-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Bln96NXU5iSFiTqhlAptM/TXv0eIzUWaFfPraQ4aYXiJ3IIYb5P4tAtot0VzdxN2 TcwDxsCQJ9+eBOi/LV+rcg== 0001104659-05-038407.txt : 20050811 0001104659-05-038407.hdr.sgml : 20050811 20050811063145 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001104659-05-038407 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: S-8 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 6 FILED AS OF DATE: 20050811 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20050811 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20050811 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001324404 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: AGRICULTURE CHEMICALS [2870] IRS NUMBER: 202697511 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: S-8 SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 333-127422 FILM NUMBER: 051015051 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SALEM LAKE DRIVE CITY: LONG GROVE STATE: IL ZIP: 60047 BUSINESS PHONE: (847)438-9500 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SALEM LAKE DRIVE CITY: LONG GROVE STATE: IL ZIP: 60047 S-8 1 a05-14488_1s8.htm S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 11, 2005

 

Registration No. 333-  

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

20-2697511

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

One Salem Lake Drive

Long Grove, IL 60047

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

Douglas C. Barnard

Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

One Salem Lake Drive

Long Grove, IL 60047

Tel.: (847) 438-9500

(Name and address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 


 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed maximum

 

Proposed maximum

 

 

 

Title of each class of securities to

 

Amount to be

 

offering price per

 

aggregate offering

 

Amount of

 

be registered

 

registered(1)

 

share(2)

 

price(2)

 

registration fee

 

Common stock, par value $0.01 per share (including rights to acquire Series A junior participating preferred stock pursuant to our rights plan)

 

8,250,000 shares

 

$

16

 

$

132,000,000

 

$

15,536.40

 

 


(1)   Represents the maximum number of shares of common stock issuable under the CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan.

 

(2)   Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on an assumed price of $16 per share, which on August 10, 2005 was determined to be the initial public offering price for the Registrant’s common stock.

 

 



 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1. Plan Information.*

 

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.*

 

* The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to employees as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Such documents need not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this registration statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this registration statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.    Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

 

(a)   the Registrant’s prospectus filed with the Commission on August 11, 2005 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act relating to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form S-1 (file no. 333-124949), which prospectus contains audited financial statements for the Registrant’s latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed; and

 

(b)   the description of the Registrant’s common stock which is contained in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on August 8, 2005 (file no. 001-32597) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified, superseded or replaced for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained in this registration statement, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies, supersedes or replaces such prior statement.  Any statement contained in this registration statement shall be deemed to be modified, superseded or replaced to the extent that a statement contained in a subsequently filed document that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement modifies or supersedes such prior statement.  Any statement so modified, superseded or replaced shall not be deemed, except as so modified, superseded or replaced, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 4.    Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

2



 

Item 5.    Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 102(b)(7) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the ‘‘DGCL’’) allows a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors to a corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase or redemption in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

 

Section 145 of the DGCL empowers a Delaware corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify directors, officers, employees and other agents of such corporation in an action by or in the right of a corporation under the same conditions against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense and settlement of such action or suit, except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the person to be indemnified has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where a present or former director or officer of the corporation is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify such person against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which he or she actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.

 

Section 174 of the DGCL provides, among other things, that a director who willfully or negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption, may be held liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time, may avoid liability by causing his or her dissent to such actions to be entered into the books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time such action occurred or immediately after such absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

 

The Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions that provide for indemnification of officers and directors and their heirs and representatives to the full extent permitted by, and in the manner permissible under, the DGCL.

 

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains a provision eliminating the personal liability of a director to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, subject to some exceptions.

 

The Registrant intends to enter into separate indemnification agreements with each of its board members and officers that will require it to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. These indemnification agreements will also require the Registrant to advance any expenses incurred by the board members and officers as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

 

The Registrant maintains, at its expense, a policy of insurance which insures its directors and officers, subject to exclusions and deductions as are usual in these kinds of insurance policies, against specified liabilities which may be incurred in those capacities.

 

Item 7.    Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

3



 

Item 8.    Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation*

4.2

 

Amended and Restated By-laws*

4.3

 

Specimen common stock certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement, filed with Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement)

4.4

 

Rights Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2005, between the Registrant and The Bank of New York as the Rights Agent*

5.1

 

Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP*

23.1

 

Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm*

23.2

 

Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)*

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (included on signature page)*

99.1

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registration Statement, filed with Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement)

 

* Filed herewith.

 

Item 9.    Undertakings.

 

(a)   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

(iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

 

(2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(b)   The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d)

 

4



 

of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

5



 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on August 10, 2005.

 

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Stephen R. Wilson

 

 

Name:

Stephen R. Wilson

 

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Power of Attorney

 

Each of the undersigned officers and directors of CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes and appoints Stephen R. Wilson and Ernest Thomas, and each of them individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in his or her name and on his or her behalf, in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement and any and all amendments thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and things whatsoever that any said attorney-in-fact or agent may deem necessary or advisable to be done or performed in connection with any or all of the above-described matters, as fully as each of the undersigned could do if personally present and acting, and hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or his or her or their substitute or substitutes, shall do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on August 10, 2005:

 

 

Signature

 

Title

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Stephen R. Wilson

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer,

 

Stephen R. Wilson

 

 

Director (Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Ernest Thomas

 

 

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial

 

Ernest Thomas

 

 

Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Robert D. Webb

 

 

Vice President and Corporate Controller

 

Robert D. Webb

 

 

(Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Robert C. Arzbaecher

 

 

 

 

Robert C. Arzbaecher

 

 

Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Wallace W. Creek

 

 

 

 

Wallace W. Creek

 

 

Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ David R. Harvey

 

 

 

 

David R. Harvey

 

 

Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Edward A. Schmitt

 

 

 

 

Edward A. Schmitt

 

 

Director

 

6



 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 

 

 

4.1

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation*

4.2

 

Amended and Restated By-laws*

4.3

 

Specimen common stock certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement, filed with Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement)

4.4

 

Rights Agreement, dated as of July 21, 2005, between the Registrant and The Bank of New York as the Rights Agent*

5.1

 

Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP*

23.1

 

Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm*

23.2

 

Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)*

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (included on signature page)*

99.1

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registration Statement, filed with Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement)

 

* Filed herewith.

 

7


EX-4.1 2 a05-14488_1ex4d1.htm EX-4.1

Exhibit 4.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 


 

Pursuant to Sections 241 and 245 of the

Delaware General Corporation Law

 


 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), does hereby certify as follows:

 

1.                                       The name of the corporation is CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”).  The Corporation was originally incorporated under the name CF Industries Holdings, Inc.  The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 15, 2005.

 

2.                                       The Corporation has not received payment for any of its stock.

 

3.                                       This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) in accordance with Sections 241 and 245 of the DGCL.

 

The text of the Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

The name of the Corporation is CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

 

ARTICLE II

 

The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, County of New Castle.  The name of its registered agent is The Corporation Trust Company.

 



 

ARTICLE III

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the DGCL.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

(A)                              Authorized Capital Stock.  The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 550,000,000 shares of capital stock, consisting of (i) 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”).

 

(B)                                Preferred Stock.  Except as provided in Article IV(C) with respect to Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), the Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized to provide for the issuance of all or any shares of the Preferred Stock in one or more classes or series, and to fix for each such class or series such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issuance of such class or series, including, without limitation, the authority to provide that any such class or series may be (i) subject to redemption at such time or times and at such price or prices; (ii) entitled to receive dividends (which may be cumulative or non-cumulative) at such rates, on such conditions, and at such times, and payable in preference to, or in such relation to, the dividends payable on any other class or classes or any other series; (iii) entitled to such rights upon the dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the Corporation; or (iv) convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes of stock, or of any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock, of the Corporation at such price or prices or at such rates of exchange and with such adjustments; all as may be stated in such resolution or resolutions.

 

(C)                                Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. There is hereby created a series of Preferred Stock, designated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock having the terms, rights and privileges set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto.

 

(D)                               Power to Sell and Purchase Shares.  Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Corporation shall have the power to issue and sell all or any part of any shares of any class of stock herein or hereafter authorized to such persons, and for such consideration, as the Board of Directors shall from time to time, in its discretion, determine, whether or not greater consideration could be received upon the issue or sale of the same number of shares of another class, and as otherwise permitted by law.  Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Corporation shall have the power to purchase any shares of any class of stock herein or hereafter authorized from such persons, and for such consideration, as the Board of Directors shall from time to time, in its discretion, determine, whether or not less consideration could be paid upon the purchase of the same number of shares of another class, and as otherwise permitted by law.

 

2



 

ARTICLE V

 

The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

 

(A)                              The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.

 

(B)                                The Board of Directors shall consist of not less than 3 or more than 15 members, the exact number of which shall be fixed from time to time by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors.

 

(C)                                The directors shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III.  Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors.  The initial division of the Board of Directors into classes shall be made by the decision of the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors.  The term of the initial Class I directors shall terminate on the date of the 2006 annual meeting; the term of the initial Class II directors shall terminate on the date of the 2007 annual meeting; and the term of the initial Class III directors shall terminate on the date of the 2008 annual meeting.  At each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders beginning in 2006, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a three-year term.  If the number of directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any additional director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case will a decrease in the number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

(D)                               A director shall hold office until the annual meeting for the year in which his or her term expires and until his or her successor shall be elected and shall qualify, subject, however, to prior death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office.

 

(E)                                 Subject to the terms of any one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock, any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors may only be filled by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present, and any other vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors may only be filled by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.  Any director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of directors of such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class.  Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall have the same remaining term as that of his predecessor.  Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any or all of the directors of the Corporation may be removed from office at any time, but only for

 

3



 

cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Corporation’s then issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors of the Corporation.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation applicable thereto, and such directors so elected shall not be divided into classes pursuant to this Article V unless expressly provided by such terms.

 

(F)                                 In addition to the powers and authority hereinbefore or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation, subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the DGCL, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and any By-Laws adopted by the stockholders; provided, however, that no By-Laws hereafter adopted by the stockholders shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such By-Laws had not been adopted.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended.  If the DGCL is amended hereafter to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended.  Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

The Corporation shall indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by law, as now or hereafter in effect, and such right to indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives; provided, however, that, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer (or his or her heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives) in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors.  The right to indemnification conferred by this Article VII shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding in advance of its final disposition.

 

4



 

The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article VII to directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article VII shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws of the Corporation, any statute, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Any repeal or modification of this Article VII shall not adversely affect any rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses of a director or officer of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, and the ability of the stockholders to consent in writing to the taking of any action is hereby specifically denied.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

(A)                              Meetings of stockholders may be held within or without the State of Delaware, as the By-Laws may provide.  The books of the Corporation may be kept (subject to any provision contained in the DGCL) outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the By-Laws of the Corporation.

 

(B)                                Unless otherwise required by law, special meetings of stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may be called by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, (ii) the President or (iii) the Board of Directors.  The ability of the stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders is hereby specifically denied.

 

ARTICLE X

 

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the entire Board of Directors shall be required to adopt, amend, alter, change or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  The Corporation’s By-Laws also may be adopted, amended, altered, changed or repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Corporation’s then issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors of the Corporation.

 

5



 

ARTICLE XI

 

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation’s By-Laws or the DGCL, and all rights herein conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to such reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (and in addition to any other vote that may be required by law), the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Corporation’s then issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors of the Corporation shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with Articles V, VIII, IX and X of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or this Article XI.

 

6



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed on its behalf this 10th day of August, 2005.

 

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Douglas C. Barnard

 

 

 

Name: Douglas C. Barnard

 

 

Title: Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

 

7



 

Exhibit A

 

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

Section 1.  Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 500,000.

 

Section 2.  Dividends and Distributions.

 

(a)  Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holder of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the 15th day of May, August, November and February in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $0.01 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after August 10, 2005 (the “Effective Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(b)  The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph (A) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.01 per share on the Series A Junior Participating

 

A-8



 

Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

 

(c)  Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.  Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.  Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

 

Section 3.  Voting Rights.  The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

 

(A)  Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(B)  Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(C)  (i)  If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a “default period”) which shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid

 

A-9



 

dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment.  During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two (2) directors.

 

(ii)  During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders of any other series of Preferred Stock, if any, to increase, in certain cases, the authorized number of directors shall be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.  The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right.  At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2) directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) directors.  If the number which may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number.  After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(iii)  Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President, a Vice-President or the Secretary of the Corporation.  Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation.  Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the calling of such meeting within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the

 

A-10



 

period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.

 

(iv)  In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of stock which elected the director whose office shall have become vacant.  References in this Paragraph (C) to directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.

 

(v)  Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws).  Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors.

 

(D)  Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

 

Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.

 

(A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not

 

(i)  declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;

 

(ii)  declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,

 

A-11



 

except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

 

(iii)  redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or

 

(iv)  purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

 

(B)  The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

 

Section 5.  Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof.  All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

 

Section 6.  Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  (A)  Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to $1,000 per share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior

 

A-12



 

thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

 

(B)  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

 

(C)  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 7.  Consolidation, Merger, etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding

 

A-13



 

immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 8.  No Redemption.  The shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

 

Section 9.  Ranking.  The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

 

Section 10.  Amendment.  At any time when any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, neither the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation nor this Certificate of Designation shall be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

 

Section 11.  Fractional Shares.  Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

A-14


 

EX-4.2 3 a05-14488_1ex4d2.htm EX-4.2

Exhibit 4.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED
BY-LAWS

 

OF

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 

A Delaware Corporation

 

Effective August 10, 2005

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I OFFICES

 

 

Section 1.

Registered Office

 

 

Section 2.

Other Offices

 

ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

 

Section 1.

Place of Meetings

 

 

Section 2.

Annual Meetings

 

 

Section 3.

Special Meetings

 

 

Section 4.

Nature of Business at Meetings of Stockholders

 

 

Section 5.

Nomination of Directors

 

 

Section 6.

Notice

 

 

Section 7.

Adjournments

 

 

Section 8.

Quorum

 

 

Section 9.

Voting

 

 

Section 10.

Proxies

 

 

Section 11.

List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote

 

 

Section 12.

Record Date

 

 

Section 13.

Stock Ledger

 

 

Section 14.

Conduct of Meetings

 

 

Section 15.

Inspectors of Election

 

ARTICLE III DIRECTORS

 

 

Section 1.

Number and Election of Directors

 

 

Section 2.

Vacancies

 

 

Section 3.

Duties and Powers

 

 

Section 4.

Meetings

 

 

Section 5.

Organization

 

 

Section 6.

Resignations and Removals of Directors

 

 

Section 7.

Quorum

 

 

Section 8.

Actions of the Board by Written Consent

 

 

Section 9.

Meetings by Means of Conference Telephone

 

 

Section 10.

Committees

 

 

Section 11.

Compensation

 

 

Section 12.

Interested Directors

 

ARTICLE IV OFFICERS

 

 

Section 1.

General

 

 

Section 2.

Election

 

 

Section 3.

Voting Securities Owned by the Corporation

 

 

Section 4.

Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

 

Section 5.

President

 

 

i



 

 

Section 6.

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

Section 7.

Vice Presidents

 

 

Section 8.

Secretary

 

 

Section 9.

Treasurer

 

 

Section 10.

Assistant Secretaries

 

 

Section 11.

Assistant Treasurers

 

 

Section 12.

Other Officers

 

ARTICLE V STOCK

 

 

Section 1.

Form of Certificates

 

 

Section 2.

Signatures

 

 

Section 3.

Lost Certificates

 

 

Section 4.

Transfers

 

 

Section 5.

Dividend Record Date

 

 

Section 6.

Record Owners

 

 

Section 7.

Transfer and Registry Agents

 

ARTICLE VI NOTICES

 

 

Section 1.

Notices

 

 

Section 2.

Waivers of Notice

 

ARTICLE VII GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

 

Section 1.

Dividends

 

 

Section 2.

Disbursements

 

 

Section 3.

Fiscal Year

 

 

Section 4.

Corporate Seal

 

ARTICLE VIII INDEMNIFICATION

 

 

Section 1.

Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings other than those by or in the Right of the Corporation

 

 

Section 2.

Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation

 

 

Section 3.

Authorization of Indemnification

 

 

Section 4.

Good Faith Defined

 

 

Section 5.

Indemnification by a Court

 

 

Section 6.

Expenses Payable in Advance

 

 

Section 7.

Nonexclusivity of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

 

 

Section 8.

Insurance

 

 

Section 9.

Certain Definitions

 

 

Section 10.

Survival of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

 

 

Section 11.

Limitation on Indemnification

 

 

Section 12.

Indemnification of Employees and Agents

 

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

 

 

Section 1.

Amendments

 

 

Section 2.

Entire Board of Directors

 

 

ii



 

BY-LAWS


OF


CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.


(hereinafter called the “Corporation”)

 

ARTICLE I

OFFICES

 

Section 1.               Registered Office.  The registered office of the Corporation shall be in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware.

 

Section 2.               Other Offices.  The Corporation may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

 

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.               Place of Meetings.  Meetings of the stockholders for the election of directors or for any other purpose shall be held at such time and place, either within or without the State of Delaware, as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.               Annual Meetings.  The Annual Meeting of Stockholders for the election of directors shall be held on such date and at such time as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.  Any other proper business may be transacted at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 



 

Section 3.               Special Meetings.  Unless otherwise required by law, Special Meetings of Stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may be called by either (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, (ii) the President or (iii) the Board of Directors.  The ability of the stockholders to call a Special Meeting of Stockholders is hereby specifically denied.  At a Special Meeting of Stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall be specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto).

 

Section 4.               Nature of Business at Meetings of Stockholders.  No business may be transacted at an Annual Meeting of Stockholders, other than business that is either (a) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (b) otherwise properly brought before the Annual Meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof), or (c) otherwise properly brought before the Annual Meeting by any stockholder of the Corporation (i) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 4 and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at such Annual Meeting and (ii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 4.

 

In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an Annual Meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation.

 

2



 

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding Annual Meeting of Stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the Annual Meeting is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such notice of the date of the Annual Meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the Annual Meeting was made, whichever first occurs.

 

To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the Annual Meeting (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the Annual Meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the Annual Meeting, (ii) the name and record address of such stockholder, (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder, (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder and any material interest of such stockholder in such business and (v) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting to bring such business before the meeting.

 

No business shall be conducted at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders except business brought before the Annual Meeting in accordance with the procedures set

 

3



 

forth in this Section 4; provided, however, that, once business has been properly brought before the Annual Meeting in accordance with such procedures, nothing in this Section 4 shall be deemed to preclude discussion by any stockholder of any such business.  If the chairman of an Annual Meeting determines that business was not properly brought before the Annual Meeting in accordance with the foregoing procedures, the chairman shall declare to the meeting that the business was not properly brought before the meeting and such business shall not be transacted.  No business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders except for such business as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting.

 

Section 5.               Nomination of Directors.  Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as directors of the Corporation, except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation with respect to the right of holders of preferred stock of the Corporation to nominate and elect a specified number of directors in certain circumstances.  Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at any Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or at any Special Meeting of Stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, (a) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) or (b) by any stockholder of the Corporation (i) who is a stockholder of record on the date of the giving of the notice provided for in this Section 5 and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting and (ii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 5.

 

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In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the Secretary of the Corporation.

 

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (a) in the case of an Annual Meeting, not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding Annual Meeting of Stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the Annual Meeting is called for a date that is not within thirty (30) days before or after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such notice of the date of the Annual Meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the Annual Meeting was made, whichever first occurs; and (b) in the case of a Special Meeting of Stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the Special Meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the Special Meeting was made, whichever first occurs.

 

To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the person, (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by

 

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the person and (iv) any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice (i) the name and record address of such stockholder, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder, (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such stockholder, (iv) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice and (v) any other information relating to such stockholder that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.  Such notice must be accompanied by a written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected.

 

No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5.  If the chairman of the meeting determines that a nomination was not made in accordance with the foregoing procedures, the chairman shall declare to the meeting that the nomination was defective and such defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

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Section 6.               Notice.  Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, date and hour of the meeting and, in the case of a Special Meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.  Unless otherwise required by law, written notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting.

 

Section 7.               Adjournments.  Any meeting of the stockholders may be adjourned from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken.  At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.  If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting in accordance with the requirements of Section 6 hereof shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting.

 

Section 8.               Quorum.  Unless otherwise required by applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority of the Corporation’s capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business.  A quorum, once established, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum.  If, however, such quorum shall not be present

 

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or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, the stockholders entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, in the manner provided in Section 7 hereof, until a quorum shall be present or represented.

 

Section 9.               Voting.  Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, any question brought before any meeting of the stockholders, other than the election of directors, shall be decided by the vote of the holders of a majority of the total number of votes of the Corporation’s capital stock represented and entitled to vote thereat, voting as a single class.  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, and subject to Section 12 of this Article II, each stockholder represented at a meeting of the stockholders shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote for each share of the capital stock entitled to vote thereat held by such stockholder.  Such votes may be cast in person or by proxy as provided in Section 10 of this Article II.  The Board of Directors, in its discretion, or the officer of the Corporation presiding at a meeting of the stockholders, in such officer’s discretion, may require that any votes cast at such meeting shall be cast by written ballot.

 

Section 10.             Proxies.  Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of the stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder as proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted upon after three years from its date, unless such proxy provides for a longer period.  Without limiting the manner in which a stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder as proxy, the following shall constitute a valid means by which a stockholder may grant such authority:

 

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(i)          A stockholder may execute a writing authorizing another person or persons to act for such stockholder as proxy.  Execution may be accomplished by the stockholder or such stockholder’s authorized officer, director, employee or agent signing such writing or causing such person’s signature to be affixed to such writing by any reasonable means, including, but not limited to, by facsimile signature.

 

(ii)         A stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder as proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of a telegram or cablegram to the person who will be the holder of the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization or like agent duly authorized by the person who will be the holder of the proxy to receive such telegram or cablegram, provided that any such telegram or cablegram must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the telegram or cablegram was authorized by the stockholder.  If it is determined that such telegrams or cablegrams are valid, the inspectors or, if there are no inspectors, such other persons making that determination shall specify the information on which they relied.

 

Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing, telegram or cablegram authorizing another person or persons to act as proxy for a stockholder may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing, telegram or cablegram for any and all purposes for which the original writing, telegram or cablegram

 

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could be used; provided, however, that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing, telegram or cablegram.

 

Section 11.             List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.  The officer of the Corporation who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of the stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder.  Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting (i) either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the Corporation.  The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.

 

Section 12.             Record Date.  In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of the stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting.  If no record date is fixed by the

 

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Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.  A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

Section 13.             Stock Ledger.  The stock ledger of the Corporation shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the list required by Section 11 of this Article II or the books of the Corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of the stockholders.

 

Section 14.             Conduct of Meetings.  The Board of Directors of the Corporation may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of any meeting of the stockholders as it shall deem appropriate.  Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairman of any meeting of the stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting.  Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following:  (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) the determination of when the polls shall open and close for any given matter to be voted on at the meeting;

 

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(iii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iv) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (v) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (vi) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants.

 

Section 15.             Inspectors of Election.  In advance of any meeting of the stockholders, the Board of Directors, by resolution, the Chairman, if there be one, or the President shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof.  One or more other persons may be designated as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act.  If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting.  Unless otherwise required by applicable law, inspectors may be officers, employees or agents of the Corporation.  Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspector’s ability.  The inspector shall have the duties prescribed by law and shall take charge of the polls and, when the vote is completed, shall make a certificate of the result of the vote taken and of such other facts as may be required by applicable law.

 

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ARTICLE III

DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.               Number and Election of Directors.  The directors shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III.  Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors.  The initial division of the Board of Directors into classes shall be made by the decision of the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors.  The term of the initial Class I directors shall terminate on the date of the 2006 Annual Meeting; the term of the initial Class II directors shall terminate on the date of the 2007 Annual Meeting; and the term of the initial Class III directors shall terminate on the date of the 2008 Annual Meeting or, in each case, upon such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal.  At each succeeding Annual Meeting of Stockholders beginning in 2006, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that Annual Meeting shall be elected for a three-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.  If the number of directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any additional director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in such class or from the removal from office, death, disability, resignation or disqualification of a director or other cause shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case will a decrease in the number of directors have the effect of removing or shortening the term of any incumbent director.  Except as provided in Section 2 of this Article III,

 

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directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at each Annual Meeting of Stockholders and each director so elected shall hold office until such director’s term expires and until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal.  Directors need not be stockholders.

 

Section 2.               Vacancies.  Any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors may only be filled by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present, and any other vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors may only be filled by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.  Any director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of directors of such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class.  Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall have the same remaining term as that of his or her predecessor.

 

Section 3.               Duties and Powers.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors which may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-Laws required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

Section 4.               Meetings.  The Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware.  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as may

 

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from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman, if there be one, or the President.  Notice thereof stating the place, date and hour of the meeting shall be given to each director either by mail not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the date of the meeting, by telephone, telegram or electronic means on twenty-four (24) hours’ notice, or on such shorter notice as the person or persons calling such meeting may deem necessary or appropriate in the circumstances.

 

Section 5.               Organization.  At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors or, in the Chairman’s absence or if there be none, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall act as chairman.  The Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary at each meeting of the Board of Directors.  In case the Secretary shall be absent from any meeting of the Board of Directors, an Assistant Secretary shall perform the duties of secretary at such meeting; and in the absence from any such meeting of the Secretary and all the Assistant Secretaries, the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

 

Section 6.               Resignations and Removals of Directors.  Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time, by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, the President or the Secretary of the Corporation.  Such resignation shall take effect at the time therein specified or, if no time is specified, immediately; and, unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

 

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Except as otherwise required by applicable law and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of shares of preferred stock then outstanding, any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Corporation’s then issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 7.               Quorum.  Except as otherwise required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, at all meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the entire Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors.  If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting of the time and place of the adjourned meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

Section 8.               Actions of the Board by Written Consent.  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all the members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee.  Such filing

 

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shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

 

Section 9.               Meetings by Means of Conference Telephone.  Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, or any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this Section 9 shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 10.             Committees.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of any such committee.  In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, and in the absence of a designation by the Board of Directors of an alternate member to replace the absent or disqualified member, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any absent or disqualified member.  Any committee, to the extent permitted by law and provided in the resolution establishing such committee, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may

 

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authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it.  Each committee shall keep regular minutes and report to the Board of Directors when required.

 

Section 11.             Compensation.  The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or a stated salary for service as director, payable in cash or securities.  No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.  Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for service as committee members.

 

Section 12.             Interested Directors.  No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because any such director’s or officer’s vote is counted for such purpose if: (i) the material facts as to the director’s or officer’s relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the Board of Directors or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less

 

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than a quorum; or (ii) the material facts as to the director’s or officer’s relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or (iii) the contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified by the Board of Directors, a committee thereof or the stockholders.  Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.

 

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.                                            General.  The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and shall be a President, a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, a Secretary and a Treasurer.  The Board of Directors, in its discretion, also may choose a Chairman of the Board of Directors (who must be a director) and one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers and other officers.  Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless otherwise prohibited by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.  The officers of the Corporation need not be stockholders of the Corporation nor, except in the case of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, need such officers be directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.                                            Election.  The Board of Directors, at its first meeting held after each Annual Meeting of Stockholders, shall elect the officers of the Corporation who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform

 

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such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors; and each officer of the Corporation shall hold office until such officer’s successor is elected and qualified, or until such officer’s earlier death, resignation or removal.  Any officer elected by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the Board of Directors.  Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.                                            Voting Securities Owned by the Corporation.  Powers of attorney, proxies, waivers of notice of meeting, consents and other instruments relating to securities owned by the Corporation may be executed in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation by the President or any Vice President or any other officer authorized to do so by the Board of Directors and any such officer may, in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, take all such action as any such officer may deem advisable to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of security holders of any corporation in which the Corporation may own securities and at any such meeting shall possess and may exercise any and all rights and power incident to the ownership of such securities and which, as the owner thereof, the Corporation might have exercised and possessed if present.  The Board of Directors may, by resolution, from time to time confer like powers upon any other person or persons.

 

Section 4.                                            Chairman of the Board of Directors.  The Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors.  Except where by law the signature of the President is required, the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall possess the same power as the President to

 

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sign all contracts, certificates and other instruments of the Corporation which may be authorized by the Board of Directors.  During the absence or disability of the President, the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall exercise all the powers and discharge all the duties of the President.  The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall also perform such other duties and may exercise such other powers as may from time to time be assigned by these By-Laws or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 5.                                            President.  The President shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors and, if there be one, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, have general supervision of the business of the Corporation and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect.  The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, unless the Board of Directors designates the Chairman as the Chief Executive Officer.  The President shall execute all bonds, mortgages, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation requiring a seal, under the seal of the Corporation, except where required or permitted by law to be otherwise signed and executed and except that the other officers of the Corporation may sign and execute documents when so authorized by these By-Laws, the Board of Directors or the President.  In the absence or disability of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or if there be none, the President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, provided the President is also a director, the Board of Directors.  The President shall also perform such other duties and may exercise such other powers as may from time to time be assigned to such officer by these By-Laws or by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 6.                                            Chief Financial Officer.  The Chief Financial Officer, if there be one, shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, and the President have the responsibility for the financial affairs of the Corporation and shall exercise supervisory responsibility for the performance of the duties of the Treasurer and the controller, if any, of the Corporation.  The Chief Financial Officer shall also perform such other duties and may exercise such other powers as may from time to time be assigned to such officer by these By-Laws or by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.                                            Vice Presidents.  At the request of the President or in the President’s absence or in the event of the President’s inability or refusal to act (and if there be no Chairman of the Board of Directors), the Vice President, or the Vice Presidents if there are more than one (in the order designated by the Board of Directors), shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.  Each Vice President shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors from time to time may prescribe.  If there be no Chairman of the Board of Directors and no Vice President, the Board of Directors shall designate the officer of the Corporation who, in the absence of the President or in the event of the inability or refusal of the President to act, shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.

 

Section 8.                                            Secretary.  The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of the stockholders and record all the proceedings

 

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thereat in a book or books to be kept for that purpose; the Secretary shall also perform like duties for committees of the Board of Directors when required.  The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, or the President, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be.  If the Secretary shall be unable or shall refuse to cause to be given notice of all meetings of the stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and if there be no Assistant Secretary, then either the Board of Directors or the President may choose another officer to cause such notice to be given.  The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, if there be one, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by the signature of the Secretary or by the signature of any such Assistant Secretary.  The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest to the affixing by such officer’s signature.  The Secretary shall see that all books, reports, statements, certificates and other documents and records required by law to be kept or filed are properly kept or filed, as the case may be.

 

Section 9.                                            Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  The Treasurer shall

 

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disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the President and the Board of Directors, at its regular meetings, or when the Board of Directors so requires, an account of all transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.  If required by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of the office of the Treasurer and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of the Treasurer’s death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in the Treasurer’s possession or under the Treasurer’s control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 10.                                      Assistant Secretaries.  Assistant Secretaries, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, if there be one, or the Secretary, and in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of the Secretary’s inability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Secretary, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Secretary.

 

Section 11.                                      Assistant Treasurers.  Assistant Treasurers, if there be any, shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, if there be one, or the Treasurer, and in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of the Treasurer’s inability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the Treasurer, and when so acting, shall have

 

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all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Treasurer.  If required by the Board of Directors, an Assistant Treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of the office of Assistant Treasurer and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of the Assistant Treasurer’s death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in the Assistant Treasurer’s possession or under the Assistant Treasurer’s control belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 12.                                      Other Officers.  Such other officers as the Board of Directors may choose shall perform such duties and have such powers as from time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may delegate to any other officer of the Corporation the power to choose such other Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers and other officers and to prescribe their respective duties and powers in accordance with these By-laws.

 

ARTICLE V

STOCK

 

Section 1.                                            Form of Certificates.  Every holder of stock in the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation (i) by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, if there be one, or the President or a Vice President and (ii) by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by such stockholder in the Corporation.

 

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Section 2.                                            Signatures.  Any or all of the signatures on a certificate may be a facsimile.  In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

Section 3.                                            Lost Certificates.  The Board of Directors may direct a new certificate to be issued in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen or destroyed.  When authorizing such issue of a new certificate, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as the Board of Directors shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate.

 

Section 4.                                            Transfers.  Stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by applicable law and in these By-Laws.  Transfers of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation only by the person named in the certificate or by such person’s attorney lawfully constituted in writing and upon the surrender of the certificate therefor, properly endorsed for transfer and payment of all necessary transfer

 

26



 

taxes; provided, however, that such surrender and endorsement or payment of taxes shall not be required in any case in which the officers of the Corporation shall determine to waive such requirement.  Every certificate exchanged, returned or surrendered to the Corporation shall be marked “Cancelled,” with the date of cancellation, by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or the transfer agent thereof.  No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing from and to whom transferred.

 

Section 5.                                            Dividend Record Date.  In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action.  If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

Section 6.                                            Record Owners.  The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of shares, and shall not be bound to

 

27



 

recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise required by law.

 

Section 7.                                            Transfer and Registry Agents.  The Corporation may from time to time maintain one or more transfer offices or agencies and registry offices or agencies at such place or places as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE VI

NOTICES

 

Section 1.                                            Notices.  Whenever written notice is required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, to be given to any director, member of a committee or stockholder, such notice may be given by mail, addressed to such director, member of a committee or stockholder, at such person’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be deposited in the United States mail.  Written notice may also be given personally or by telegram, telex, cable or, where permitted herein, by means of electronic transmission.

 

Section 2.                                            Waivers of Notice.  Whenever any notice is required by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, to be given to any director, member of a committee or stockholder, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to notice, or, where permitted herein, a waiver by electronic transmission by the person or persons entitled to notice, whether before or after the time

 

28



 

stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto.  Attendance of a person at a meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where the person attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.  Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any Annual or Special Meeting of Stockholders or any regular or special meeting of the directors or members of a committee of directors need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE VII

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Section 1.                                            Dividends.  Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the requirements of the DGCL and the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors (or any action by written consent in lieu thereof in accordance with Section 8 of Article III hereof), and may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.  Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board of Directors from time to time, in its absolute discretion, deems proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for purchasing any of the shares of capital stock, warrants, rights, options, bonds, debentures, notes, scrip or other securities or evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation, or for equalizing

 

29



 

dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for any proper purpose, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.

 

Section 2.                                            Disbursements.  All checks or demands for money and notes of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

 

Section 3.                                            Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4.                                            Corporate Seal.  The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the words “Corporate Seal, Delaware”.  The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.

 

ARTICLE VIII

INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 1.                                            Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings other than those by or in the Right of the Corporation.  Subject to Section 3 of this Article VIII, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’

 

30



 

fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.  The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful.

 

Section 2.                                            Power to Indemnify in Actions, Suits or Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation.  Subject to Section 3 of this Article VIII, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests

 

31



 

of the Corporation; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

Section 3.                                            Authorization of Indemnification.  Any indemnification under this Article VIII (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director or officer is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be.  Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (i) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (iv) by the stockholders.  Such determination shall be made, with respect to former directors and officers, by any person or persons having the authority to act on the matter on behalf of the Corporation.  To the extent, however, that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding

 

32



 

described above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.

 

Section 4.                                            Good Faith Defined.  For purposes of any determination under Section 3 of this Article VIII, a person shall be deemed to have acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful, if such person’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Corporation or another enterprise, or on information supplied to such person by the officers of the Corporation or another enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Corporation or another enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Corporation or another enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Corporation or another enterprise.  The provisions of this Section 4 shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the circumstances in which a person may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be.

 

Section 5.                                            Indemnification by a Court.  Notwithstanding any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VIII, and notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any director or officer may

 

33



 

apply to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or any other court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Delaware for indemnification to the extent otherwise permissible under Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII.  The basis of such indemnification by a court shall be a determination by such court that indemnification of the director or officer is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII, as the case may be.  Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VIII nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be a defense to such application or create a presumption that the director or officer seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of conduct.  Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to this Section 5 shall be given to the Corporation promptly upon the filing of such application.  If successful, in whole or in part, the director or officer seeking indemnification shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such application.

 

Section 6.                                            Expenses Payable in Advance.  Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a director or officer in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article VIII.  Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees)

 

34



 

incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Corporation deems appropriate.

 

Section 7.                                            Nonexclusivity of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.  The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VIII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, it being the policy of the Corporation that indemnification of the persons specified in Section 1 and Section 2 of this Article VIII shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law.  The provisions of this Article VIII shall not be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VIII but whom the Corporation has the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the DGCL, or otherwise.

 

Section 8.                                            Insurance.  The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power or the obligation to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article VIII.

 

35



 

Section 9.                                            Certain Definitions.  For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors or officers, so that any person who is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation, or is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VIII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.  The term “another enterprise” as used in this Article VIII shall mean any other corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which such person is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent.  For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director or officer with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and

 

36



 

beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article VIII.

 

Section 10.                                      Survival of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.  The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VIII shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

Section 11.                                      Limitation on Indemnification.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article VIII to the contrary, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification (which shall be governed by Section 5 of this Article VIII), the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer (or his or her heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives) or advance expenses in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 12.                                      Indemnification of Employees and Agents.  The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article VIII to directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS

 

Section 1.                                            Amendments.  In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the entire Board of Directors shall be required to adopt, amend, alter, change or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  The Corporation’s By-Laws also may be adopted, amended, altered, changed or repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Corporation’s then issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally at an election of directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.                                            Entire Board of Directors.  As used in this Article IX and in these By-Laws generally, the term “entire Board of Directors” means the total number of directors which the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies.

 

* * *

 

38


 

EX-4.4 4 a05-14488_1ex4d4.htm EX-4.4

Exhibit 4.4

 

 

 

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

dated as of

July 21, 2005

 

between

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

 

and

 

The Bank of New York
Rights Agent

 

 

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section 1.

Certain Definitions

 

Section 2.

Appointment of Rights Agent

 

Section 3.

Issuance of Rights Certificates

 

Section 4.

Form of Rights Certificates

 

Section 5.

Countersignature and Registration

 

Section 6.

Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates

 

Section 7.

Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights

 

Section 8.

Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates

 

Section 9.

Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock

 

Section 10.

Preferred Stock Record Date

 

Section 11.

Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights

 

Section 12.

Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares

 

Section 13.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets Cash Flow or Earning Power

 

Section 14.

Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares

 

Section 15.

Rights of Action

 

Section 16.

Agreement of Rights Holders

 

Section 17.

Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder

 

Section 18.

Concerning the Rights Agent

 

Section 19.

Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent

 

Section 20.

Duties of Rights Agent

 

Section 21.

Change of Rights Agent

 

Section 22.

Issuance of New Rights Certificates

 

Section 23.

Redemption and Termination

 

Section 24.

Exchange

 

Section 25.

Notice of Certain Events

 

Section 26.

Notices

 

Section 27.

Supplements and Amendments

 

Section 28.

Successors

 

 

i

 




 

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of July 21, 2005 (the “Agreement”), between CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (the “Rights Agent”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H

 

WHEREAS, effective as of July 21, 2005 (the “Effective Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) issued between the Effective Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the “Rights”);

 

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

 

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

 

(a)           “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company, or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, (iv) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding due to the repurchase of shares of Common Stock by the Company unless and until such Person, after becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, acquires beneficial ownership of additional shares of Common Stock representing one percent (1%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, or (v) any such Person who has reported or is required to report such ownership (but less than 20%) on Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) or on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) which Schedule 13D does not state any intention to or reserve the right to control or influence the management or policies of the Company or engage in any of the actions specified in Item 4 of such schedule (other than the disposition of the Common Stock) and, within 10 Business Days of being requested by the Company to advise it regarding the same, certifies to the Company that such Person

 

 



 

acquired shares of Common Stock in excess of 14.9% inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not acquire additional shares of Common Stock while the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided, however, that if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within 10 Business Days, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such 10-Business-Day period.

 

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

 

(c)           “Adjustment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

(d)           “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

 

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

 

(i)            which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as hereinafter defined), or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (the “Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;

 

(ii)           which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding:  (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in

 

2



 

response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

 

(iii)          which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty days after the date of such acquisition, and then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person at such expiration of forty days.

 

(f)            “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

(g)           “Close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(h)           “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, except that “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.

 

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

 

(j)            “Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

 

(k)           “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

 

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

 

(m)          “Effective Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this Agreement.

 

3



 

(n)           “Equivalent Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(s)           “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust, syndicate or other entity and includes, without limitation, an unincorporated group of persons who, by formal or informal agreement or arrangement (whether or not in writing), have embarked on a common purpose or act.

 

(t)            “Preferred Stock” shall mean shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of preferred stock of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(x)            “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

(y)           “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

(z)            “Rights Certificates” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

 

(aa)         “Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall mean any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

4



 

(bb)         “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

(cc)         “Section 13 Event” shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.

 

(dd)         “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

 

(ee)         “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

 

(ff)           “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.

 

(gg)         “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

 

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

 

(ii)           “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

 

(jj)           “Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.

 

Section 2.           Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment.  The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.

 

Section 3.           Issuance of Rights Certificates.

 

(a)           Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i)

 

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and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Stock or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the balances indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of the Common Stock (which shares of Common Stock shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company).  As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Rights Certificates”), evidencing one Right for each share of Common Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein.  In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights.  As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

 

(b)           The Company will make available, as promptly as practicable, a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”) to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the Expiration Date. Until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the Common Stock or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the balances indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Stock, and the registered holders of the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights.  Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7(a) hereof), the transfer of any shares of Common Stock in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such shares of Common Stock.

 

(c)           Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company’s treasury) after the Effective Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date or, in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date.  Certificates representing such shares of Common Stock shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear the following legend:

 

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) and the Rights Agent thereunder (the “Rights Agent”) as from time to time amended (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the Company.  Under certain circumstances, as set forth

 

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in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate.  The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing,  without charge, promptly after receipt of a written request therefor.  Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void.

 

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates.

 

Section 4.           Form of Rights Certificates.

 

(a)           The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage.  Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Effective Date and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one one-thousandth of a share, the “Purchase Price”), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

(b)           Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a), Section 11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by:  (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred

 

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Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

 

The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement).  Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.

 

Section 5.           Countersignature and Registration.

 

(a)           The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.  The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned.  In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.

 

(b)           Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep, or cause to be kept, at its principal office or offices designated as the appropriate place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder.  Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.

 

Section 6.           Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.

 

(a)           Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior

 

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to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates (other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that may have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates surrendered then entitles such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase.  Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.  Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.  Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e), Section 14 hereof and Section 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

 

(b)           Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate, if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

 

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

 

(a)           Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time after the Distribution Date the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23(a) hereof) in whole or in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-thousandths of a share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on July 21, 2015, or such later date as may

 

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be established by the Board of Directors prior to the expiration of the Rights (such date, as it may be extended by the Board, the (“Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof or (iii) the time at which the Rights may be exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof (the earlier of (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as the “Expiration Date”).

 

(b)           The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock pursuant to the exercise of a Right initially shall be $90, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 and Section 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

 

(c)           Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Preferred Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-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 will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or, upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate.  The payment of the Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made in cash or by certified bank check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company.  In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Stock) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.  The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.

 

(d)           In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or

 

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upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

 

(e)           Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.  The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or any of its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.

 

(f)            Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.

 

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

 

(a)           The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its authorized and issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

 

(b)           So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

 

(c)           The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined pursuant to this Agreement (including in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof), or as soon as is required by law following the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights.  The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights.  The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective.  Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension has been rescinded.  In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law, or a registration statement shall not have been declared effective.

 

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(d)           The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(e)           The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights.  The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificates at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s satisfaction that no such tax is due.

 

Section 10.         Preferred Stock Record Date.  Each person in whose name any certificate for a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.  Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

 

Section 11.         Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights.  The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each

 

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Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

 

(a)           (i)  In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification.  If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

(ii)           In the event any Person shall, at any time after the Effective Date, become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof, then, promptly following the occurrence of such event, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”).

 

(iii)          In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock which is authorized by the Company’s certificate of incorporation, but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights, is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall (A) determine the value of the Adjustment

 

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Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”), and (B) with respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock, such as the Preferred Stock, which the Board has deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock being referred to as “Common Stock Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread.  For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “Spread” shall mean the excess of (i) the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price.  If the Board determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is herein called the “Substitution Period”).  To the extent that the Company determines that action should be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for such authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof.  In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect.  For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Adjustment Share shall be the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or per unit value of any Common Stock Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on such date.

 

(b)           In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the

 

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shares of Preferred Stock (“Equivalent Preferred Stock”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per share of Equivalent Preferred Stock (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Stock) less than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock and/or Equivalent Preferred Stock to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible).  In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.  Shares of Preferred Stock owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.  Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

(c)           In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all holders of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation), cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or evidences of indebtedness, or of subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Preferred Stock.  Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

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(d)           (i)  For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Stock, and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall not have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading.  The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Stock selected by the Board.  If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.  The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.  If the Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

 

(ii)           For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Stock in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof).  If the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock cannot be

 

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determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Stock is not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to 1,000 (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock.  If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly held or so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share of the Preferred Stock shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

 

(e)           Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment.  All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or other share or one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, as the case may be.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.

 

(f)            If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock other than Preferred Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Stock contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

 

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

 

(h)           Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment,

 

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by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

 

(i)                                     The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right.  Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-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 one-ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price.  The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made.  This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement.  If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment.  Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

 

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

 

(k)                               Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock at such adjusted Purchase Price.

 

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

 

(m)                               Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

 

(n)                                 The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the “Principal Party” for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.

 

(o)                                 The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 26 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably

 

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foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

 

(p)                                 Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after August 10, 2005 and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately 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.

 

Section 12.                          Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.  Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate.  The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained.

 

Section 13.                          Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets Cash Flow or Earning Power.

 

(a)                                  In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except

 

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as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such one one-thousandths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event), and (2) dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.

 

(b)                                 Principal Party” shall mean:

 

(i)                                     in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and

 

(ii)                                  in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;

 

provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered,

 

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“Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stock of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value.

 

(c)                                  The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will

 

(i)                                     prepare and file a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date; and

 

(ii)                                  take all such other action as may be necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to the registration or qualification of such securities under all requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary or appropriate; and

 

(iii)                               will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.

 

The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.  In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).

 

Section 14.                          Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

 

(a)                                  The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.  In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to

 

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which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right.  For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable.  The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights, selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.  If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

 

(b)                                 The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock).  In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock.  For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock shall be one one-thousandth of the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

 

(c)                                  Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock.  In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) share of Common Stock.  For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one share of Common Stock shall be the closing price per share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

 

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(d)                                 The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(b)                                 after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;

 

(c)                                  subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the associated balance indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for 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 Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the associated balance indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for 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 the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

 

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(d)                                 notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.

 

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

 

Section 18.                          Concerning the Rights Agent.

 

(a)                                  The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.

 

(b)                                 The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Stock or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the associated balance indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Stock, or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons.

 

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Section 19.                          Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.

 

(a)                                  Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any legal business entity succeeding to the corporate trust, stock transfer or other shareholder services 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; but only if such legal business entity would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof.  In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

(a)                                  The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.

 

(b)                                 Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the

 

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Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

 

(c)                                  The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct; provided, however, that the Rights Agent shall not be liable for indirect, special, consequential or punitive damages.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(g)                                 The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer.

 

(h)                                 The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which

 

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the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement.  Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

 

(i)                                     The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

 

(j)                                     No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

(k)                                  If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

 

Section 21.                          Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such resignation occurs after the Distribution Date, to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock, by registered or certified mail, and, if such removal occurs after the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.  If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a legal business entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of New York or of any other state of the United States, in good standing, having an office in the State of New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise

 

29



 

corporate trust, stock transfer or shareholder services powers and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a legal business entity described in clause (a) of this sentence.  After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose.  Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates.  Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

 

Section 22.                          Issuance of New Rights Certificates.  Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.  In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

 

Section 23.                          Redemption and Termination.

 

(a)                                  The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, direct the Company to, and if so directed, the Company shall, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”).  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the

 

30



 

Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired.  The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the Current Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

 

(b)                                 Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held.  Promptly after the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder’s last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.

 

Section 24.                          Exchange.

 

(a)                                  The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for 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 Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding.

 

(b)                                 Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.  The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.  The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent.  Any

 

31



 

notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged.  Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

 

(c)                                  In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred Stock, as such term is defined in paragraph (b) of Section 11 hereof) for Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred Stock) for each share of Common Stock, as appropriately adjusted to reflect stock splits, stock dividends and other similar transactions after the date hereof.

 

(d)                                 In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.

 

(e)                                  The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock.  In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock.  For the purposes of this subsection (e), the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

 

Section 25.                          Notice of Certain Events.

 

(a)                                  In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than 50% of the assets, cash flow or earning power

 

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of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.

 

(b)                                 In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then, in any such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Stock shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other securities.

 

Section 26.                          Notices.

 

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

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
One Salem Lake Drive
Long Grove, Illinois 60047
Attention:  Corporate Secretary

 

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

 

The Bank of New York
101 Barclay Street, 11 East
New York, New York 10286
Attention:  Stock Transfer Administration

 

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(c)                                  Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of shares of Common Stock) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

 

Section 27.                          Supplements and Amendments.  Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of shares of Common Stock.  From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).  Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement may not be amended (other than pursuant to clauses (i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence) at a time when the Rights are not redeemable.

 

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

 

Section 29.                          Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.  For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock or any other class of capital stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.  The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement).  All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board or any of the directors on the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights.

 

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Section 30.                          Benefits of this Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Stock).

 

Section 31.                          Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board of Directors of the Company determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the close of business on the tenth Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 32.                          Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial.  This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State; provided, however, that the rights, obligations and duties of the Rights Agent shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.   The parties agree that all actions and proceedings against the Rights Agent or commenced by the Rights Agent, in each case, arising out of this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be brought in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York or in a New York State Court in the County of New York, and, in connection with any such action or proceeding, the parties agree to submit to jurisdiction of, and venue in, such court. Each of the parties hereto also irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any such action or proceeding.

 

Section 33.                          Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

Section 34.                          Descriptive Headings.  Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

 

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

 

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Douglas C. Barnard

 

 

 

Name: Douglas C. Barnard

 

 

 

Title: Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Robert J. Rinaudo

 

 

 

Name: Robert J. Rinaudo

 

 

Title: Assistant Vice President

 



 

Exhibit A

 

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

of

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 

Section 1.  Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 500,000.

 

Section 2.  Dividends and Distributions.

 

(a)  Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holder of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the 15th day of May, August, November and February in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $0.01 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”) since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after August 10, 2005 (the “Effective Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(b)  The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Paragraph (A) above immediately

 

A-1



 

after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.01 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

 

(c)  Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.  Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.  Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

 

Section 3.  Voting Rights.  The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

 

(A)  Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(B)  Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

 

A-2



 

(C)  (i)  If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall be in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, the occurrence of such contingency shall mark the beginning of a period (herein called a “default period”) which shall extend until such time when all accrued and unpaid dividends for all previous quarterly dividend periods and for the current quarterly dividend period on all shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock then outstanding shall have been declared and paid or set apart for payment.  During each default period, all holders of Preferred Stock (including holders of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock) with dividends in arrears in an amount equal to six (6) quarterly dividends thereon, voting as a class, irrespective of series, shall have the right to elect two (2) directors.

 

(ii)  During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be exercised initially at a special meeting called pursuant to subparagraph (iii) of this Section 3(C) or at any annual meeting of stockholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of stockholders, provided that neither such voting right nor the right of the holders of any other series of Preferred Stock, if any, to increase, in certain cases, the authorized number of directors shall be exercised unless the holders of ten percent (10%) in number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding shall be present in person or by proxy.  The absence of a quorum of the holders of Common Stock shall not affect the exercise by the holders of Preferred Stock of such voting right.  At any meeting at which the holders of Preferred Stock shall exercise such voting right initially during an existing default period, they shall have the right, voting as a class, to elect directors to fill such vacancies, if any, in the Board of Directors as may then exist up to two (2) directors or, if such right is exercised at an annual meeting, to elect two (2) directors.  If the number which may be so elected at any special meeting does not amount to the required number, the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have the right to make such increase in the number of directors as shall be necessary to permit the election by them of the required number.  After the holders of the Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect directors in any default period and during the continuance of such period, the number of directors shall not be increased or decreased except by vote of the holders of Preferred Stock as herein provided or pursuant to the rights of any equity securities ranking senior to or pari passu with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(iii)  Unless the holders of Preferred Stock shall, during an existing default period, have previously exercised their right to elect directors, the Board of Directors may order, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding, irrespective of series, may request, the calling of a special meeting of the holders of Preferred Stock, which meeting shall thereupon be called by the President, a Vice-President or the Secretary of the Corporation.  Notice of such meeting and of any annual meeting at which holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote pursuant to this Paragraph (C)(iii) shall be given to each holder of record of Preferred Stock by mailing a copy of such notice to him at his last address as the same appears on the books of the Corporation.  Such meeting shall be called for a time not earlier than 20 days and not later than 60 days after such order or request or in default of the calling of such meeting

 

A-3



 

within 60 days after such order or request, such meeting may be called on similar notice by any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Paragraph (C)(iii), no such special meeting shall be called during the period within 60 days immediately preceding the date fixed for the next annual meeting of the stockholders.

 

(iv)  In any default period, the holders of Common Stock, and other classes of stock of the Corporation if applicable, shall continue to be entitled to elect the whole number of directors until the holders of Preferred Stock shall have exercised their right to elect two (2) directors voting as a class, after the exercise of which right (x) the directors so elected by the holders of Preferred Stock shall continue in office until their successors shall have been elected by such holders or until the expiration of the default period, and (y) any vacancy in the Board of Directors may (except as provided in Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3) be filled by vote of a majority of the remaining directors theretofore elected by the holders of the class of stock which elected the director whose office shall have become vacant.  References in this Paragraph (C) to directors elected by the holders of a particular class of stock shall include directors elected by such directors to fill vacancies as provided in clause (y) of the foregoing sentence.

 

(v)  Immediately upon the expiration of a default period, (x) the right of the holders of Preferred Stock as a class to elect directors shall cease, (y) the term of any directors elected by the holders of Preferred Stock as a class shall terminate, and (z) the number of directors shall be such number as may be provided for in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws irrespective of any increase made pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (C)(ii) of this Section 3 (such number being subject, however, to change thereafter in any manner provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws).  Any vacancies in the Board of Directors effected by the provisions of clauses (y) and (z) in the preceding sentence may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors.

 

(D)  Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

 

Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.

 

(A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not

 

(i)  declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;

 

A-4



 

(ii)  declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

 

(iii)  redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such parity stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock; or

 

(iv)  purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

 

(B)  The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under Paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

 

Section 5.  Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof.  All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

 

Section 6.  Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  (A)  Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to $1,000 per share of Series A Participating Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such

 

A-5



 

payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) 1,000 (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph (C) below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Stock) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”).  Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and holders of shares of Common Stock shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

 

(B)  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences.  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

 

(C)  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 7.  Consolidation, Merger, etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior

 

A-6



 

Participating Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 8.  No Redemption.  The shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

 

Section 9.  Ranking.  The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

 

Section 10.  Amendment.  At any time when any shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, neither the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation nor this Certificate of Designation shall be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

 

Section 11.  Fractional Shares.  Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

 

A-7



 

Exhibit B

 

[Form of Rights Certificate]

 

Certificate No. R-

 

Rights

 

 

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER                                 , 2015 OR EARLIER EXPIRATION OR REDEMPTION BY THE COMPANY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.  THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.  UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID.  [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT).  ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.] (1)

 

Rights Certificate

 

[THE COMPANY]

 

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                                      , 2005 (the “Rights Agreement”), between CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on                                              , 2015 (unless such date is extended prior thereto by the Board of Directors) at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid, non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) of the Company, at a purchase price of $                           per one one-thousandth of a share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed.  The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of

 


(1)                                  The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.

 

B-1



 

shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of                                            , 2005, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.  The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.

 

Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Section 11(a)(ii) Event.

 

As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including Triggering Events.

 

This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.  Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.

 

This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.  If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

 

Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the close of business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Stock Acquisition Date (as such time period may be

 

B-2



 

extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date.  In addition, under certain circumstances following the Stock Acquisition Date, the Rights may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for shares of the Common Stock, or shares of preferred stock of the Company having essentially the same value or economic rights as such shares.  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing any such exchange, and without any further action or any notice, the Rights (other than Rights which are not subject to such exchange) will terminate and the Rights will only enable holders to receive the shares issuable upon such exchange.

 

No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement. The Company, at its election, may require that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock would be issued.

 

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

 

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

 

B-3



 

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

 

Dated as of

 

 

 

,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

Countersigned:

 

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

Authorized Signature

 

 



 

[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

 

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

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED               hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                     (Please print name and address of transferee) this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                      Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within named Company, with full power of substitution.

 

Dated:

 

,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

 



 

Certificate

 

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

 

(1)  this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);

 

(2)  after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

 

Dated:

 

,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

 



 

NOTICE

 

The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 



 

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

 

(To be executed if holder desires
to exercise Rights represented
by the Rights Certificate.)

 

To:  CF Industries Holdings, Inc.:

 

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise                       Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of and delivered to:

 

Please insert social security

 

or other identifying number

 

 

(Please print name and address)

 

 

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

 

Please insert social security

or other identifying number

 

 

(Please print name and address)

 

Dated:

 

,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

 



 

Certificate

 

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

 

(1)  the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);

 

(2)  after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

 

Dated:

 

,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

 



 

NOTICE

 

The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 



 

Exhibit C

 

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

 

PREFERRED STOCK

 

Effective July 21, 2005 (the “Effective Date”), the Board of Directors of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) authorized the issuance of one Right for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued between the Effective Date and the Distribution Date (as defined below).  Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one one-thousandth of a share (a “Unit”) of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) at a Purchase Price of $90.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment.  The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and The Bank of New York, as Rights Agent.

 

Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock certificates or, in the case of uncertificated shares, the associated balance indicated in the book-entry account system of the transfer agent for the Common Stock, representing shares then outstanding, and no separate Rights Certificates will be distributed.  Subject to certain exceptions specified in the Rights Agreement, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days 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 Common Stock (the “Stock Acquisition Date”), other than as a result of repurchases of stock by the Company or certain inadvertent actions by institutional or certain other stockholders or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person.  Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by shares of Common Stock and will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after the Effective Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Stock outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.  Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as defined below) that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole shares of Preferred Stock will be issued.

 

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on July 21, 2015, unless such date is extended or the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.

 

As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the

 

C-1



 

Rights.  Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.

 

In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Stock (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of the event set forth in this paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void.  However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.

 

For example, at an exercise price of $90 per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase $180 worth of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $90.  Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of $16 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase 11.25 shares of Common Stock for $90.

 

In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, (i) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) the Company engages in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation and the Common Stock of the Company is changed or exchanged, or (iii) 50% or more of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which have previously been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.  The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the “Triggering Events.”

 

At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).

 

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Units of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) if holders of the Preferred Stock are granted certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or

 

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assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

 

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least 1% of the Purchase Price.  No fractional Units will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

 

At any time until ten business days following the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right (payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors).  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $.001 redemption price.

 

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.  While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the acquiring company or in the event of the redemption of the Rights as set forth above.

 

Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date.  After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement.  The foregoing notwithstanding, no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.

 

A copy of the Rights Agreement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A/Current Report on Form 8-K.  A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Rights Agent.  This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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EX-5.1 5 a05-14488_1ex5d1.htm EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

 

August 10, 2005

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

One Salem Lake Drive

Long Grove, Illinois 60047

 

Re:

 

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

 

 

Registration Statement on Form S-8

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as special counsel to CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration of 8,250,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2005 Equity and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

In rendering the opinion set forth herein, we have examined and relied on originals or copies of the following: (i) the registration statement on Form S-8 of the Company relating to the Plan as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on August 11, 2005 (such registration statement being hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”); (ii) a specimen certificate evidencing the Common Stock; (iii) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; (iv) the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company, as certified by Douglas C. Barnard, Secretary of the Company; (v) the Plan; and (vi) certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company relating to the Plan and the filing of the Registration Statement.  We also have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below.

 

In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies.  In making our examination of executed documents, we have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company, had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity and binding effect thereof on such

 



 

parties.  As to any facts material to the opinion expressed herein that we have not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials.

 

The opinion set forth below is subject to the following further qualifications, assumptions and limitations:

 

(a)                                  we have assumed that the certificates evidencing the Shares in the form examined by us will be manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock and registered by such transfer agent and registrar;

 

(b)                                 we have assumed that prior to the issuance of any Shares, the Company and the recipient of an award under the Plan will have duly entered into an applicable award agreement, and the issuance of any such shares will be in accordance with the terms of the Plan; and

 

(c)                                  we have also assumed that prior to the issuance of any Shares, the Company will have received the consideration contemplated by the applicable resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company or the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the issuance of such shares and/or the consideration contemplated pursuant to the terms of the Plan (including any consideration provided for in an award agreement).

 

Members of our firm are admitted to the bar in the State of Illinois and we do not express any opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the corporate laws of the State of Delaware, and we do not express any opinion as to the effect of any other laws on the opinion stated herein.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when awarded by the Board of Directors of the Company or the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company and issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

 

 

2


EX-23.1 6 a05-14488_1ex23d1.htm EX-23.1

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

The Board of Directors

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.:

 

We consent to the use of our reports dated May 13, 2005, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of CF Industries, Inc. as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, cash flows and comprehensive income (loss) for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2004, and the related consolidated financial statement schedule, incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

Chicago, Illinois

August 10, 2005

 


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