the Close of Business on
June 20, 2011.
(o) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership or other entity and includes any successor in interest to any
Person.
(p) "Preferred Stock" shall mean shares of Series A Participating
Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company and, to the extent that there is
not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Participating Preferred Stock
authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of
Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company designated for such purpose
containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock.
(q) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
13(b) hereof.
(r) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) hereof
(s) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(t) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
23(a) hereof.
(u) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of this Agreement.
(v) "Rights Certificates" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(w) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean any event described in
Section 11(a)(ii) (A) or (B) hereof.
(x) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(y) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clause
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(z) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(a)(iii) hereof.
(aa) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of public
announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without
limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by
the Company or an Acquiring Person that a stockholder has become an Acquiring
Person.
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(bb) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least
a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly
or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.
(cc) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(dd) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
11(d)(i) hereof.
(ee) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
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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.
Section 3. Issue of Rights Certificates.
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(a) Until the earliest of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth
day after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth day after the Stock
Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the
Record Date), (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after the
date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any
Subsidiary of the Company, any Person or entity organized, appointed or
established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or any
Person who beneficially owns and is known by the Company to be the Beneficial
Owner as of the date of this Agreement of 20% or more of the shares of Common
Stock outstanding as of the date of this Agreement) is first published or sent
or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and
Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person
would be the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding or (iii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after the
Board of Directors of the Company determines, pursuant to the criteria set forth
in Section 11(a)(ii)(B) hereof, that a Person is an Adverse Person (the earliest
of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x)
the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this
Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of
the holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be
deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and
(y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the
underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As soon
as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-
class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock
as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such
holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the "Rights Certificates"),
evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to
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adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of
Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof,
at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make
the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section
11(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of
Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights (all in
accordance with Section 14 (a) hereof). As of and after the Distribution Date,
the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights certificates.
(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock, in
substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C, by first-class, postage
prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the Close of
Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock outstanding as
of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by
such certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of the Common
Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the
earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date, the transfer of any
certificates representing shares of Common Stock in respect of which Rights have
been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associates with
such shares of Common Stock.
(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common
Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company's
treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Expiration Date. Rights shall also be issued to the extent provided
in Section 22 in respect of all shares of Common Stock which are issued (whether
originally issued or from the Company's treasury) after the Distribution Date
and prior to the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such shares of
Common Stock in respect of which Rights are issued pursuant to the first
sentence of this Section 3(c) shall also be deemed to be certificates for
Rights, and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between Solitron
Devices, Inc. (the "Company") and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
Company (the "Rights Agent") dated as of May 31, 2001 (the "Rights
Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of
the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in Rights
Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates
and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company
will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights
Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge
promptly after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or
held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person, an
Adverse Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms
are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on
behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null
and void.
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With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates alone and
registered holders of Common Stock shall also be registered holders of the
associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented by such certificates.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
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(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase
and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks
of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements
printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent
with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any
applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any
rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to
time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11
and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be
dated as of the Record Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof
to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as
shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price
per one one-hundredth of a share, the "Purchase Price"), but the amount and type
of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price
thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or
Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by any Person known
to be: (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or any Associate or Affiliate
of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring
Person or an Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes
a transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes such, or (iii)
a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and receives such Rights
pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity interests in such
Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring
Person or Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board
of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or
understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e)
hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11
hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights
Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible)
the following legend, modified as applicable to apply to such Person:
The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were
beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an [Acquiring]
[Adverse] Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an [Acquiring]
[Adverse] Person (as such terms are defined in this
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Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights
represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances
specified in Section 7(e) of such Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
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(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the
Company's seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile
signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent,
either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall
have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the
Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the
Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and
effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased
to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of
such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such
Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights
Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or
cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the
appropriate place for surrender of the Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued
hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective
holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face
by each of the Rights Certificates and the certificate number and the date of
each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights
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Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.
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(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e),
Section 14 and Section 24 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration
Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates may be transferred, split up,
combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling
the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a share
of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other
securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate
or Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the
case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer,
split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make
such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the
Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or
exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered
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Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or
Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights
Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof,
countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or
Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that
may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or
exchange of Rights Certificates.
(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity
or security reasonably satisfactory to them, all reasonable expenses incidental
thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights
Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights
Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery
to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen,
destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
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(a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as
otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on
exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11 (a)(iii), Section 23 (a)
and Section 24 hereof) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution
Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to
purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the
Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated
for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with
respect to the total number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
(or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such
surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the
Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof, (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged
as provided for in Section 24 hereof, or (iv) the time at which the Rights
expire pursuant to Section 13(e) hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii), (iii) and
(iv) being herein referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a share of
Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $25.00,
and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11
and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable
Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed,
accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase
Price per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other shares,
securities or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth
herein and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition
from any transfer agent of
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the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the
transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one one-
hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the company hereby
irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or
(B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary
agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing
such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be
purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock
represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the
depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply
with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any,
to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof,
(iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same
to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon
the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of
the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof) shall be made (x) by certified bank check or money order payable to the
order of the Company, (y) by delivery of a certificate or certificates (with
appropriate stock powers executed in blank attached thereto) evidencing a number
of shares of Common Stock equal to the then Purchase Price divided by the
closing price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of
Common Stock on the Trading Date immediately preceding the date of such exercise
or (z) a combination thereof. In the event that the Company is obligated to
issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or
distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will
make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other
property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when
appropriate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall
exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued
by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Associate
or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person, (ii) a transferee of
an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate)
who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becomes
such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or of
any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person becoming such and
receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or to any Person with whom
the Acquiring Person or Adverse Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement
or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the
Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement
or understanding which has as a
13
primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null
and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any
rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of
this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to
insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are
complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates
or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with
respect to an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person or any of their respective
Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any
action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported
exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have
(i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to
purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for
such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the
Beneficial owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates
thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights
---------------------------------------------------
Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Rights
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights
Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and
retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company
otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all
canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of
the Company, destroy such canceled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
---------------------------------------------
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities), or out
of its authorized and issued shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and issued shares of
Common Stock and/or other securities) held in its treasury, the number of shares
of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement, including
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of
all outstanding Rights.
(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable
and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and
after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to
14
the extent that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all
shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official
notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as
practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon
exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this Agreement (including
in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof), or as soon as is required by law
following the Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement
under the Act with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the
Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such
registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times
meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of
which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date
of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such action as may
be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or "Blue Sky"
laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights.
The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety
(90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this
Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such
registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public
announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in
such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not
be permitted under applicable law or any required registration statement has not
been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common
Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon the exercise of Rights shall, at
the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of
the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid
and nonassessable.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when
due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which
may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates
and of any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay
any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of
Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a
number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than
that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights
surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered
holder upon the exercise of any Rights
15
until such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of
such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been
established to the Company's satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date. Each person in whose name any
---------------------------
certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the
exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of
record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or
other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such
certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate
evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price
(and all applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the
-------- -------
date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the
Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder
of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be
dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company
are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a
Rights Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a
stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or
----------------------------------------------------------
Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by
- ----------------
each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from
time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a)
(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date
of this Agreement
(A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of
Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C)
combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of
shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a
reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such
reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in
which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e)
hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date
for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares
of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on
such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of
any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive,
upon payment of the Purchase Price then in
16
effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock
or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been
exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be)
transfer books of the Company were open, he would have owned upon
such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such
dividend, subdivisions, combination or reclassification. ___ If an
event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this
Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment
provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and
shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section
11 (a) (ii) hereof.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event:
(A) any Person (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any Subsidiary of the Company, any Person or entity organized,
appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms
of any such plan or any Person who beneficially owns and is known by
the Company to be the Beneficial Owner as of the date of this
Agreement of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding
as of the date of this Agreement), alone or together with its
Affiliates and Associates, shall, at any time after the date of this
Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner of 20% or more of the shares
of Common Stock then outstanding, unless the event causing the 20%
threshold to be crossed is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a)
hereof, or is an acquisition of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a
tender offer or an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of
Common Stock at a price and on terms determined by at least a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are not
officers of the Company, after receiving advice from one or more
investment banking firms, to be (a) at a price which is fair to
stockholders (taking into account all factors which such members of
the Board deem relevant including, without limitation, prices which
could reasonably be achieved if the Company or its assets were sold
on an orderly basis designed to realize maximum value) and (b)
otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,
or
(B) the Board of Directors of the Company shall
declare any Person to be an Adverse Person, upon a determination
that such Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and
Associates, has, at any time after the date of this Agreement,
become the Beneficial Owner of an amount of Common Stock which the
Board of Directors determines to be substantial (which amount shall
in no event be less than 15% of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding) and a determination by at least a majority of the Board
of Directors who are not officers of the Company, after reasonable
inquiry and investigation, including consultation with such Persons
as such directors shall deem appropriate, that (a) such Beneficial
Ownership by such Person is intended to cause the Company to
repurchase the Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person or to
cause
17
pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a transaction
or series of transactions intended to provide such Person with
short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of
Directors determines that the best long-term interests of the
Company and its stockholders would not be served by taking such
action or entering into such transactions or series of transactions
at that time or (b) such Beneficial Ownership is causing or
reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but
not limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or
impairment of the Company's ability to maintain its competitive
position) on the business or prospects of the Company then, promptly
following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company's right of
redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and
(y) being referred to herein as the Section 11(a) (ii) Trigger
Date"), proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a
Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, in lieu of a number of one one-hundredths of a share of
Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the
Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the
then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first
occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the Purchase Price"
for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the
current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof)
per share of Common Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such
number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares"); provided, however, that
--------- -------
the Purchase Price and the number of Adjustment Shares shall be
further adjusted as provided in this Agreement to reflect any events
occurring after the date of the first occurrence.
(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock
which are authorized by the Company's certificate of incorporation
but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than
upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise
in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph
(ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall: (A) determine the
excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the
exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over (2) the Purchase
Price (such excess being referred to as the "Spread"), and (B) with
respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for the
Adjustment Shares, upon exercise of the Rights, (1) cash, (2) a
reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity
securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or
units of shares, of preferred stock which the Board of Directors of
the Company has deemed to have the same value as shares of Common
Stock (such shares of preferred stock being referred to as "Common
Stock Equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other
assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate
value equal to the Current Value, where such
18
aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the
Company based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment
banking firm selected by the Board of Directors of the Company;
provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate
-------- -------
provision to substitute value pursuant to clause (B) above within
thirty (30) days following the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, then
the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for
exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase
Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if
necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value
equal to the Spread. If the Board of Directors of the Company shall
determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional
shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon
exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth
above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than
ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order
that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the authorization
of such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company determines
that some action need be taken pursuant to the first and/or second
sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide,
subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply
uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y) may suspend the
exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the
Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional
shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be
made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value
thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall
issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the
Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as public
announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.
For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of Common Stock
shall be Current Market Price per share and the value of any Common
Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to have the same value of any
Common Stock on such date.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of
rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them to
subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar
days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights,
privileges and preferences as the share of Preferred Stock ("equivalent
preferred stock") or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent
preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of
equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a
security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less
than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on such record date,
the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by
multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date
by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred
Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred
Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of
Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the
aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be
offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of
which shall be the number of
19
shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of
additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be
offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities
so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may
be paid by delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form other
than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith
by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described
in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights
Agent and the holders of the Rights. Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held
for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose
of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are
not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price
which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution
to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in
connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing
corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular quarterly
cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets
(other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend
payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants
(excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be
in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price 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 and shall be conclusive for
all purposes) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so
to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a
share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be such Current
Market Price per share of Preferred Stock. Such adjustments shall be made
successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such
distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(d)
(i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other
than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
"Current Market Price" per share of Common Stock on any date shall
be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of
such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days (as
such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date,
and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, the "Current Market Price" per share of Common Stock on any
date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices
per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading
Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the
-------- -------
event that the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement by the
20
issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on
such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or
securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than
the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification
of such Common Stock, and prior to the expiration of the requisite
thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) 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, then, and in each such case, the "Current Market
Price" shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend
trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale
price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way,
in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the shares of Common
Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock
Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal
national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are
listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are
not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of
the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as
reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in the Common Stock selected by the Board 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. The term "Trading Day" shall mean a day on which the
principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common
Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction
of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business
Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or
traded, "Current Market Price" per share shall mean the fair value
per share as determined in good faith by the Board 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 of Preferred Stock shall be
determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common
Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last
sentence thereof). If the Current Market Price per share of
Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above or
if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a
manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the "Current
Market Price" per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively
deemed to be an amount equal to 100 (as such number may be
21
appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock
dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock
occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the
Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock. If neither the
Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed
or traded, "Current Market Price" per share of the Preferred Stock
shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by
the Board 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. For all purposes of this Agreement, the
"Current Market Price" of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred
Stock shall be equal to the "Current Market Price" of one share of
Preferred Stock divided by 100.
(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment
in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an
increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price;
provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e)
- -------- -------
are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in
any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made
to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandths of a share of Common Stock
or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may
be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment
required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or
(ii) the Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised
shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than
Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon
exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in
Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m) 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.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any
adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise
of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-
millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a
share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the
Purchase Price in effect immediately
22
prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so
obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of
the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of
the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in
the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon
the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in
the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately
prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of
the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the
nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in
effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall
make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights,
indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the
amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which
the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights
Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the
date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon
each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates
evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such
holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of
the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in
substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the
Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders
shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be
distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided
for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase
Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights
Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price
or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter
issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a
share and the number of one one-hundredths of a share which were expressed in
the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number
of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of
the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the
opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and
legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-hundredths of
a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for the
specified event, the Company may
23
elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of
any Right exercised after such record date the number of one one-hundredths of a
share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities of the Company,
if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-
hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock and other capital stock or securities
of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase
Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company
-------- -------
shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument
evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional shares (fractional or
otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such
adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in
addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to
the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the
Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or
subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares
of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly
for cash or shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock
dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this
Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock
shall not be taxable to such stockholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time
after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other then a
Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of
the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii)
sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one
transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer there are any rights, warrants or
other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would
substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after
such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, the shareholders of the Person who
constitutes, or would constitute, the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section
13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by
such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.
(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution
Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, 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 otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
24
(p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in
the event that the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement
and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding
shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of
Common Stock in a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with
each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter
but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that
the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock
following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the
number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to
such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the
event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.
(q) The failure by the Board of Directors to declare a Person to be
an Adverse Person following such Person becoming the Beneficial owner of 15% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall not imply that such Person
is not an Adverse Person or limit the Board of Directors' right or ability at
any time in the future to declare such Person to be an Adverse Person.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
----------------------------------------------------------
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof,
the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such
adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment,
(b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the
Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a
brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or, if prior to
the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of
Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be
fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein
contained and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless
and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning
--------------------------------------------------------------
Power.
- -----
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date,
directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with
and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not
be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y)
any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or
into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such
consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other
Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise
transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer),
in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power
aggregating more than
25
50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as
a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section
11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so
that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof,
shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the
then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such
number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely
tradable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is
hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first
refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately or to
the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has
occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the
number of such one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first
occurrence), and dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of
a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right
and for all purposes of this Agreement) by (2) 50% of the Current Market Price
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock
of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event;
(ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by
virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company
pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed
to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the
provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party
following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party
shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a
sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the
consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the
provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may
be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall
be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(b) "Principal Party" shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or
(y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the
issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the
Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no
securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such
merger or consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
26
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person
- --------
is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12)
month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is
a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is
and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to such other Person;
and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more
than one Person, the Common Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so
registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless
the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its
Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless
prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms
set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing
that, as soon as practicable after the date of any such Section 13 Event, the
Principal Party will
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best
efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective
as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective
(with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act)
until the Expiration Date; and
(ii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which
comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form
10 under the Exchange Act.
(d) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event
that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised
shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in subparagraphs
(x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transactions is consummated with a
Person or Persons who acquired shares of Common Stock pursuant to a tender offer
or exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock which complies with
the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)(A) hereof (or a wholly owned subsidiary of
any such Person or Persons), (ii) the price per share of Common Stock offered in
such transactions is not less than the price per share of Common Stock paid to
all holders of shares of Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to
such tender offer or exchange offer, and (iii) the form of consideration being
offered to the remaining holders of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such
transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such
27
tender offer or exchange offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction
contemplated by this Section 13(e), all Rights hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
---------------------------------------
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p)
hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.
In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders
of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would
otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the
current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights
for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional
Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for
any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale
takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices,
regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to
trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal
consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on
the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or
admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted,
the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market,
as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date
the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing
bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market
in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such
date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of
the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of
the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of
one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or
to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock
(other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock). In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that
are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock,
the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time
such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of one one-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 one one-hundredth of
the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to
Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of
such exercise.
(c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company
shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise
of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of
Common Stock. In lieu of fractional
28
shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights
Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount
in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one share of
Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of
one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of one share of Common
Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
----------------
Agreement, other than rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided
in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance
of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by
---------------------------
accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and
with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and
with the appropriate forms and certificates fully completed and executed;
(c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company
and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock
certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights
evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone
other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and
neither the
29
Company nor the Rights Agent subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e)
hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder
of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its
obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent
injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or
commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or
enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining
performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
-------- -------
efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned
as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No
--------------------------------------------------
holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one one-
hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company
which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented
thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be
construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of
the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election
of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting
thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive
notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided
in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or
otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall
have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Right Agent.
--------------------------
(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time,
on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and
disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the administration and
execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to
hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights
Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the
acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in
connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights
Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or for other securities of the
Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,
affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and,
where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.
30
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
---------------------------------------------------------
(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any
corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent
or any successor Rights agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to
the corporate trust or stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this
Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such corporation
-------- -------
would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the
provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent
shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Rights
Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor
Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and
deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any
of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor
Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the
predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been
countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature
under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in
case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been
countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and
in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the
----------------------
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action
taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or
matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person or
Adverse Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or
established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder,
such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein
specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established
by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice
President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any
31
action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this
Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any
of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its
countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and
recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of
Section 11 or Section 13 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount
of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would
require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights
evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice of any such adjustment);
nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or
warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or
Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights
Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will,
when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge
and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all
such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be
required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights
Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the
Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any
Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company,
and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its
duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken
by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the
Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent
under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting
in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
32
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights
or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by
or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable
or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys
or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was exercised in the
-------- -------
selection and continued employment thereof.
(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights
if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds
or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably
assured to it.
(k) If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the
Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of
assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not
been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2
thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such
requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
----------------------
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon thirty (30) days' notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each
transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or
certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class
mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon
thirty (30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor
Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock
and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the
Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be
removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint
a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such
removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or
incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a
Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate
for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment
of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the
Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York (or of
any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized
to do business as a banking institution in the State of New York), in good
standing, and having a principal office in the State of New York, which is
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust 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 $100,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of 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
33
Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later
than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice
thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of
the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing
to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice
provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect herein, shall not affect
the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or
the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of
-----------------------------------
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change
in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection
with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution
Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a)
shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the
exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the
exercise conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company,
and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board
of Directors of the company, issue Rights Certificates representing the
appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided,
--------
however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the
- -------
extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would
create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or
the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such
Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate
adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
--------------------------
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at
any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth day
following the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the Stock Acquisition Date shall
have occurred prior to the Record Date, the Close of Business on the tenth day
following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but
not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.001
per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock
split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof
(such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price").
Notwithstanding the-foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company may not
redeem any Rights following its declaration that any Person is an Adverse
Person. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary,
the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right of redemption hereunder
has expired. The Company may, at is option, pay the Redemption Price in cash,
shares of Common Stock (based on the "Current Market Price", as defined in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any
other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
34
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been
filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right
thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for
each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors ordering
the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption
to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing
such notice to all such holders at each holder's last address as it appears upon
the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on
the registry books of the Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which
is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not
the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the
method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. Exchange.
--------
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at
any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person or Adverse Person,
exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall
not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
7(e) hereof) for 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 the Company, any Subsidiary of
the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company, any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company
for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or any Person who beneficially
owns and is known by the Company to be the Beneficial owner as of the date of
this Agreement of 20% or more of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of
the date of this Agreement), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
Person, becomes the Beneficial owner of 50% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the
Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to this Section 24(a) 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. Promptly after
the action of the Board of Directors ordering an exchange of the Rights, the
Company shall give notice of any such exchange to the Rights Agent and the
holders of the ' then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such
holders at each holder's last address a it appears 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
35
Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at
its option, may substitute shares of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred
stock, as such term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for shares of Common
Stock exchangeable for the Rights, at the initial rate of one one-hundredth of a
share of Preferred Stock (or equivalent preferred stock) for each share of
Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments on the dividend
rights of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms thereof.
(d) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of
Common Stock or Preferred 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 Common Stock or Preferred Stock for issuance upon exchange
of the Rights.
(e) The Company shall not be required to issue fractional 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 Section 24(e), the current
market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a
share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section
11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange
pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
------------------------
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the
holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of
Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or
retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred
Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares
of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities,
rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred
Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of
outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in
a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale
or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any
sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions,
of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the
Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions which
complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company
shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in
accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall
specify the
36
record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or
warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger
sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock,
if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case
of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days
prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred
Stock for purposes of such action and in the case of any such other action, at
least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action
or the date of the participation therein by the holders of the shares of
Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any
such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each
holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with
Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify
the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section
11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to
Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if
appropriate, other securities.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
-------
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
Solitron Devices, Inc.
3300 Electronics Way
West Palm Beach, Florida 33402
Attention: Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Secretary
Subject to the provisions of section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
2 Broadway
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Compliance Department
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if
prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing
shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of
such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date
--------------------------
and subject to the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the Company and the
Rights Agent, shall, if the
37
Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without
the approval of any holders of certificates representing shares of Common Stock.
From and after the Distribution Date and subject to 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 Rights 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 and which shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an
Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such
Person); provided, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to
--------
lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating
to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then
redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the
purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the
benefits to, the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person, an Adverse
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person). Upon the delivery of a
certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the
proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section
27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment
shall be made that changes the Redemption Price, the Final Expiration Date, the
Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock
for which a Right is exercisable.
Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be
deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Stock.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this
----------
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of
determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock
of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with
the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company (or, as set forth
herein, certain specified members thereof) shall have the exclusive power and
authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers
specifically granted to the Board of Directors of the Company or to the Company,
or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement, (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or
advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, but not limited
to, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights, to declare that a Person
is an Adverse Person or to amend this Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of
clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or
38
made by the Board of Directors of the Company in good faith, shall (x) be final,
conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the
Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject to the Board to any liability
to the holders of the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall
--------------------------
be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and
the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the
Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution
Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction
------------
of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other
authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full
force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
- -------- -------
contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such
court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of
Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the
invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or
effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof
shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on the
tenth day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors of
the Company.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights
-------------
Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the
laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made
and to be performed entirely within such State.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
------------
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and
the same instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several
--------------------
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction" of any of the provisions hereof.
[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]
39
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.:
By: /s/ Shevach Saraf
-------------------------------------
Name: Shevach Saraf
Title: Chairman, Chief Executive
Officer, President and
Treasurer
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST COMPANY:
By: /s/ William F. Seegraber
------------------------------------
Name: William F. Seegraber
Title: Vice President
40
EXHIBIT A
---------
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS OF SERIES A JUNIOR
PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK OF SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
We, John J. Stayduhar, Chairman of the Board, and Eric M Hellige, Assistant
Secretary of Solitron Devices, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the
Certificate of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the said Board of
Directors on May 29, 1991, adopted the following resolution creating a series of
500,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
Directors of the Corporation by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board
of Directors does hereby provide for the issue of a series of Junior
Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Corporation, to be designated
"Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" (hereinafter referred to as
the "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock"), initially consisting
of 500,000 shares, and to the extent that the designations, powers,
preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications,
limitations and restrictions of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock are not stated and expressed in the Certificate of Incorporation,
does hereby fix and herein state and express such designations, powers,
preferences and relative and other special rights and the qualifications,
limitations and restrictions thereof, as follows (all terms used herein
which are defined in the Certificate of Incorporation shall be deemed to
have the meanings provided therein):
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
----------------------
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" and the number of
shares constituting such series shall be 500,000.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
---------------------------
(a) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares
of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be
entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of
funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on
the 15th day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date
being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on
the first Quarterly Dividend
A-1
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded
to the nearest cent) equal to (subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth) 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all
non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") since the
immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. In the
event the Corporation shall at any time after May 31, 2001 (the "Rights
Declaration Date") (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the
outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case
the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence
shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(b) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on-the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares
is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue
of such shares or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly
dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which
events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-
by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior
-------------
Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
A-2
(a) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder
thereof to 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 A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that
were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Certificate of
Incorporation, in any other certificate of designation creating a series of
preferred stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock
and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights
shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
stockholders of the Corporation.
(c) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not
be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of
Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
--------------------
(a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on,
or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions
on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to
which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any
time redeem purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such
A-3
parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking
junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding
up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;
(iv) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock
ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by
publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of
such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration
of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and
preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good
faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective
series or classes.
(b) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to
purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Junior
-----------------
Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation
in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the
acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become
authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of
a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of
the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance
set forth herein.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
--------------------------------------
(a) Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding
up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior
thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
shall have received $1.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid
dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of
such payment (the "Series A Liquidation Preference"). Following the payment of
the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional
distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of
Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment")
equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation
Preference by (ii) 100 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph C
below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and capitalization
with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the "Adjustment
Number") following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation
Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively,
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares
of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the
remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1
with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis,
respectively.
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(b) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available
to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the
liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which
rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then
such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity
shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event,
however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in
full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed
ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(c) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights
Declaration Date (i) declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock
into a lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the
Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by
multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and
the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall
--------------------------
enter into any consolidation, merger, division, combination or other transaction
in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other
stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time
be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate
amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind),
as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the
Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii)
combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in
each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to
the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator
of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after
such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Junior Participating
-------------
Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Ranking. The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
-------
shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to
the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise.
Section 10. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation of the
---------
Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
A-5
Section 11. Fractional Shares. Series A Junior Participating Preferred
-----------------
Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in
proportion to such holders fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive
dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other
rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have executed and subscribed this Certificate and do
affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 15th day of
July 1991.
Chairman of the Board
Attest:
Assistant Secretary
A-6
EXHIBIT B
---------
[FORM OF RIGHTS CERTIFICATE]
Certificate No. R- __________ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JUNE 20, 2011 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY.
THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER
RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN ADVERSE
PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF EITHER (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND
VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING (ADVERSE] PERSON
OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING [ADVERSE] PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE
RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES
SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]
Rights Certificate
SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.
This certifies that __________________________, or registered assigns, is the
registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entities
the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights
Agreement, dated as of May 31, 2001 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Solitron
Devices, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Continental Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the "Rights Agent"), to
purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on
June 20, 2011 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid,
non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the
"Preferred Stock") of the Company, at a purchase price of
______________________
/1/The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable, shall be modified to apply to an Acquiring Person or an Adverse
Person, as applicable, and shall replace the preceding sentence.
B-1
$25.00 per one one-hundredth of a share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election
to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The Purchase Price may be
paid in cash or by certified bank check or money order payable to the order of
the Company. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the
number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above,
and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase
Price as of _____________, 2001, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at
such date.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined
in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are
beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate
or Associate of any such Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Adverse Person,
Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the
Rights Agreement, a transferee of a Person who, concurrently with or after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or
Associate of any such Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no
holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after
the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and
kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, which may be purchased
upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject
to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including
Triggering Events (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement).
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by
B-2
reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is
hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights,
obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company
and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include
the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific
circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement
are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also
available upon written request to the Rights Agent.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights
Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred
Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder of purchase. If this Rights
Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive
upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the
number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by
this Certificate may be (1) (unless the Board of Directors shall have made a
determination that a Person is an Adverse Person) redeemed by the Company at its
option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier
of the close of business on (i) the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition
Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement), and
(ii) the Final Expiration Date or (2) exchanged, in whole or in-part, for shares
of the Company's Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
B-3
No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of
any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of shares of Preferred
Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or, to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and
its corporate seal.
Dated as of ________________ SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.:
Attest:
By:________________________
Title:
B-4
Secretary
Countersigned:
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST COMPANY:
By:___________________________
Authorized Officer
B-5
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
------------------
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ______________________________________ hereby sells, assigns
and transfers unto _____________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest herein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ______________________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the
within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: _________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
B-6
CERTIFICATE
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and
transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person, an
Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as such terms
are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person, an Adverse
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: __________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond
to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-7
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
-----------------------------
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights represented by the Rights
Certificate)
TO: SOLITRON DEVICES, INC.:
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise _______ Rights
represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock
issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the
Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of
and delivered to:
(Please print name and address of transferee)
Please insert social security or other identifying number:_____________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this
Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
(Please print name and address of transferee)
Please insert social security or other identifying number:______________________
Dated: ________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
B-8
CERTIFICATE
-----------
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) this Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificates [ ] are [ ] are
not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring
Person, an Adverse Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Person (as
such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it
[ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from
any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person, an Adverse Person or an
Affiliate or Associate of any such Person.
Dated: __________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
------
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must
correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in
every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
B-9
EXHIBIT C
---------
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED STOCK
On May 31, 2001, the Board of Directors of Solitron Devices, Inc. (the
"Company") declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each outstanding
share of Common Stock of the Company to stockholders of record at the close of
business on June 20, 2001. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase
from the Company a unit consisting of one one-hundredth of a share (a "Unit") of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Preferred Stock"), at a Purchase Price of $25.00 per Unit, subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement, dated as of May 31, 2001 (the "Rights Agreement"), between the
Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the
"Rights Agent").
The Company's 1991 Rights Agreement, and the rights issued thereunder, will
expire at the close of business on June 20, 2001.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates
representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will
be distributed. The Rights will not be exercisable, and will not be transferable
apart from the Common Stock, until the earliest of (i) 10 days following the
date (the "Stock Acquisition Date") of a public announcement that a person or
group of affiliated or associated persons (other than the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company, any person
or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan or any person who beneficially owned or was known to
be the beneficial owner as of the date of the Rights Agreement of 20% or more of
the Common Stock outstanding as of the date of the Rights Agreement) has
acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 20% or more
of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (such person or group is referred to
as an "Acquiring Person"), (ii) 10 business days following the commencement of a
tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group (other
than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of
the Company, any person or entity organized, appointed or established by the
Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or any person who
beneficially owned or was known to be the beneficial owner as of the date of the
Rights Agreement of 20% or more of the Common Stock outstanding as of the date
of the Rights Agreement) beneficially owning 20% or more of such outstanding
shares of Common Stock or (iii) 10 business days after the Board of Directors of
the Company shall declare any person or entity to be an Adverse Person, upon a
determination that such person or entity, alone or together with its affiliates
and associates, has become the beneficial owner of an amount of Common Stock
which the Board of Directors determines to be substantial (which amount shall in
no event be less than 15% of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding) and a
determination by at least a majority of the Board of Directors who are not
officers of the Company, after reasonable inquiry and investigation, including
consultation with such persons as such directors shall deem appropriate, that
(a) such beneficial ownership by such person or entity is intended to cause the
Company to repurchase the Common Stock beneficially owned by such person or
entity or to cause pressure on the Company to take action or enter into a
transaction or series of transactions intended to provide such person or entity
with short-term financial gain under circumstances where the Board of Directors
determines that the best long-term interests of the Company and its stockholders
would not be served by taking such action or entering into such transactions or
C-1
series of transactions at that time or (b) such beneficial ownership is causing
or reasonably likely to cause a material adverse impact (including, but not
limited to, impairment of relationships with customers or impairment of the
Company's ability to maintain its competitive position) on the business or
prospects of the Company. The earliest of (1), (2) or (3) is referred to as the
"Distribution Date."
Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common
Stock certificates and will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock
certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after June 20, 2001 will
contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the
surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will
also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented by such certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire
at the close of business on June 20, 2011, unless earlier redeemed by the
Company as described below.
As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights Certificates
will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of
business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights
Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by
the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the
Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.
In the event that the Board of Directors determines that a person or entity
is an Adverse Person or a person or entity becomes the beneficial owner of more
than 20% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock (except pursuant to an
offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock which the independent directors
determine to be fair to and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders), each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash,
property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times
the exercise price of the Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following
the occurrence of any of the events set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that
are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were,
beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or Adverse Person will be null and
void. However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of either of
the events set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer
redeemable by the Company as set forth below.
For example, at an exercise price of $25.00 per Right, each Right not owned
by an Acquiring Person or an Adverse Person (or by certain related parties)
following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder
to purchase $50.00 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted
above) for $25.00.
In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i)
the company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in
which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than a merger
described in the second preceding paragraph or a merger which follows an offer
described in the second preceding paragraph), or (ii) 50% or more of the
Company's assets or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right
(except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall
thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the
acquiring company having a value equal to two
C-2
times the exercise price of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph
and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the "Triggering
Events."
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or
warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than
the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution
to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets
(excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or
warrants (other than those referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment to the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase
Price. No fractional Units will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in
cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last
trading date prior to the date of exercise.
In general, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at
a price of $.001 per Right, at any time until ten days following the Stock
Acquisition Date. The Company may not redeem the Rights if the Board of
Directors has previously declared a person or entity to be an Adverse Person.
Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the
Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights
will be to receive the $.001 redemption price.
In addition, at any time after a person acquires 20% of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock and prior to the acquisition by such person of 50% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Company may exchange the
Rights (other than the Rights which have become null and void), in whole or in
part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or equivalent share of
Preferred Stock, per Right.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not
be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon
the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become
exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for
common stock of the acquiring company as set forth above.
Other than those provisions relating to the principal economic terms of the
Rights, any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the
Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After the
Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the
Board in order to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to make changes
which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights (excluding the
interests of any Acquiring Person, any Adverse Person or any affiliate of any
such person or entity), or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the
Rights Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment to adjust the time period
-------- -------
governing redemption shall be made at such time as the Rights are not
redeemable.
C-3
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 20,
2001. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the
Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete
and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
C-4