EX-2.1 3 s110125_ex2-1.htm EXHIBIT 2.1

 

Exhibit 2.1

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

AND

 

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Rights Agent

 

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

dated as of

 

May 8, 2018

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
Section 1. Certain Definitions 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent 6
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates 6
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates 9
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration 9
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates 10
Section 7. Exercise of Rights 11
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates 12
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock 13
Section 10. Preferred Stock Record Date 14
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights 14
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares 22
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power 22
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares 25
Section 15. Rights of Action 26
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders 27
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder 27
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent 28
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent 28
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent 29
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent 32
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates 32
Section 23. Redemption 33

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.)

 

    Page
Section 24. Exchange 33
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events 35
Section 26. Notices 35
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments 36
Section 28. Successors 37
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement 37
Section 30. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors of the Company 37
Section 31. Severability 37
Section 32. Governing Law 37
Section 33. Descriptive Headings 37
Section 34. Counterparts 38

 

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This Rights Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2018 (this “Agreement”), is by and between HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED (company number: 32576), a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (the “Company”), and COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a federally chartered trust company, and successor to U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation (the “Rights Agent”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, on April 28, 2018, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (a “Right”) for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) issued and outstanding as of the close of business (as hereinafter defined) on May 11, 2018 (the “Record Date”), and has authorized the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of Common Stock issued by the Company between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth (1/1,000th) of one share of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), having the rights and preferences set forth in the M & A (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.             Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated as follows:

 

(a)          “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include an Exempt Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” solely as the result of (i) any unilateral grant of any security by the Company through the exercise of any options, warrants, rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers and employees or (ii) an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company that, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares Beneficially Owned by a Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, to 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, unless and until such time as such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional share or shares of Common Stock (other than by reason of a stock dividend, stock split or other corporate action effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Stock are treated equally), then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person,” subject to the following sentence of this Section 1(a), unless, upon consummation of such event, such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, does not beneficially own 15% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who otherwise would be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), became the Beneficial Owner of a number of shares of Common Stock such that such Person would otherwise be an Acquiring Person inadvertently (including, without limitation, because (A) such Person was unaware that it, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, Beneficially Owned a percentage of Common Stock that would cause such Person to be an “Acquiring Person” or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of its (and its Affiliates’ and Associates’) Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership under this Agreement) and without any intention of obtaining, changing or influencing control of the Company, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” or to have become an “Acquiring Person,” for all purposes of this Agreement (such that, for the avoidance of doubt, under such circumstances no Distribution Date shall be deemed to have occurred and no adjustment pursuant to Section 11(b) or Section 13 shall be made in respect thereof) unless such Person fails to divest itself as soon as practicable if the Company so requests (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company) of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer qualify as an Acquiring Person; provided, however, that if such Person, after such determination and divestment, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding by reason of becoming the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock, then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” unless a subsequent determination and divestment is made; or (ii) as of the date of the first public announcement of the adoption of this Agreement, any Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Stock outstanding, such Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person) shall not be deemed to be or become an Acquiring Person unless and until such Person shall, after the first public announcement of the adoption of this Agreement, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock (other than by reason of a stock dividend, stock split or other corporate action effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Stock are treated equally) unless, upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional shares of Common Stock, such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is not the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock.

 

With respect to any Person, for all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular time, including for the purposes of determining the particular percentage of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any such Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall include the number of shares of Common Stock not outstanding at the time of such calculation that such Person is otherwise deemed to beneficially own for the purposes of this Agreement, but the number of shares of Common Stock not outstanding that such Person is otherwise deemed to beneficially own for the purposes of this Agreement shall not be included for the purpose of computing the percentage of the outstanding shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by any other Person (unless such other Person is also deemed to beneficially own for purposes of this Agreement such shares of Common Stock not outstanding).

 

(b)          “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the meaning ascribed to each such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

 

(c)          “Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

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(d)          A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” and to have “Beneficial Ownership” of any securities:

 

(i)           that such Person, or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement;

 

(ii)          that such Person, or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), written or otherwise, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (in each case, other than upon the exercise or exchange of the Rights), warrants, options or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” or to have Beneficial Ownership of, (w) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or an exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (x) securities which such Person has a right to acquire upon the exercise of the Rights at any time prior to the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, (y) securities issuable upon the exercise of the Rights from and after the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person if such Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 (“Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(k) or Section 11(p) with respect to an adjustment to Original Rights, or (z) securities which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates may acquire, does or do acquire or may be deemed to have the right to acquire, pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and such Person (or one or more of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) if such agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such Person’s becoming an Acquiring Person; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” or to have “Beneficial Ownership” of, any security under this clause (B) if such agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);

 

(iii)         that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person, or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, has (x) any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise (other than customary arrangements with underwriters and selling group numbers with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to Section 1(d)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company) or (y) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) to cooperate in obtaining, changing or influencing control of the issuer of such securities; or

 

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(iv)            which are the subject of a derivative transaction entered into by such Person or such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, or derivative security acquired by such Person or such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, which (A) gives such Person or such Person’s Affiliates or Associates the economic equivalent of ownership of an amount of such securities due to the fact that the value of the derivative is explicitly determined by reference to the price or value of such securities, without regard to whether (1) such derivative conveys any voting rights in such securities to such Person or such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, (2) the derivative is required to be, or capable of being, settled through delivery of such securities, or (3) such Person or such Person’s Affiliates or Associates may have entered into other transactions that hedge the economic effect of such derivative; and (B) is reported, or required to be reported, in a filing by that Person or any of that Person’s Affiliates or Associates with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 13D-G or Regulation 14D under the Exchange Act in respect of which shares of Common Stock are the “subject security” (as that term is described in those Regulations). The number of shares of Common Stock that are deemed beneficially owned will be the notional or other number of shares of Common Stock specified in the documentation evidencing the derivative position as being subject to be acquired upon the exercise or settlement of the applicable right or as the basis upon which the value or settlement amount of such right, or the opportunity of the holder of such right to profit or share in any profit, is to be calculated in whole or in part or, if no such number of shares of Common Stock is specified in such documentation, as determined by the Board of Directors to be the number of shares of Common Stock to which the derivative position relates; provided, however, that no Person who is an officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person shall be deemed, solely by reason of such Person’s status or authority as such, to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, to have “Beneficial Ownership” of or to “beneficially own” any securities that are “beneficially owned” (as defined in this Section l(d)), including, without limitation, in a fiduciary capacity, by an Exempt Person or by any other such officer, director or employee of an Exempt Person.

 

(e)          “Book Entry” shall mean an uncertificated book entry for the Common Stock.

 

(f)          “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 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., Massachusetts time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., Massachusetts time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(h)          “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock, $0.01 par value per share (or as such par value may be changed from time to time), of the Company, or any other capital stock of the Company into which such common stock may be reclassified or exchanged.

 

(i)           “Common Stock Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(c).

 

(j)           “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(k)          “current market price per share” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(f).

 

(l)           “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(c).

 

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(m)         “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

 

(n)          “equivalent preferred stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).

 

(o)          “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(p)          “Exempt Person” shall mean the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, in each case including, without limitation, in its fiduciary capacity, or any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any subsidiary of the Company, or any entity or trustee holding (or acting in a fiduciary capacity in respect of) Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the Company or of any subsidiary of the Company.

 

(q)          “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).

 

(r)           “Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).

 

(s)          “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).

 

(t)           “invalidation time” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).

 

(u)          “M & A” shall mean the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, as such instrument may be further amended, supplemented, modified, revised or replaced after the date hereof.

 

(v)          “NASDAQ” shall mean The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC.

 

(w)         “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

 

(x)          “Preferred Stock” shall mean the Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the M & A.

 

(y)          “Principal Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b).

 

(z)          “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.

 

(aa)        “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.

 

(bb)       “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).

 

(cc)        “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a).

 

(dd)       “Related Person” shall mean (i) any subsidiary of the Company or (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company, or any entity organized, appointed or established pursuant to the terms of any such plan.

 

(ee)        “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.

 

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(ff)         “Right Certificates” shall mean certificates evidencing the Rights in substantially the form attached hereto as ExhibitA.

 

(gg)       “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(hh)       “Section 11(c) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(c).

 

(ii)          “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(jj)          “Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(f).

 

(kk)        “Senior Voting Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b).

 

(ll)          “Share Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (by press release, filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such for purposes of this Agreement or such earlier date as a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company shall become aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person.

 

(mm)     “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(c).

 

(nn)       “subsidiary” of a Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

(oo)       “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(c).

 

(pp)       “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

 

(qq)       “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(f).

 

(rr)         “Trust” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).

 

(ss)        “Trust Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a).

 

Section 2.            Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as rights agent for the Company in accordance with the express terms and conditions hereof (and no implied terms and conditions), and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment and hereby certifies that it complies with the applicable requirements governing U.S. transfer agents and registrars. The Company may, from time to time, appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable, upon ten calendar days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent, setting forth the respective duties of the Rights Agent and any co-Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agents.

 

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Section 3.             Issue of Right Certificates.

 

(a)          Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the close of business on the Record Date) or (ii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement of, or first public announcement of the intent to commence, by any Person (other than the Company or a Related Person), a tender or an exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person (including any such date that is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of the dates in subsections (i) and (ii) hereof being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b)) by the certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof (or by Book Entry shares in respect of such Common Stock by notation in accounts reflecting the ownership of such Common Stock), which certificates and Book Entry shares, as applicable, shall be deemed also to be Right Certificates, (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock and (z) the transfer of any shares of Common Stock in respect of which the Rights have been issued will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (or the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company and provided with all necessary information and documentation, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Rights Agent, send), by first class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date (other than an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the shares of Common Stock, a Right Certificate, evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing within two (2) Business Days. Until such written notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred.

 

(b)          On the Record Date or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Preferred Stock Purchase Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Summary of Rights”), by first class, postage-prepaid mail or other means used by the Company to deliver proxy statements to its shareholders, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Record Date at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common Stock (or Book Entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof (or such Book Entry shares) together with a copy of the Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock (or any Book Entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby.

 

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(c)          The Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock issued by the Company (including, without limitation, upon disposition of Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of its authorized maximum number of shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date, or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22, after the Distribution Date. Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock, disposition of Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of its authorized maximum number of shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend or such substantially similar legend as the Company may deem appropriate and is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage:

 

THIS CERTIFICATE ALSO EVIDENCES AND ENTITLES THE HOLDER HEREOF TO CERTAIN RIGHTS AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED AND COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RIGHTS AGENT), AS RIGHTS AGENT, DATED AS OF MAY 8, 2018, AS THE SAME MAY BE SUPPLEMENTED OR AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME (THE “RIGHTS AGREEMENT”), THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE HEREBY INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE AND A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED. THE RIGHTS ARE NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE OF CERTAIN EVENTS SPECIFIED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, SUCH RIGHTS MAY BE REDEEMED, MAY BE EXCHANGED, MAY EXPIRE, MAY BE AMENDED, OR MAY BE EVIDENCED BY SEPARATE CERTIFICATES AND NO LONGER BE EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS ACQUIRED OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR ANY AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND THEIR TRANSFEREES WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.

 

With respect to any Book Entry shares of Common Stock, such legend in substantially similar form shall be included in a notice to the record holder of such shares in accordance with applicable law. With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, or any notice of the foregoing legend delivered to holders of Book Entry shares, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates or Book Entry shares shall be evidenced by such certificates or Book Entry shares alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate or Book Entry share, except as otherwise provided herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.

 

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Notwithstanding this Section 3, neither the omission of a legend nor the failure to deliver the notice of such legend required hereby shall affect the enforceability of any part of this Agreement or the rights of any holder of the Rights.

 

Section 4.            Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (which shall not affect the rights, duties, liabilities, protections, responsibilities or obligations of the Rights Agent as set forth in this Agreement) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 22, the Right Certificates, whenever issued, on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of shares of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price per share set forth therein and in Section 7(b) (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such shares and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

Section 5.            Countersignature and Registration.

 

(a)         The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company in the manner provided in the by-laws of the Company for Common Stock certificates. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by an authorized signatory of 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 Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not such an officer. In case any authorized signatory of the Rights Agent who has countersigned any Right Certificate ceases to be an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent before issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificate, nevertheless, may be issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who countersigned such Right Certificate had not ceased to be an authorized signatory of the Rights Agent; and any Right Certificate may be countersigned on behalf of the Rights Agent by any person who, at the actual date of the countersignature of such Right Certificate, is properly authorized to countersign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not so authorized.

 

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(b)          Following the Distribution Date, and upon receipt by the Rights Agent of (i) written notice of the Distribution Date pursuant to Section 3(a), and (ii) a shareholder list and all relevant information and documentation reasonably requested by the Rights Agent pursuant to Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated for such purposes and at such other offices as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or any quotation system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

 

Section 6.             Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates. Subject to the provisions of Section 7(e) and Section 14, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(b) or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any such Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, along with a signature guarantee (if required) and such other and further documentation as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner), any Affiliates or Associates thereof or of any other Person with which such Beneficial Owner or any of such Beneficial Owner’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of securities of the Company, as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request. Thereupon or as promptly as practicable thereafter, subject to the provisions of Section 7(e) and Section 14, the Company will prepare, execute and deliver to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent will countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto, a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. As a condition to such transfer, division, combination or exchange, the Company or the Rights Agent may require payment by the surrendering holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of the Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under any Section of this Agreement that requires the payment by a Rights holder of applicable taxes and/or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid, and the Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Person(s) as the Company may specify by written notice.

 

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Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, along with such other and further documentation as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request and, at the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

 

Section 7.             Exercise of Rights: Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

 

(a)          Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Right Certificate (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(b) or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24) may, subject to Section 11(b), exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed (with such signature duly guaranteed, if required), to the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of one share of the Preferred Stock as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the time (the “Expiration Date”) that is the earliest of (i) the close of business on May 8, 2028 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 (the “Redemption Date”), (iii) the closing of any merger or other acquisition transaction involving the Company pursuant to an agreement of the type described in Section 1(d)(ii)(A)(z) and Section 13(f) at which time the Rights are terminated, or (iv) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided for in Section 24.

 

(b)          The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of one share of the Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right shall initially be $10.00, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 and Section 13, and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with Section 7(c).

 

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(c)          Except or otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase properly completed and duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 6 in cash, or by certified check or cashier’s check payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon (i) (A) promptly requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Stock (or make available if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent of the Preferred Stock), certificates for the number of shares of the Preferred Stock to be purchased or, in the case of uncertificated shares or other securities, requisition from the transfer agent a notice setting forth such number of shares or other securities to be purchased for which registration will be made on the stock transfer books and in the register of members of the Company (and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests) or (B) if the Company elects to deposit the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depository agent, promptly requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request(s), (ii) after receipt of such certificates (or notices or depositary receipts, as the case may be) cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as designated by such holder, (iii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company or any transfer agent thereof (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) certificates representing the number of shares of equivalent preferred stock (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, a notice of the number of shares of equivalent preferred stock for which registration will be made on the stock transfer books and in the register of members of the Company) to be issued in lieu of the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions of Section 11, (iv) when appropriate, after receipt of such certificates or notices, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as designated by such holder, (v) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, promptly requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 or in lieu of the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions of Section 11(c), (vi) when appropriate, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate and (vii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, deliver any due bill or other instrument provided to the Rights Agent by the Company for delivery to the registered holder of such Right Certificate as provided by Section 11(n).

 

(d)          In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall properly exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14.

 

(e)          Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the purported transfer, split up, combination, exchange or exercise of a Right Certificate pursuant to Section 6 or this Section 7 unless the registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate following the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase, as applicable, set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer, split up, combination, exchange or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or such former or proposed Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent may reasonably request.

 

Section 8.             Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination, redemption or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its stock transfer agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

 

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Section 9.            Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock. The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock, or its shares of Preferred Stock held in its treasury, the number of shares of the Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with this Agreement.

 

So long as the Preferred Stock (and, following the time that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock) issuable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on a quotation system, the Company shall endeavor to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of the Rights to be listed or admitted on such exchange or quoted on such system upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

 

The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the time that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock) issued (or evidenced by registration in the register of members of the Company) upon the exercise of the Rights shall be, at the time of delivery of the certificates for (or registration of) and subject to payment of the Purchase Price, duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

 

The Company covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates and of any certificates representing securities issued upon the exercise of the Rights (or, if such securities are uncertificated, the registration of such securities on the stock transfer books and in the register of members of the Company). The Company shall not, however, be required (a) to pay any tax or charge that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of the Right Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for (or the registration of) the Preferred Stock in a name other than that of the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or (b) to issue or deliver any certificates for shares of the Preferred Stock upon the exercise of any Rights or depository receipts or notices representing securities issued upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

 

The Company shall, if legally required, (i) prepare and file, as soon as reasonably practicable following the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the securities purchasable upon the exercise of or exchangeable for the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) use its best efforts to (A) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as reasonably practicable after such filing, and (B) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and the Expiration Date. The Company also shall take all such action as may be required or as is appropriate under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate with respect to the securities purchasable upon the exercise of or exchangeable for the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period not to exceed 120 calendar days following the Distribution Date, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension of exercisability of the Rights referred to in this paragraph, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect, in each case with simultaneous written notice to the Rights Agent.

 

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Section 10.           Preferred Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate representing shares of the Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) is issued (or in which such securities are registered upon the stock transfer books or in the register of members of the Company) upon the exercise of the Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate (or registration) shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights, together with the form of election to purchase duly completed and executed, was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books or register of members of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such securities on, and such certificate (or registration) shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books or register of members of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder 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 and Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind or class of securities of the Company 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)          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 Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its authorized maximum shares in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares issuable on such date upon the exercise of a Right, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares that, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books or register of members of the Company were open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of one Right. If an event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a) and Section 11(b), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(b).

 

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(b)          Subject to Section 24, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such Person becoming an Acquiring Person multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right otherwise was exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of such event, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying such Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the current market price per share of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) on the date of the occurrence of such event; provided, however, that if the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the adjustment is also subject to the provisions of Section 13, then only the provisions of Section 13 shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this sentence. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, however, from and after the time (the “invalidation time”) when any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), including, without limitation, any such Rights when held by (1) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the invalidation time, (2) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the invalidation time pursuant to either (x) a transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise, regarding the transferred Rights or (y) a transfer that the Board of Directors of the Company determines is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding, written or otherwise, that has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this Section 11(b), or (3) a subsequent transferee of any Person described in the foregoing clauses (1) or (2), shall be null and void without any further action and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(b) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of the Rights or other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3, Section 6 or Section 7(d) that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be cancelled.

 

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(c)          The Company may, at its sole option and election, substitute for a share of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with Section 11(b) a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof such that the current market price per share of one share of Preferred Stock multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current market price per share of one share of Common Stock. In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized maximum number of shares of Common Stock to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with Section 11(b), the Board of Directors of the Company shall, with respect to such deficiency, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, (A) determine the excess (such excess, the “Spread”) of (1) the value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right in accordance with Section 11(b) (the “Current Value”) over (2) the Purchase Price (as adjusted in accordance with Section 11(b)) and (B) with respect to each Right (other than Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(b)), make adequate provision to substitute for the shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with Section 11(b) upon the exercise of the Right(s) and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase Price, (3) shares of Preferred Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock that, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to those of the shares of Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company to have substantially the same value as the shares of Common Stock (such shares of Preferred Stock and shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock are hereinafter referred to as “Common Stock Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value that, when added to the value of the shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise of such Right(s), shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, that if the Company shall not make adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within 30 calendar days following the date on which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person (the date on which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person being the “Section 11(c) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to issue, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of such Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if necessary, such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If, upon any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine in good faith that it is likely that the authorized maximum number of shares of Common Stock could be increased upon the exercise in full of the Rights, then, if the Board of Directors of the Company so elects, the 30 calendar day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than 90 calendar days after the Section 11(c) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval, if necessary, for the increase of its authorized maximum number of shares of Common Stock (such 30 calendar day period, as it may be extended, is herein called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third sentence of this Section 11(c), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 11(b) and the last sentence of this Section 11(c), 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 increase of its authorized maximum number of shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such second sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect, in each case with simultaneous written notice to the Rights Agent. For the purposes of this Section 11(c), the value of the shares of Common Stock shall be the current market price per share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) on the Section 11(c) Trigger Date and the per share or fractional value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the current market price per share of the Common Stock. The Board of Directors of the Company may, but shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights among the holders of the Rights pursuant to this Section 11(c).

 

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(d)          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 (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“equivalent preferred stock”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or equivalent preferred stock) less than the current market price per share of the Preferred Stock (as defined in Section 11(f)) 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 and equivalent preferred stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent preferred stock that the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or equivalent preferred stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares issuable upon the exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent. Shares of Preferred Stock and equivalent 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 that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

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(e)          In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash, assets or stock (other than (i) a regular periodic cash dividend, the record date for which occurs at a time when there is no Acquiring Person, or (ii) a regular periodic cash dividend, the record date for which occurs at a time when there is an Acquiring Person, at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid or (iii) a dividend payable in Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(d)), 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 the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a written statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the evidences of indebtedness, cash, assets or stock so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share of Preferred Stock and the denominator of which shall be such current market price per share of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(f)); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares issuable upon the exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

(f)          For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current market price per share” of any security (a “Security”) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as herein defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current market price per share of the Security is determined during the period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into shares of such Security (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after (but not including) 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 per share shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and ask 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 NASDAQ or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low ask prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by such market then in use or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by such organization, the average of the closing bid and ask prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, the “current market price per share” of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for Common Stock in this Section 11(f). If the Preferred Stock is not publicly traded or if the current market price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be determined in the manner provided above, but the Common Stock is publicly traded, the “current market price per share” of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be the current market price per share of Common Stock (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one thousand. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, the “current market price per share” of 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 written statement filed with the Rights Agent.

 

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(g)          No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or a decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments that by reason of this Section 11(g) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share (other than Preferred Stock) or ten-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(g), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (A) three years from the date of the transaction that mandates such adjustment or (B) the Expiration Date.

 

(h)          If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to this Section 11, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of the Company or of any Principal Party other than shares of the Preferred Stock, thereafter the number and/or kind of such other securities so receivable upon the exercise of any Right (and/or the Purchase Price in respect 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 (and the Purchase Price in respect thereof) contained in this Section 11 and the provisions of Section 7, Section 9, Section 10, Section 13 and Section 14 with respect to the shares of the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other securities (and the Purchase Price in respect thereof).

 

(i)           All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a share of the Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon the exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

(j)           Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(k), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(d) and Section 11(e), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, that number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest ten-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

 

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(k)          The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price, to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of the Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest ten-millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after the adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights (with simultaneous written notice thereof to the Rights Agent), indicating the record date for the adjustment to be made and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten calendar days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(k), the Company may, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to the holders of record of the Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of the Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

 

(l)           Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price, the kinds of securities and/or the number of one one-thousandths of a share of the Preferred Stock or other securities issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock that were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

 

(m)        Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the fraction of a share of the Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action that may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of such Preferred Stock, or other securities as the case may be, at such adjusted Purchase Price.

 

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(n)          In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect (with simultaneous written notice of such election to the Rights Agent) to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the shares of Preferred Stock or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the shares of the Preferred Stock and other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

 

(o)          Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of the Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of the Preferred Stock or securities that by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends on the Preferred Stock payable in Preferred Stock or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such shareholders.

 

(p)          Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the outstanding Common Stock payable in Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in any such case, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then issued and outstanding, or issued thereafter, 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. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(p) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected. If an event occurs that would require an adjustment under Section 11(b) and this Section 11(p), the adjustments provided for in this Section 11(p) shall be in addition and prior to any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(b).

 

(q)          The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Share Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27, take (or permit any subsidiary to take) any action if, at the time such action is taken, it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

 

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Section 12.           Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief written statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 26. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure by the Company to make such certification or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force and effort of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustments or statements contained therein and shall have no duty or liability with respect to and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment or event 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 time at which any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (ii) any Person shall consolidate with or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power (including without limitation securities creating any obligation on the part of the Company and/or its subsidiaries) 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 or one or more of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(b)) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such Person becoming an Acquiring Person multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, such number of shares of validly issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradable Senior Voting Stock of the Principal Party (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation), unencumbered and not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of call or first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying such Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (2) 50% of the current market price per share of the Senior Voting Stock of such Principal Party (determined in the manner described in Section 11(d)) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) the Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (C) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 shall apply to such Principal Party following the occurrence of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; and (D) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Senior Voting Stock in accordance with Section 9, with each reference to Preferred Stock in Section 9 being deemed to be a reference to the shares of its Senior Voting Stock) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the shares of its Senior Voting Stock thereafter issuable upon the exercise of the Rights.

 

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(b)          “Principal Party” shall mean (i) in the case of any transaction described in Section 13(a)(i) or Section 13(a)(ii), the Person (including the Company as the continuing or surviving corporation of a transaction described in Section 13(a)(ii)) that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock are converted in such merger or consolidation or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer of the shares of common stock which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, and if no securities are so issued (A) the Person that is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives said merger, or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding or (B) if the Person that is the other party to the merger does not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the merger (including the Company if it survives) or (C) the Person resulting from the consolidation; and (ii) in the case of any transaction described in Section 13(a)(iii), the Person that is the other party to such transaction or, if more than one, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power (including without limitation securities creating any obligation on the part of the Company and/or its subsidiaries) transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions or, if each Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons is the issuer of common stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding; provided, however, that in any such case, if the Senior Voting Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, then (A) if such Person is a direct or an indirect subsidiary of another Person the Senior Voting Stock of which is and has been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; or (B) if such Person is a subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person and the Senior Voting Stock of any two or more of such Persons is and has been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Senior Voting Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding; or (C) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (A) and (B) above shall apply to each of the owners having an interest in such joint venture as if such joint venture were a subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers and the Principal Party in each such chain shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or indirect interests in such joint venture bear to the total of such interests. “Senior Voting Stock” shall mean the capital stock or shares (or equity interest) of the Principal Party with the greatest voting power.

 

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(c)          The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer referenced in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 13(a) unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party or Parties shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in Section 13(a) and Section 13(b) and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any such consolidation, merger or sale or transfer of assets, the Principal Party or Parties (i) will prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon the exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and use its best efforts (A) to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, (B) to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date, and (C) to similarly comply with applicable state securities laws, and list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon the exercise of the Rights on a national securities exchange; (ii) use its best efforts, if the common stock of the Principal Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or on another national securities exchange, to list or admit to trading (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon the exercise of the Rights on such securities exchange, or, if the common stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities receivable upon the exercise of the Rights to be authorized for quotation on any other system then in use; and (iii) will deliver to the holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party or Parties and each of its Affiliates that comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act.

 

(d)          If the Principal Party has a provision in any of its authorized securities or in its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue (other than to the holders of the Rights pursuant to this Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 13(a), shares of Senior Voting Stock or Senior Voting Stock equivalents of such Principal Party at less than the then-current market price per share thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Senior Voting Stock or Senior Voting Stock equivalents of such Principal Party at less than such then-current market price or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the Senior Voting Stock of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 13, then, in such event, the Company hereby covenants and agrees with each holder of the Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.

 

(e)          The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after a Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, enter into any transaction referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 13(a) if (i) at the time of or immediately after such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements that, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such transaction, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(b) shall have received a distribution of the Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a consolidation, merger, sale or transfer referenced in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 13(a) occurs at any time after the occurrence of a Person becoming an Acquiring Person, except for Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(b), the Rights that shall not have been previously exercised will cease to be exercisable in the manner provided in Section 11(b) and will thereafter be exercisable in the manner provided in Section 13(a).

 

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(f)          Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event of any merger or other acquisition transaction involving the Company pursuant to a merger or other acquisition agreement between the Company and any Person (or one or more of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) which agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to any Person becoming an Acquiring Person, this Agreement and the rights of the holders of the Rights hereunder shall be terminated in accordance with Section 7(a).

 

Section 14.           Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

 

(a)          The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates that evidence fractional Rights (except prior to the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(a)). In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates, with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and ask 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 NASDAQ or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ, 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 ask prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by such market 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 ask 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 market value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

 

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(b)          The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon the exercise or exchange of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock). Fractions of shares of Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it, provided, that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of shares of the Preferred Stock represented by such depository receipts. In lieu of fractional shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares would otherwise be issuable at the time such Rights are exercised an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Preferred Stock. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a whole share of Preferred Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.

 

(c)          The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or exchange of the Rights or to distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares 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 14(c), 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(f)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise or exchange.

 

(d)          The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon the exercise of a Right (except as provided in this Section 14).

 

(e)          Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any Section of this Rights Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

 

Section 15.           Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, except for the rights of action given to the Rights Agent hereunder, including Section 18 or Section 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce this Agreement, or otherwise act in respect of such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of the Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of the Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.

 

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Section 16.           Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

 

(a)          prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock;

 

(b)          after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the 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 properly completed and duly executed;

 

(c)          the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated share of Common Stock (or Book Entry shares in respect of the Common Stock)) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificates (or notices provided to the holders of such Book Entry shares of the Common Stock) made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to Section 7(e), shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

 

(d)          notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s inability to perform any of their respective obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory, self-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(s).

 

Section 17.           Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Stock or any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 23, Section 24, or Section 25), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement or exchanged pursuant to the provisions of Section 24.

 

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Section 18.           Concerning the Rights Agent. The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel), incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration and performance of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability and the enforcement of this indemnification. This Section 18 and Section 20 shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement, the exercise of or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

 

The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred 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, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take action in connection therewith, unless and until it has received such notice in writing.

 

Section 19.           Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent. Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the appropriate business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided, that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

 

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In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver the Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

 

Section 20.           Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

 

(a)          The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with such advice or 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 be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take 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 any one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

 

(c)          The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will be limited in the aggregate to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

 

(d)          The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

 

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(e)          The Rights Agent shall not have any liability or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution and delivery hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be liable or responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be liable or responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including any Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(b)) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, Section 11, Section 13, Section 23 or Section 24, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of the Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the maximum authorized shares, or reservation of any shares, of the Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of the Preferred Stock will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(f)          The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(g)          The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received by any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the date any such officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.

 

(h)          The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become financially interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

 

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(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, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the selection and continued employment thereof (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction).

 

(j)           If, with respect to any Right Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange, either (i) 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 that the Rights are beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof or (ii) any other actual or suspected irregularity exists, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company, and will thereafter take further action with respect thereto only in accordance with the Company’s written instructions.

 

(k)          The Rights Agent shall have no responsibility to the Company, any holders of the Rights or any holders of shares of the Preferred Stock or other securities for interest or earnings on any monies held by the Rights Agent pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise may specifically be agreed to in a separate writing by the Company and the Rights Agent.

 

(l)           The Rights Agent shall not be required to take notice or be deemed to have notice of any event or condition hereunder, including, but not limited to, a Distribution Date, a Redemption Date, any adjustment of the Purchase Price, the existence of an Acquiring Person or any other event or condition that may require action by the Rights Agent, unless the Rights Agent shall be specifically notified in writing of such event or condition by the Company, and all notices or other instruments required by this Agreement to be delivered to the Rights Agent must, in order to be effective, be received by the Rights Agent as specified in Section 26, and in the absence of such notice so delivered, the Rights Agent may conclusively assume no such event or condition exists.

 

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Section 21.           Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 calendar days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock by trackable mail, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its Affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 calendar days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or such successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 calendar days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a Person (or an Affiliate of such a Person) organized and authorized to do business under the laws of the United States, in good standing, that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and that has, along with its Affiliates, at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least fifty million dollars ($50,000,000). After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed. 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 Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

 

Section 22.           Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing the Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale by the Company of the Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date, the Company may, with respect to shares of the Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (a) the exercise of stock options, (b) under any employee plan or arrangement, (c) the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities (other than the Rights), notes or debentures issued by the Company or (d) a contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing prior to the Distribution Date, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.

 

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Section 23.           Redemption.

 

(a)          The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the close of business, on the earlier of (i) the Share Acquisition Date or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then-outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company in its sole discretion may establish. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of the Common Stock (based on the current market price of the Common Stock at the time of redemption as determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, or any combination thereof. The Company may, at its option, combine the payment of the Redemption Price with any other payment being made concurrently to the holders of the Common Stock and, to the extent that any such other payment is discretionary, may reduce the amount thereof on account of the concurrent payment of the Redemption Price. If legal or contractual restrictions prevent the Company from paying the Redemption Price (in the form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company) at the time of redemption, the Company will pay the Redemption Price, without interest, promptly after such time as the Company ceases to be so prevented from paying the Redemption Price.

 

(b)          Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a) (or at such later time as the Board of Directors of the Company may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption) and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and each Right will thereafter represent only the right to receive the Redemption Price, without interest thereon. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (with prompt written notice to the Rights Agent) and, within ten calendar days after such action causing a redemption of the Rights pursuant to Section 23(a) (or such later time as the Board of Directors of the Company may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all of the holders of the then-outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice that 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure to give, or any defect in, any notice required to be made or given pursuant to this Section 23(b) shall not affect the validity of the redemption of the Rights.

 

Section 24.           Exchange.

 

(a)          The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its sole option and election, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then-outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(b)) for shares of the Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Acquiring Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Acquiring Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the voting power of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. From and after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a), any Rights that theretofore have not been exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a) shall thereafter be only exercisable in accordance with Section 13 and may not be exchanged pursuant to this Section 24(a). The exchange of the Rights by the Board of Directors of the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company may establish at its sole option and election. Prior to effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Board of Directors of the Company may direct the Company to enter into a trust agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board of Directors of the Company shall then approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board of Directors of the Company so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by such agreement (the “Trust”) all of the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the exchange, and all Persons entitled to receive shares pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such shares (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such shares are deposited in the Trust) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement.

 

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(b)          Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to 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 the Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange, and within ten calendar days of such action pursuant to Section 24(a), the Company shall mail a notice of any such exchange by first class mail to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice that 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 Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights that will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(b)) held by each holder of the Rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure to give, or any defect in, any notice required to be made or given pursuant to this Section 24(b) shall not affect the validity of the exchange of the Rights.

 

(c)          The Company may, at its option, substitute for a share of Common Stock issuable upon the exchange of Rights in accordance with Section 24(a), (i) a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof (or shares of equivalent preferred stock) such that the current market price per share of one share of Preferred Stock (or one share of equivalent preferred stock) multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current market price per share of one share of Common Stock, (ii) cash, (iii) debt securities of the Company, (iv) other assets or (v) any combination of the foregoing, in any event having an aggregate value, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, equal to the current market price per share of one share of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(f)) on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the effectiveness of the exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

 

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Section 25.           Notice of Certain Events. In case the Company shall propose at any time following the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Share Acquisition Date (a) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid), (b) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Stock rights, options or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of the Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (c) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding Preferred Stock), (d) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power (including, without limitation, securities creating any obligation on the part of the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries) of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company or one or more of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries), (e) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (f) to declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Common Stock payable in shares of the Common Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in shares of the Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such dividend, distribution or offering of rights, options or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or the 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 (a) or (b) above at least ten calendar days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least ten calendar days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or the Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier. The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action. In case the event set forth in Section 11(b) or Section 13 shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate (and, if necessary, each holder of the Common Stock), in accordance with Section 26, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to the holders of the Rights under Section 11(b) and Section 13.

 

Section 26.           Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

 

Highway Holdings Limited

 

Suite 1801 Level 18
Landmark Lane, Sum Avenue
Sheung Shiu K3 00000
New Territories, Hong Kong
Attention: Chief Financial Officer

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

 

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
250 Royall Street
Canton, Massachusetts 02021
Attention: Client Services

 

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Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of the Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or 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 time at which the Rights cease to be redeemable pursuant to Section 23, and subject to this Section 27, the Company, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, may from time to time and in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent will if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights or Common Stock. From and after the time at which the Rights cease to be redeemable pursuant to Section 23, and subject to this Section 27, the Company, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, may from time to time and in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent will if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights or Common Stock, including, without limitation, in order to (a) cure any ambiguity, (b) correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (c) shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (d) otherwise change, amend or supplement any provisions hereunder in any manner that the Company may deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that no such supplement or amendment shall (i) adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights, as such (other than the Rights that have become null and void pursuant to Section 11(b) hereof), (ii) cause this Agreement to become amendable other than in accordance with this Section 27 or (iii) cause the Rights to again become redeemable. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company, by action of the Board of Directors of the Company, may at any time when the Rights are redeemable, amend this Agreement to make the provisions of this Agreement inapplicable to a particular transaction by which a Person might otherwise become an Acquiring Person or to otherwise alter the terms and conditions of this Agreement as they may apply with respect to any such transaction. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made that changes the Redemption Price. Any such supplement or amendment shall be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. 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 will execute such supplement or amendment; provided, however, that the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the limitations on the ability of the Board of Directors of the Company to amend this Agreement as set forth in this Section 27 shall not affect the power or ability of the Board of Directors of the Company to take any other action that is consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law..

 

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Section 28.           Successors. All of the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

 

Section 29.           Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock).

 

Section 30.           Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors of the Company. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise the 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 (a) interpret the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, Section 27, this Section 30 and other provisions hereof relating to its powers or authority hereunder) and (b) make all determinations and calculations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not to redeem the Rights, to exchange or not to exchange the Rights, 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) that are done or 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, as such, and all other Persons and (y) not subject any director of the Company to any personal liability to the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights or any other Person.

 

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 nothing contained in this Section 31 will affect the ability of the Company under the provisions of Section 27 to supplement or amend this Agreement to replace such invalid, void or unenforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction with a legal, valid and enforceable term, provision, covenant or restriction; provided, further, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall adversely affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately.

 

Section 32.           Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of New York and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such jurisdiction applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.

 

Section 33.           Descriptive Headings; References. 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. Except as otherwise specifically provided for herein, any reference to any section or exhibit will be deemed to refer to such section of or exhibit to this Agreement.

 

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Section 34.           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. A signature to this Agreement executed and/or transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect and enforceability as an original signature.

 

Section 35.           Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunctions of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war or civil unrest.

 

{Signature Page Follows}

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written. 

     
  HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED
     
  By: /s/ ROLAND W. KOHL
    Name: Roland W. Kohl
    Title:   Chief Executive Officer
     
  COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
     
  By: /s/ KATHLEEN A. HEAGERTY
    Name:  Kathleen A. Heagerty
    Title:    Vice President & Manager

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Rights Certificate

 

Certificate No. R-______ _________ Rights

 

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MAY 8, 2028 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, TO REDEMPTION AT $0.01 PER RIGHT OR TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY ACQUIRING PERSONS (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1 OF THE AGREEMENT) OR ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.

 

Right Certificate

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

This certifies that ___________________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2018, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Agreement”), by and between HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED, a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (the “Company”), and COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a federally chartered trust company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Agreement) and prior to the close of business (as such term is defined in the Agreement) on May 8, 2028, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent, or its successor(s) as Rights Agent, designated for such purposes, one one-thousandth of one fully paid and non-assessable share of the Series A Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $10.00 per one one-thousandth of one share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock that may be purchased upon the exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of May 8, 2018, based on the shares of the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.

 

As provided in the Agreement, the Purchase Price, the number and kind or class of shares of stock of the Company that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

 

This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes. The Company will mail to the holder of the Right Certificate a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.

 

A - 1

 

This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of shares of the Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.

 

If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

 

Subject to the provisions of the Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may, but are not required to, be (i) redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.01 per Right or (ii) exchanged by the Company in whole or in part for shares of the Preferred Stock or shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share.

 

No fractional shares of the Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of one 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 Agreement.

 

No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Stock or of any other securities of the Company that may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Agreement, and the relevant entries have been made in the Company’s register of members accordingly.

 

This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

 

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WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.

 

Dated as of _______________, 20____.

       
  HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED
     
  By:
    Name: Roland W. Kohl
    Title:   Chief Executive Officer
     
Countersigned: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
     
  By:
    Name:  
    Title:  

 

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[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

 

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED __________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _______________________________________

 


 

(Please print name and address of transferee)

 

this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.

 

Dated: _______________ ___, 20__

 

Signature

 

(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” as defined in Rule 17Ad-15 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 


 

(to be completed if applicable)

 

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).

 

 
  Signature

 

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FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

 

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to exercise the Right(s))

 

TO: Highway Holdings Limited

 

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise __________________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of the Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of:

 

[Please insert social security or other identifying number] _______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

(Please print name and address)

 

If such number of Rights shall not be all of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

 

[Please insert social security or other identifying number]_______________________________________________________________________________

 


 

(Please print name and address)

 

Dated: _______________ ___, 20__

 

Signature

 

(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of the holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.)

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” as defined in Rule 17Ad-15 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(to be completed if applicable)

 

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Agreement).

 

 
  Signature

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

HIGHWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED
SUMMARY OF PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS

 

On April 28, 2018, the Board of Directors of Highway Holdings Limited (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, $0.01 value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). The dividend is effective as of May 11, 2018 (the “Record Date”) with respect to the shareholders of record on that date. The Rights will also attach to new shares of Common Stock issued after the Record Date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), at a price of $10.00 per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2018 (the “Agreement”), by and between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

 

A copy of the Agreement was filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 11, 2018, as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K. The following summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

 

Until the close of business on the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by each such Common Stock certificate with a copy of this Summary of Rights. The “Distribution Date” will be the earlier of the close of business on

 

(i)the tenth business day following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock (the “Share Acquisition Date”); and

 

(ii)the tenth business day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any such person or group becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement of, or first public announcement of the intent to commence, by any such person or group, a tender or an exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in any such person or group becoming an Acquiring Person.

 

The Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Stock, will contain a notation incorporating the Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any of the Common Stock certificates (or Book Entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, even without a copy of this Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate(s). As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to the holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

 

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The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on May 8, 2028 (the “Final Expiration Date”) unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case as described below.

 

Each share of Preferred Stock purchased upon the exercise of the Rights will have a preferential quarterly dividend rate equal to the greater of $10.00 per share or 1,000 times the dividend declared on one share of the Common Stock. In the event of liquidation of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Stock will receive a preferential liquidation payment of $1,000 per share, but will be entitled to receive an aggregate liquidation payment equal to 1,000 times the liquidation payment made on one share of the Common Stock.

 

Each share of Preferred Stock will have 1,000 votes voting together with the Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of the Common Stock are exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 1,000 times the amount received per one share of Common Stock. Due to the nature of the Preferred Stock dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of a one one-thousandth interest in a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.

 

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of the Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon the exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to the holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for shares of the Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution to the holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends out of earnings or retained earnings at a rate not in excess of 125% of the rate of the last cash dividend theretofore paid or dividends payable in the Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

 

The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of the Common Stock or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

 

In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or 50% or more of its assets or earning power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the Purchase Price, that number of shares of the senior voting stock of the acquiring company that at the time of such transaction would have a market value of two times the Purchase Price. In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights that were or are beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon the exercise that number of shares of the Common Stock having a market value of two times the Purchase Price.

 

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With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued (other than fractions that are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts) 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.

 

At any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Share Acquisition Date and (ii) the Final Expiration Date, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Right (the “Redemption Price”).

 

At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group that will have become null and void) in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock (or, if there is an insufficient number of issued but not outstanding or authorized maximum number of shares of Common Stock to permit such exchange, then one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) per Right (subject to adjustment).

 

Upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company to redeem or exchange the Rights, the Company shall make announcement thereof, and upon such action, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price, or the shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock exchangeable for the Rights, as applicable.

 

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, liquidation rights, the right to vote or to receive dividends.

 

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