UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
EVINE Live Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Minnesota | 41-1673770 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
|
(IRS Employer Identification No.) | |
6740 Shady Oak Road Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Address of principal executive offices) |
55344-3433 (Zip Code) |
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class To be so registered |
Name of each exchange on which each class is to be registered | |
Rights to Purchase Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock |
Nasdaq Capital Market |
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c) or (e), check the following box.
x
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d) or (e), check the following box.
¨
If this form relates to the registration of a class of securities concurrently with a Regulation A offering, check the following box.
Securities Act registration statement or Regulation A offering statement file number to which this form relates: ______________________(if applicable)
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
(Title of Class)
Item 1. Description of Securities to Be Registered.
On July 10, 2015, a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of EVINE Live Inc. (the “Company) declared a dividend distribution of one purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company to shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 23, 2015 (the “Record Date”) and issuable as of that date. Except in the circumstances described below, each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value, of the Company (“Preferred Stock” and each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, a “Unit”) at a price of $9.00 per Unit (the “Purchase Price”). The rights of a holder of a Unit are substantially equivalent to the rights of a holder of a share of Common Stock. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Shareholder Rights Plan dated as of July 13, 2015 (the “Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association (the “Rights Agent”).
By adopting the Plan, the Board is helping to preserve the value of certain deferred tax benefits, including those generated by net operating losses (collectively, the “Tax Benefits”). The Company's ability to use these Tax Benefits would be substantially limited if it were to experience an “ownership change” as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). In general, an ownership change would occur if there is a greater than 50-percentage point change in ownership of securities by shareholders owning (or deemed to own under Section 382 of the Code) five percent or more of a corporation's securities over a rolling three-year period. The Plan reduces the likelihood that changes in the Company's investor base have the unintended effect of limiting the Company's use of its Tax Benefits. The Board believes it is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders that the Company provide for the protection of the Tax Benefits by adopting the Plan.
The Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person acquiring shares of the Company's securities equal to or exceeding 4.99% of the Company Stock without the approval of the Board. This would protect the Tax Benefits because changes in ownership by a person owning less than 4.99% of the Company Stock generally are not included in the calculation of “ownership change” for purposes of Section 382 of the Code. The Board will consider requests to exempt certain acquisitions of the Company's securities from the Plan if the Board determines that doing so would not limit or impair the availability of the Tax Benefits or is otherwise in the best interests of the Company.
The Plan specifying the terms of the Rights (as defined below) and the text of the press release announcing the declaration of the Rights are incorporated herein by reference as exhibits to this current report. The following summary provides only a general description of the Plan and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibits.
The following is a summary of the terms of the Plan. The summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 4.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Distribution and Transfer of Rights; Rights Certificates
The Board has declared a dividend of one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock. Prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date, the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, as such terms are defined below:
· | the Rights will be evidenced by and trade with the certificates for the Common Stock (“Common Stock Certificates”) (or, with respect to any uncertificated Common Stock registered in book entry form, by notation in book entry), and no separate rights certificates will be distributed; |
· | new Common Stock Certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a legend incorporating the Plan by reference (for uncertificated Common Stock registered in book entry form, this legend will be contained in a notation in book entry); and |
· | the surrender for transfer of any Common Stock Certificates (or the surrender for transfer of any uncertificated Common Stock registered in book entry form) will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Stock. |
Rights will accompany any new shares of Common Stock that are issued after the Record Date.
Distribution Date
Subject to certain exceptions specified in the Plan, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and become exercisable following (i) the tenth calendar day after the day on which a public announcement or filing that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has become an “Acquiring Person”, which is defined as a person who, at any time after the announcement of the adoption of the Plan, has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding, subject to certain exceptions, or (ii) the tenth calendar day (or such later date as may be determined by the Board) after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in a person becoming an Acquiring Person.
The date on which the Rights separate from the Common Stock and become exercisable is referred to as the “Distribution Date.”
After the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company, mail separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Rights Certificates”) to the Company's shareholders as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and the Rights will become transferable apart from the Common Shares. Thereafter, such Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights.
Preferred Stock Purchasable Upon Exercise of Rights
After the Distribution Date, each Right will entitle the holder to purchase, for $9.00 (the “Purchase Price”), one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock having economic and other terms similar to that of one share of Common Stock. This portion of Preferred Stock is intended to give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting and liquidation rights as would one share of Common Stock, and should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.
Not Deemed an Acquiring Person
Each of the following persons will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, even if they have acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the Common Stock then outstanding: (i) the Company, (ii) any subsidiary of the Company; (iii), any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company and any person holding shares of Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; (iv) any “direct public group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.382-2T(j)(2)(ii), (v) any person who the Board determines prior to the time the person would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, should be exempted from being an Acquiring Person; (vi) any person who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person upon the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Plan, unless and until such person, or any affiliate of such person, acquires beneficial ownership of any additional shares of Common Stock after the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Plan; (vii) any person who as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the person to 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; (viii) any person who inadvertently becomes an Acquiring Person, so long as the person promptly enters into, and delivers to the Company, an irrevocable commitment to promptly divest, and thereafter promptly divests beneficial ownership of sufficient shares of Common Stock so that the person ceases to be an Acquiring Person. In addition, no person shall be an Acquiring Person if the Board shall have affirmatively determined in light of the intent and purposes of the Plan or other circumstances facing the Company, that such person should not be deemed an Acquiring Person.
Redemption of the Rights
At any time until close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or a filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, or thereafter under certain circumstances, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right.
Exchange Provision
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board may exchange all or part of the outstanding Rights (other than those held by an Acquiring Person) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange rate of one share of Common Stock (and, in certain circumstances, a Unit) for each Right. The Company will promptly give public notice of any exchange (although failure to give notice will not affect the validity of the exchange).
Expiration of the Rights
The Rights will expire upon the earliest of (i) the date on which all of the Rights are redeemed, (ii) the date on which the Rights are exchanged, (iii) the consummation of a reorganization transaction entered into by the Company resulting in the imposition of stock transfer restrictions that the Board determines will provide protection for the Company’s Tax Benefits similar to that provided by the Plan, (iv) the close of business on the effective date of the repeal of Section 382, or any other change, if the Board determines that the Plan is no longer necessary or desirable for the preservation of the Company’s Tax Benefits, (v) the date on which the Board determines that the Company’s Tax Benefits have been applied within the meaning of Section 382 and that the Plan is no longer necessary to preserve those Tax Benefits, (vi) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that none of the Company’s Tax Benefits may be carried forward, (vii) the close of business on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of the Plan or the date of the Company’s 2016 annual meeting of shareholders, if the Plan shall not have been approved by the Company’s shareholders, (viii) the close of business on the date of the third annual meeting of shareholders following the last annual meeting of shareholders of the Company at which the Plan was most recently approved by shareholders, unless the Plan is re-approved by shareholders at that third annual meeting of shareholders, and (ix) the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the date of the Plan (the “Final Expiration Date”).
Amendment of Terms of Plan and Rights
Until the close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or a filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, the Company may amend the Rights in any manner. The Company may also amend the Plan after the close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, to cure ambiguities, to correct defective or inconsistent provisions, to shorten or lengthen time periods under the Plan or in any other manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan may extend its expiration date.
Voting Rights; Other Shareholder Rights
The Rights will not have any voting rights. Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no separate rights as a shareholder of the Company.
Anti-Dilution Provisions
The Purchase Price, and the number and kind of securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights, are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock. The Purchase Price is also subject to adjustment from time to time in the event of a Common Stock dividend on, or a subdivision or combination of, the shares of Common Stock.
Taxes
The distribution of Rights should not be taxable for federal income tax purposes. However, following an event that renders the Rights exercisable or upon redemption of the Rights, shareholders, depending on then-existing circumstances, may recognize taxable income.
Item 2. | Exhibits. |
(d) | Exhibits |
The following exhibits are being filed with this Registration Statement on Form 8-A.
Exhibit No. | Description | ||
3.1 |
Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock of EVINE Live Inc., to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota.
| ||
4.1 | Shareholder Rights Plan, dated as of July 13, 2015, by and between EVINE Live Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as rights agent. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereto duly authorized.
Date: July 13, 2015 | EVINE Live Inc. | |
By: | /s/ Russell Nuce | |
Russell Nuce Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer |
Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS
OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK
($0.01 PAR VALUE)
OF
EVINE Live Inc.
Pursuant to Section 302A.401 of the Business Corporation Act
of the State of Minnesota
I, Russell Nuce, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of EVINE Live, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the Business Corporation Act of the State of Minnesota (the "Corporation"), in accordance with the provisions of Section 302A.401 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors") by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Articles”), a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors on July 10, 2015, adopted the following resolution creating a series of four hundred thousand (400,000) shares of preferred stock of the par value of $0.01 per share designated as Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the
Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Articles, a series of preferred stock of the Corporation be, and it hereby is, created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the relative rights and preferences of the shares of such series, are as follows:
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock” (the "Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock") and shall have a par value per share of $0.01, and the number of shares constituting the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall be four hundred thousand (400,000). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock.
SECTION 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of preferred stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock with respect to dividends or distributions, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date, 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10.00 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after July 23, 2015 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a small number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 $10.00 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 45 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
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SECTION 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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”) that 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 Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 shareholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of shareholders, 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 that 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 cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock.
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(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 shareholder or shareholders 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 Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, 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 such holder at such holder’s 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 shareholder or shareholders 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 shareholders.
(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 that 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 Articles or the Corporation’s by-laws (the “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 Articles 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.
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(D) Except as set forth herein, holders of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
SECTION 4. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 of the Corporation and may be reissued as part of a new series of preferred stock to be established by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein or as otherwise required by law.
SECTION 5. 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 (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) junior to the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall have received $10.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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, that rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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.
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(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted automatically 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 6. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In the event 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 Cumulative 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 Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 7. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
SECTION 8. RANKING. The Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of preferred stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets.
SECTION 9. AMENDMENT. The Articles shall not be further amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
SECTION 10. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights and does affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 13th day of July 2015.
EVINE Live Inc. | |||
By: | /s/ Russell Nuce | ||
Name: Russell Nuce | |||
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer |
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Exhibit 4.1
EVINE Live InC.
and
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
as Rights Agent
SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
Dated July 13, 2015
Table of Contents
Section 1. | Definitions | 2 |
Section 2. | Appointment of Rights Agent | 9 |
Section 3. | Issuance of Right Certificates | 10 |
Section 4. | Form of Right Certificates; Notice to Rights Agent as to Acquiring Person | 11 |
Section 5. | Countersignature and Registration | 13 |
Section 6. | Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates | 14 |
Section 7. | Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights | 15 |
Section 8. | Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates | 17 |
Section 9. | Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock | 18 |
Section 10. | Securities Issuable Upon Exercise | 20 |
Section 11. | Adjustments to Number and Kind of Securities or Other Property, Number of Rights or Purchase Price | 20 |
Section 12. | Certification of Adjustments | 30 |
Section 13. | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares | 30 |
Section 14. | Rights of Action | 31 |
Section 15. | Agreement of Right Holders | 32 |
Section 16. | Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder | 33 |
Section 17. | Concerning the Rights Agent | 33 |
Section 18. | Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent | 34 |
Section 19. | Duties of Rights Agent | 35 |
Section 20. | Change of Rights Agent | 38 |
Section 21. | Issuance of New Right Certificates | 39 |
Section 22. | Redemption | 39 |
Section 23. | Exchange | 41 |
Section 24. | Notice of Proposed Actions | 43 |
Section 25. | Notices | 44 |
Section 26. | Supplements and Amendments | 45 |
Section 27. | Successors | 46 |
Section 28. | Benefits of this Plan | 46 |
Section 29. | Governing Law | 46 |
Section 30. | Counterparts | 46 |
Section 31. | Descriptive Headings | 46 |
Section 32. | Severability | 46 |
Section 33. | Determination and Actions by the Board, etc. | 47 |
Exhibit A – Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights
Exhibit B – Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C – Form of Summary of Rights
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SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN (this “Plan”), dated July 13, 2015, between EVINE Live, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the “Company”), and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company has generated substantial operating losses and other tax attributes in previous years which, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and rules promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service, the Company may in certain circumstances use to offset current and future earnings and thus reduce its future federal income tax liability (subject to certain requirements and restrictions); and
WHEREAS, if the Company experiences an Ownership Change, as defined in Section 382 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder and any successor or replacement provisions (“Section 382”), its ability to use the Tax Attributes (as hereinafter defined) could be substantially limited or lost altogether; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to avoid an Ownership Change and, in furtherance of such objective, the Company wishes to enter into this Plan; and
WHEREAS, on July 10, 2015, a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) (i) authorized and declared a dividend of one right (a “Right”) for each share of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as defined herein) on July 23, 2015 (the “Record Date”), and authorized the issuance of the Rights as of the Record Date, each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company having the voting powers, designation, preferences and relative rights described in the Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights attached hereto as Exhibit A (each one one-thousandth of a share, a “Unit”, and such shares of preferred stock, “Preferred Stock”), and (ii) further authorized the issuance of one Right with respect to each share of Common Stock of the Company that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (each as defined herein) (or thereafter in accordance with Section 21), all upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
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Section 1. Definitions.
For purposes of this Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
“Acquiring Person” means any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, is or becomes the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, as calculated herein, but shall not include:
(i) the Company;
(ii) any Subsidiary of the Company;
(iii) any
employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, any Person organized, appointed,
established or holding shares of Common Stock of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan;
(iv) any “direct public group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.382-2T(j)(2)(ii);
(v) any Person who the Board determines prior to the time such Person would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, should be permitted to become the Beneficial Owner of up to a number of the shares of Common Stock determined by the Board (the “Exempted Number”) and be exempted from being an Acquiring Person, unless and until such Person acquires Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock of the Company in excess of the Exempted Number (other than pursuant to a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction) in which case such Person shall be an Acquiring Person; provided, however, that the Board may make such exemption subject to such conditions, if any, which the Board may determine;
(vi) any Person who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person upon the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of this Plan, unless and until such Person, or any Affiliate of such Person, acquires Beneficial Ownership of any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company after the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of this Plan (other than pursuant to a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction), in which case such Person shall be an Acquiring Person;
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(vii) any Person who as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock of the Company Beneficially Owned by such Person to 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that, if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by reason of acquisition of shares by the Company and shall, after the first public announcement by the Company of such share acquisitions by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares (other than pursuant to a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction) of Common Stock of the Company and immediately thereafter be the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, then such Person shall be an Acquiring Person; or
(viii) any Person who inadvertently becomes an Acquiring Person, so long as such Person promptly enters into, and delivers to the Company, an irrevocable commitment to promptly divest, and thereafter promptly divests Beneficial Ownership of sufficient shares of Common Stock of the Company so that such Person ceases to be an Acquiring Person;
provided, however, that no Person shall be an Acquiring Person if the Board shall have affirmatively determined, prior to or after the Distribution Date, in light of the intent and purposes of this Agreement or other circumstances facing the Company, that such Person shall not be deemed an Acquiring Person, unless and until such Person shall again become an Acquiring Person.
In determining whether a Person owns 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding, for all purposes of this Plan, all of the Common Stock of the Company Beneficially Owned by such Person shall be taken into account in the numerator and only the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding shall be taken into account in the denominator. Without limiting the foregoing, any Person (other than a “direct public group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.382-2T(j)(2(ii)) shall be treated as the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more shares of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding if, in the determination of the Board, that Person would be treated as a “5-percent shareholder” for purposes of Section 382 (substituting “4.99” for “5” each time “five” or “5” is used in or for purposes of Section 382).
“Adjustment Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).
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“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 as in effect on the date of this Plan, and to the extent not included within the foregoing clause of this Section, shall also include, with respect to any Person, any other Person whose Common Stock would be deemed constructively or otherwise owned by, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned by, such first Person or owned by a single “entity” pursuant to the provisions of Section 382; provided, however, that a Person will not be deemed to be the Affiliate or Associate of another Person solely because either or both Persons are or were directors of the Company.
A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and to “Beneficially Own,” any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates is deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement, provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own securities (including rights, options or warrants) which are convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for Common Stock except to the extent the acquisition or transfer of such rights, options or warrants would reasonably be expected to result in the rights, options or warrants being treated as exercised on the date of their acquisition or transfer under Section 382;
(ii) the beneficial ownership of 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, warrants, options or other rights (including, without limitation, within the meaning of Section 382) (in each case, other than upon exercise or exchange of the Rights); provided, however, that a Person will not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange;
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(iii) of which any other Person is the Beneficial Owner, if such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with such other Person (or any of such other Person’s Affiliates or Associates) with respect to acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company; or
(iv) to the extent not included within the foregoing provisions of this Section, a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, securities which such Person would be deemed to constructively or otherwise own, or which would otherwise be aggregated with shares owned or beneficially owned by such Person, for purposes of Section 382;
provided, however, that (i) a Person will not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any security (A) if such Person has the right to vote such security pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by means of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A, and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), or (B) if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act; (ii) nothing in this definition will 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 an underwriting syndicate until the expiration of 40 calendar days after the date of such acquisition, or such later date as the Board may determine in any specific case; and (iii) subject to clause (iv), above, a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to Beneficially Own, any securities if (i) such securities would not be deemed constructively or otherwise owned by, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned by, such Person, and (ii) such securities would not be deemed constructively or otherwise owned by a single “entity”, in each case, for purposes of Section 382.
“Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
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“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.
“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.
“Common Stock,” when used with reference to the Company, shall mean the common stock (presently $0.01 par value per share) of the Company. “Common Stock”, when used with reference to any Person other than the Company, shall mean shares of the capital stock with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the entity which ultimately controls such first-mentioned Person. “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person not organized in corporate form shall mean units of beneficial interest which (x) represent the right to participate generally in the profits and losses of such Person (including without limitation any flow-through tax benefits resulting from an ownership interest in such Person) and (y) are entitled to exercise the greatest voting power of such Person or, in the case of a limited partnership, have the power to remove the general partner or partners.
“Code” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d).
“Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
“Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
“Equivalent Preferred Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b).
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
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“Expiration Date” shall mean the earliest of (i) the date on which all of the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 22, (ii) the date on which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 23, (iii) the consummation of a reorganization transaction entered into by the Company resulting in the imposition of stock transfer restrictions that the Board determines will provide protection for the Company’s Tax Attributes similar to that provided by this Plan, (iv) the Close of Business on the effective date of the repeal of Section 382 (but excluding the repeal or withdrawal of any Treasury Regulations thereunder), or any other change, if the Board determines that this Plan is no longer necessary or desirable for the preservation of Tax Attributes, (v) the date on which the Board determines that the Tax Attributes have been applied within the meaning of Section 382 and that this Plan is no longer necessary to preserve the Tax Attributes, (vi) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Attributes may be carried forward, (vii) the Close of Business on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of the Plan or the date of the final adjournment of the Company’s 2016 annual meeting of shareholders, if the Plan shall not have been approved by holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting of shareholders of the Company, and (viii) the Close of Business on the date of the final adjournment of the third annual meeting of shareholders following the last annual meeting of shareholders of the Company at which this Plan was most recently approved by a holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting of shareholders of the Company, unless the Plan is re-approved by holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at such third annual meeting of shareholders of the Company.
“Final Expiration Date” shall mean the tenth anniversary of the date of the Plan.
“NASDAQ” shall mean the NASDAQ Stock Market or any of its listing venues.
“NYSE” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange.
“Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, association, trust, syndicate or other entity, and includes without limitation an unincorporated group of individuals who, by formal or informal agreement or arrangement (whether or not in writing), have embarked on a common purpose or act.
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“Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b).
“Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 22(a).
“Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
“Section 11(a)(ii) Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).
“Section 382” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Share Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
“Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of a 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 indicating that an Acquiring Person has become such; provided that, if such Person is determined by the Board not to be or have become an Acquiring Person, then no Stock Acquisition Date shall be deemed to have occurred.
“Subsidiary” of a Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect or appoint a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise controlled by such Person.
“Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii).
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“Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).
“Tax Attributes” shall mean the net operating loss carryforwards, capital loss carryforwards, general business credit carryforwards, alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards and foreign tax credit carryforwards, as well as any loss or deduction attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382, of the Company or its Subsidiaries.
“Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i).
“Triggering Event” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
“Unit” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Plan, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts this appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable. In the event the Company appoints one or more co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agents and any co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine. No Rights Agent shall have a duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.
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Section 3. Issuance of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the Close of Business on the earlier to occur of (i) the tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth calendar day (or such later time as determined by the Board but in no event later than the time such Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any Person of a tender or exchange offer, upon the successful consummation of which such Person, together with its Affiliates and Associates, would be an Acquiring Person (irrespective of whether any shares are actually purchased pursuant to such offer), or in the case of clause (ii) such later date specified by the Board which date shall not be later than the date specified in clause (i) (the earliest of such dates being referred to herein as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced by the certificates for the shares of Common Stock of the Company registered in the names of the holders of the shares of Common Stock of the Company (which certificates for shares of Common Stock of the Company shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) or, with respect to shares of Common Stock of the Company not represented by certificates, the Rights related thereto will be evidenced by the notation on the records of the Company representing these shares, and, in each case, not by separate certificates, (y) the registered holders of shares of Common Stock of the Company shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and (z) the Rights (and the right to receive certificates therefor) will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of Common Stock of the Company (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company and provided with all necessary information, send, by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of shares of Common Stock of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of the holder shown on the records of the Company, a certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B (the “Right Certificate”) evidencing the Rights underlying the shares of Common Stock of the Company so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by the Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm the same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until this notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred.
(b) Upon request of any holder of record of a Right, the Company will send a copy of this Agreement and a copy of the Summary of the Terms of the Rights, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), by postage prepaid mail, to the holder.
(c) Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date or Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for shares of Common Stock of the Company shall also constitute the surrender for transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented thereby and the transfer of shares of Common Stock on the records of the Company shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares.
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(d) Certificates issued for shares of Common Stock of the Company (including, without limitation, certificates issued upon transfer or exchange of shares of Common Stock of the Company) after the Record Date, but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date, the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder to certain Rights as set forth in a Shareholder Rights Plan between EVINE Live Inc., and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent, dated July 13, 2015, as from time to time amended, extended or renewed (the “Plan”), the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive office of EVINE Live Inc.. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Plan, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. EVINE Live Inc. will mail to the holder of record of this certificate a copy of the Plan, without charge, within ten Business Days after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as provided in the Plan, Rights issued to or beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons or their Associates or Affiliates (as defined in the Plan) or any purported subsequent holder of such Rights will become null and void. The Rights shall not be exercisable, and shall be void so long as held, by a holder in any jurisdiction where the requisite qualification to the issuance to such holder, or the exercise by such holder, of the Rights in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or be obtainable.
The failure to print the foregoing legend on any such certificate representing shares of Common Stock of the Company or any defect therein shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the application or interpretation of the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates; Notice to Rights Agent as to Acquiring Person.
(a) The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and forms of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof), when, as and if issued, shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (which do not affect the duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Right Certificates evidencing the Rights, whenever issued, on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase, for each Right, one Unit, at the Purchase Price, but the number and type of shares or other property holders thereof shall be entitled to purchase and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in this Plan.
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(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, any Right Certificate that represents Rights that may be or may have been at any time on or after the Distribution Date beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (or any purported transferee of such Rights) may have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to it the following legend:
The beneficial owner of the Rights represented by this Right Certificate may be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate (as defined in the Shareholder Rights Plan between EVINE Live Inc., and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent, dated July 13, 2015 (the “Plan”)) of an Acquiring Person or a subsequent holder of a Right Certificate beneficially owned by such Persons. Accordingly, under certain circumstances as provided in the Plan, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby will be null and void.
The provisions of this Plan shall be operative whether or not the foregoing legend is imprinted on any such Right Certificate. The Company shall give notice to the Rights Agent promptly after it becomes aware of the existence of any Acquiring Person.
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Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be signed on behalf of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer or any Vice President of the Company, 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, Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, manually, or where permitted, in facsimile, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, the Right Certificates nevertheless may be countersigned by the Rights Agent, issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed the Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign the Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Plan any such person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect and all other relevant information referred to in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. The books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates, the date of each of the Right Certificates, and the certificate numbers for each of the Right Certificates.
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Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 4(b), 7(e) and 13(b), at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates may be (a) transferred or (b) split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer any Right Certificate shall surrender the Right Certificate at the office of the Rights Agent designated for this purpose with the form of assignment on the reverse side thereof duly endorsed (or enclose with such Right Certificate a written instrument of transfer in a form satisfactory to the Company and the Rights Agent, duly executed by the registered holder thereof or the registered holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing), and with all signatures duly guaranteed. Any registered holder desiring to split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign (by manual or, where permitted, facsimile signature) and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the holder of a Right Certificate of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under this Section 6 unless and until the Rights Agent is reasonably satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(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 Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, if requested by the Company, reimbursement to the Company of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver to the Rights Agent a new Right Certificate of like tenor for delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may require the owner of any lost, stolen or destroyed Right Certificate, or his legal representative, to give the Company a bond sufficient to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such Right Certificate or the issuance of any such new Right Certificate.
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Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 7(e) or as otherwise provided in this Plan, the registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole at any time or in part from time to time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed (with such signature duly guaranteed), to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes together with payment of the Purchase Price (defined below), or portion thereof, as applicable, with respect to each Unit or Units (and/or other securities or property in lieu thereof) as to which the Rights are exercised, subject to adjustment as hereinafter provided, at or prior to the earlier of the Expiration Date and the Final Expiration Date
(b) The purchase price shall initially be $9.00 for each Unit issuable pursuant to the exercise of a Right. The purchase price and the number of Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11. (The purchase price, after giving effect to any adjustments, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price.”) The Purchase Price shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America, in accordance with Section 7(c).
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(c) Except as provided in Sections 7(d) and 7(e), upon receipt of a Right Certificate with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price, or the applicable portion thereof, for the Units (and/or other securities or property, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or governmental charge, by cash, certified check or official bank check payable to the order of the Company or the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from the Company or any transfer agent for the Units, certificates for the number of Units so elected to be purchased, and the Company will comply and hereby authorizes and directs the transfer agent to comply with all such requests or (B) if the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have elected to deposit the shares of Preferred Stock underlying the Units issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder into a depositary, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing the number of Units as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the shares of Preferred Stock underlying the Units represented by the 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 to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 13(b) and (iii) promptly after receipt of the Units certificates or depositary receipts, as the case may be, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of the Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and, when appropriate, after receipt promptly deliver the cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of the Right Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a), the Rights Agent shall promptly take the appropriate actions corresponding to the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii), as applicable, and the Company shall otherwise make all arrangements necessary so that those other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when necessary to comply with this Plan. In addition, in the case of an exercise of the Rights by a holder pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights Agent shall return the Right Certificate to the registered holder thereof after imprinting, stamping or otherwise indicating thereon that the Rights represented by the Right Certificate no longer include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii) and, if less than all the Rights represented by such Right Certificate were so exercised, the Rights Agent shall indicate on the Right Certificate the number of Rights represented thereby which continue to include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii). In case the holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise (except pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of the Rights Certificate or the holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 13(b).
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 the registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for 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 or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
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(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 Affiliate or Associate thereof, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Affiliate or Associate thereof) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any Affiliate or Associate thereof) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives those Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in the Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the Acquiring Person has a continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of an agreement, 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 those Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to those Rights, whether under any provision of this Plan or otherwise. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent when this Section 7(e) applies and shall use best efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) are complied with, but neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.
All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Plan. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy the cancelled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
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Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Shares of Preferred Stock.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that, from and after the Distribution Date, it will cause to be reserved and kept available, out of and to the extent of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another purpose or shares of Preferred Stock not reserved for another purpose held in its treasury, the number of Units that, as provided in this Plan, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to reserve and keep available Units sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights pursuant to the adjustments set forth in Sections 11(a)(ii) or 11(a)(iii) unless, and only to the extent that, the Rights become exercisable pursuant to such adjustments.
(b) The Company shall (i) use its best efforts to cause, from and after the Distribution Date, the Rights and all Units (and/or following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities, as the case may be) issued or reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof to be listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE, NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, and (ii) if then necessary to permit the offer and issuance of such Units, shares of Common Stock of the Company and/or other securities, as the case may be, register and qualify such Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities, as the case may be) under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws (to the extent exemptions therefrom are not available), cause the related registration statement and qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after filing and keep such registration statement and qualifications effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of the expiration of the 60-day period referred to in Section 11(a)(ii), the Expiration Date or the Final Expiration Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(b) and give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained or the exercise thereof shall not otherwise be permitted under applicable law or a registration statement under the Securities Act (if required) shall not have been declared effective.
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(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to insure that all Units (or shares of Common Stock or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities) subject to payment of the Purchase Price (or the applicable portion thereof) in respect thereof, be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable Units (and/or shares of Common Stock and other securities, as the case may be) in accordance with applicable law.
(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and governmental charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Units (or shares of Company Stock of the Company or other securities or property, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities or property, as the case may be) upon exercise of Rights in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate, and the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver a Right Certificate or certificate for Units (and/or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities or property, as the case may be) to a Person other than the registered holder until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.
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Section 10. Securities Issuable Upon Exercise. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Units (or shares of Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and the certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing these Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price, or the applicable portion thereof (and any applicable taxes and governmental charges), was made; provided, however, that if the date of such presentation and payment is a date upon which the transfer books for the Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities, as the case may be) are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the transfer books for the Units (or shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities) are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Right 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. Adjustments to Number and Kind of Securities or Other Property, Number of Rights or Purchase Price.
The number and kind of securities or other property subject to purchase upon the exercise of each Right, the number of Rights outstanding and the Purchase Price are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event that the Company shall at any time after the date of this Plan (A) declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide or split the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a greater number of shares, (C) combine or consolidate the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares or effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the shares of Preferred Stock (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), then except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for the dividend or of the effective date of the subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or reclassification, and the number of Units and the number and kind of other securities, 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 of Units and/or the number and kind of other securities as the case may be, which, if the Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date, whether or not such Right was then exercisable, and at a time when the transfer books for the Preferred Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be) of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of the dividend, subdivision, split, combination consolidation or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Sections 11(a)(i) and 11(a)(ii), 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).
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(ii) In the event any Person at any time becomes an Acquiring Person (this event being referred to as a “Section 11(a)(ii) Event”), then, subject to Sections 22(a) and 23, and except as otherwise provided in Section 7(e), each holder of a Right shall, for a period of sixty days (or such longer period as may be established by the Board) after the later of the occurrence of any such event and the effective date of an appropriate registration statement under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 9, have a right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this Plan and payment of the Purchase Price (or the applicable portion thereof) 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 Units for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (whether or not such right was then exercisable), and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the Current Market Price per shares of Common Stock of the Company on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares of Common Stock is called the “Adjustment Shares”); provided, however, that the Purchase Price and the number of Adjustment Shares shall be further adjusted as appropriate to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction, or as provided in this Agreement to reflect any other events, occurring after the date of such first occurrence; and provided, further, that in connection with any exercise effected pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii), the Board may (but shall not be required to) determine that a holder of Rights shall not be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock of the Company that would result in such holder, together with such holder’s Affiliates, becoming the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding. If a holder would, but for the previous clause, be entitled to receive a number of shares of Common Stock of the Company (such shares, the “Excess Flip-In Shares”), in lieu of receiving such Excess Flip-In Shares, such holder will be entitled to receive an amount in (1) cash, (2) debt securities of the Company, (3) other assets, or (4) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Market Price per share of Common Stock of the Company on the date of the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event multiplied by the number of Excess Flip-In Shares that would otherwise have been issuable to such holder.
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(iii) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company which are authorized by the Company’s articles of incorporation but not outstanding and which are not reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights for shares of Common Stock of the Company in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) and the Rights shall become so exercisable, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the Purchase Price, (x) a number of shares of Common Stock of the Company (up to the maximum number of shares of Common Stock of the Company which may be permissibly issued), and (y) a number Units so that, when added together, the numbers in clauses (x) and (y) equal the number of Adjustment Shares. In the event the number of shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock which are authorized by the Company’s articles of incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights is insufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the prior sentence and the Rights shall become so exercisable, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company shall: (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”) and that value shall be conclusive for all purposes; and (B) with respect to each Right, upon exercise of such Right, issue shares of Common Stock of the Company and Units to the extent available for the exercise in full of such Right and, to the extent shares of Common Stock or Units are not so available, make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares not received upon exercise of such Right: (1) other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to the shares of Common Stock of the Company, are deemed in good faith by the Board to have substantially the same value as one share of Common Stock of the Company (such shares are herein called “Share Equivalents”) and whose determination shall be conclusive for all purposes); (2) debt securities of the Company; (3) other assets; (4) cash; or (5) any combination of the foregoing determined by the Board, having a value which, when added to the value of the number of the shares of Common Stock of the Company and Units actually issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver shares of Common Stock, Units and Share Equivalents pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the prior sentence of this paragraph and clause (B) above within 50 days following the Stock Acquisition Date, then, to the extent permitted by applicable law, 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), Units or Share Equivalents and then, if necessary, cash, debt securities, or other assets (in that order) which shares, units, cash, debt securities and/or assets have an aggregate value equal to the excess of the Current Value over the Purchase Price, and provided, further, that the Board may (but shall not be required to) determine that a holder of Rights shall not be entitled to receive equity securities under this Section 11(a)(iii) to the extent the Company determines the receipt thereof could limit the Company’s ability to utilize the Tax Attributes. If the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock, Units or Share Equivalents could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the 50 day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than 120 days after the Stock Acquisition Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares or Shares Equivalents (such 50 day period, as it may be extended, is called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e), that this action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding and exercisable Rights, and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(a)(iii) and, if necessary, 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 (with a prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of each Unit, each share of Common Stock of Company and the per share or unit value of any Share Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the Current Market Price of a share of Common Stock of the Company thereof as of the Stock Acquisition Date.
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(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after this record date) shares of Preferred Stock and/or securities having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“Equivalent Preferred Securities”) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Securities at a price per share of Preferred Stock or per unit of Equivalent Preferred Securities (or having a conversion price per share or unit, if a security convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Securities) less than the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on the record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after the record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the 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 units of Equivalent Preferred Securities (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at that 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 units of Equivalent Preferred Securities to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case the 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 the non-cash consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Shares of Preferred Stock and units of Equivalent Preferred Securities owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. This adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if the record date had not been fixed.
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(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a distribution to all holders of shares of Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation, merger or share exchange in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular periodic cash dividend), assets (other than a dividend payable in shares of Preferred Stock, but including any dividend payable in stock other than Preferred Stock) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b)), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to the record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price per share of Preferred Stock on the record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, 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 per share of Preferred Stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon the exercise of one Right. These adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that the 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), and subject to Section 11d(ii), the “Current Market Price” per share of stock or unit of other securities on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such stock or unit of other securities for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per share of any stock or unit of other securities is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of that stock or other security of (i) any dividend or distribution on such stock or other securities (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend and other than the Rights), or (ii) any subdivision, split, combination or reclassification of that stock or other securities, and prior to the expiration of the requisite 30 Trading Day period, the ex-dividend date for the dividend or distribution, or the record date for the subdivision, combination or reclassification occurs, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on that 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 shares of stock or units of securities listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or NASDAQ or, if the shares of stock or units of any other securities are not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to shares of stock or units of other securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of stock or units of other securities are listed or admitted to trading or, if the shares of stock or units of other security are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted sale price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., Automated Quotations System or any other system then in use, or, if on any such date the shares of such stock or units of such other security 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 such stock or other securities selected by the Board; provided, that if such security is not listed or quoted on the NYSE or NASDAQ and the principal market for such securities is a non-U.S. securities exchange, then the closing price for each day shall be determined by using the customary convention for determining the closing price of a security on such exchange as determined by the Board (in which event the exchange rate of the relevant currency into U.S. dollars for each Trading Day (as defined below) shall be determined by the Board). The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the shares of such stock or units of other securities are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares of such stock or other units of such security are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day; provided, that if such security is not listed or quoted on the NYSE or NASDAQ and the principal market for such security is a non-U.S. securities exchange, then “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which such non-U.S. securities exchange is open for the transaction of business. Subject to Section 11(d)(ii) with respect to Units, if such stock or unit of other securities is not publicly held or not so listed, traded or quoted, “Current Market Price” per share or other unit of such securities shall mean the fair value per share of stock or other unit of such securities 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.
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(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “Current Market Price” per Unit shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above in paragraph (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Market Price per Unit cannot be determined in the manner provided above because the Units are not publicly held, listed or traded or quoted in a manner described in paragraph (i) of this Section 11(d), the “Current Market Price” per Unit shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock of the Company. If neither the shares of Common Stock of the Company nor the Units are listed or traded or quoted as described in Section 11(d)(i), “Current Market Price” per share thereof shall mean the fair value per share of Common Stock of the Company 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 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 thousandth of a Unit or share of Common Stock or any other security, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any securities other than Units, thereafter the number of the other securities so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock and/or Units contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the shares of Preferred Stock and/or Units shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
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(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Units (and/or other securities) 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 Units (calculated to the nearest one-thousandth) equal to the quotient obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Units covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price or any adjustment to the number of Units for which a Right may be exercised, to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of Units 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 Units 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 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 (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) 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 date thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to the registered holders of Right Certificates on the record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 13, the additional Rights to which the holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such registered holders in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the registered holders of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
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(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of Units issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per Unit and the number of Units which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, attributable to the Units, shares of Common Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall use best efforts to 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 Units, shares of Common Stock or other securities at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the Units and/or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Units and/or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive the additional Units and/or other securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
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(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 its good faith judgment the Board shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock or Common 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 Common Stock or Preferred Stock, shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(n) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 22, Section 23 or Section 26, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.
(o) Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that at any time after the date of this Plan and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the shares of Common Stock of the Company payable in shares of Common Stock of the Company or (ii) effect a subdivision or split the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company into a greater number of shares of Common Stock of the Company or (iii) combine or consolidate the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company into a small number of shares or effect a reverse split of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in any such case, each share of Common Stock outstanding following payment of such dividend, such subdivision, split, combination, consolidation or issuance shall continue to have one Right (as adjusted as otherwise provided herein) associated therewith and the Purchase Price following any such event shall be proportionately adjusted to equal the result obtained by multiplying the Purchase Price immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event. The adjustment provided for in the preceding sentence shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
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Section 12. Certification of Adjustments. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth the adjustment and a brief statement of facts and computations accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock a copy of the certificate, and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail or cause the Rights Agent to mail a brief summary thereof to each registered holder of a Right Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of record of shares of Common Stock) in accordance with Section 25. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to prepare such certificate or statement or make such filings or mailings shall not affect the validity of, or the force or effect of, the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any certificate prepared by the Company pursuant to Section 11 and shall have no duty with respect to any adjustment therein contained. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 11 shall be effective as of the date of the event giving rise to the adjustment.
Section 13. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. Units may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it, provided that the agreement shall provide that the holders of the depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Units represented by the depositary receipts. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there may be paid to the holders of record of the Right Certificates with regard to which the fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then Current Market Value of a whole Right.
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(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Units or other securities upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Units or other securities. In lieu of issuing fractions of Units or other securities, there may be paid to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time the Right Certificates are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then Current Market Value of a Unit or other securities, as the case may be.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of a Right expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Right or fractional Unit or other fractional securities (other than the fractional shares of Preferred Stock represented by Units) upon exercise of a Right.
Section 14. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, except those rights of action vested in the Rights Agent pursuant to Sections 17 and 19, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of record of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, any shares of Common Stock), may, in its own behalf and for its own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company or any other Person to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, its right to exercise the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate in the manner provided in the Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and, accordingly, that they will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.
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Section 15. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will not be evidenced by a Rights Certificate and will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock of the Company;
(b) from and after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates will be transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates contained therein duly executed;
(c) subject to Section 6 and Section 7(e), the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Stock certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificate or the associated Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent or the transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company, its directors, officers, employees and agents 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, judgment or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or by reason of any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.
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Section 16. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder of a Right, as such, shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends in respect of or be deemed for any purpose to be the holder of shares of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Units or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 24 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 17. 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, reimbursement of its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Plan 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, demand, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, settlement, cost or expense incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent as each must be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Plan, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith in connection with its administration of this Plan in reliance upon any Right Certificate, certificate for shares of Common or Preferred Stock, Units or 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 reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, guaranteed, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons.
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The indemnity provided herein shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the termination and the expiration of the Rights. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits) (other than by reason of gross negligence or willful misconduct), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Plan (other than by reason of gross negligence or willful misconduct) will be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.
Section 18. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
(a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Plan without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 20. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Plan, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Plan.
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(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Plan.
Section 19. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Plan upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of, any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Plan 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, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Strategy Officer, or any Vice President of the Company and by the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent, and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted in good faith by it under the provisions of this Plan in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, as each is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Plan or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for nor be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Plan or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereon); nor shall it be liable nor responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Plan or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be liable or responsible for any adjustment required under the provisions of Sections 11 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate describing any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Plan or any Right Certificate or as to whether any shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Plan.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Strategy Officer or any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such advice or instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the advice or instructions of any such officer.
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(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, Affiliate, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not the Rights Agent under this Plan. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.
(i) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate contained in the form of assignment or the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse thereof, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 of such certificate, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
(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 (other than internal costs incurred by the Rights Agent in providing services to the Company in the ordinary course of its business as Rights Agent) or in the exercise of its rights if it believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(k) 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 liable, answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company, any holder of Rights or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection and continued employment thereof, as each is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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Section 20. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Plan upon 30 days notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Right Certificates by mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent (with or without cause) upon 30 days notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the shares of Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the registered holders of the Right Certificates by mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 20, in no event shall the resignation or removal of a Rights Agent be effective until a successor Rights Agent shall have been appointed and have accepted such appointment. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the registered holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the incumbent Rights Agent or the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States so long as such Person is in good standing, is authorized to do business in such state, is authorized under such laws to exercise shareholder services powers, is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and 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 Person 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 shall execute and deliver, if applicable, any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for that purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates, if any. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 20, 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.
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Section 21. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Plan or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock of the Company following the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, the Company (a) shall, with respect to shares of Common Stock of the Company so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Right Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Right Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Right Certificate shall be issued, if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 22. Redemption.
(a) (i) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (x) the Close of Business on the tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (y) the Close of Business on the Final Expiration Date, direct the Company to, and if 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 (the total amount paid to any holder of Rights to be rounded up to the nearest $0.01), as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”).
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(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board directing the Company to make 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 directing the Company to make such redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and each such holder of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to the Rights Agent and to each such holders at such 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, unless such notice is mailed together with such payment.
In the case of a redemption permitted under Section 22(a), the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights (with prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to each registered holder of the Rights at each such holder’s last address as it appears on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such action, all outstanding Rights Certificates shall be null and void without any further action by the Company.
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Section 23. Exchange.
(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after the later of the Stock Acquisition Date or the Distribution Date, exchange all or part of the then-outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)) for Common Stock of the Company 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 Record Date (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”); provided, however, that in connection with any exchange effected pursuant to this Section 23, the Board may (but shall not be required to) determine that a holder of Rights shall not be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock that would result in such holder, together with such holder’s Affiliates, becoming the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding. If a holder would, but for the proviso set forth in the previous sentence, be entitled to receive a number of shares under this Section 23 that would otherwise result in such holder, together with such holder’s Affiliates, becoming the Beneficial Owner of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (such shares, the “Excess Exchange Shares”), in lieu of receiving such Excess Exchange Shares, such holder will be entitled to receive an amount in (1) cash, (2) debt securities of the Company, (3) other assets, or (4) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Market Price per share of the Common Stock on the date of the Stock Acquisition Date or Distribution Date, as applicable, multiplied by the number of Excess Exchange Shares that would otherwise have been issuable to such holder. Any such exchange will be effective immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the same, unless such action of the Board expressly provides that such exchange will be effective at a subsequent time or upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of one or more specified events (in which case such exchange will be effective in accordance with the provisions of such action of the Board). Without limiting the foregoing, prior to effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 23, the Board may enter into a Trust Agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board shall then approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by such agreement (the “Trust”) all of the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the exchange (or any portion thereof that has not theretofore been issued in connection with the exchange). From and after the time at which such shares are issued to the Trust, all shareholders then entitled to receive shares pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such shares (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such shares are deposited in the Trust) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement. Any shares of Common Stock issued at the direction of the Board in connection herewith shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable Common Stock, and the Company shall be deemed to have received as consideration for such issuance a benefit having a value that is at least equal to the aggregate par value of the shares so issued.
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(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 23(a) and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock (or Units, as applicable) 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 shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of shares of Common Stock (or Units, as applicable) 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 null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e)) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In any exchange pursuant to this Section 23, the Company, at its option, may, and to the extent there are an insufficient number of authorized shares of Common Stock not reserved for any other purpose to exchange all of the outstanding Rights shall, substitute Units or Share Equivalents for some or all of the shares of Common Stock exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one Unit or Share Equivalent for each share of Common Stock.
(d) The Board shall not authorize any exchange transaction referred to in Section 23(a) unless at the time such exchange is authorized there shall be sufficient shares of Common Stock (and/or Units or Unit Equivalents) issued but not outstanding, or authorized but unissued, to permit the exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 23.
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Section 24. Notice of Proposed Actions.
(a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock payable in stock of any class or to make any other distribution to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), (ii) to offer to the holders of record of its shares of Preferred Stock options, warrants, or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase shares of Preferred Stock (including any security convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Preferred Stock) or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, options, warrants, convertible or exchangeable securities or other rights, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its shares of Preferred Stock or any recapitalization or reorganization of the Company, (iv) to effect any consolidation, combination or merger with or into, or any share exchange with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets, earning power or cash flow of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person or Persons, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each registered holder of a Right Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 25, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such dividend or distribution, or the date on which such reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation, combination, merger, share exchange, sale or transfer of assets, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the record date for determining participation therein by the holders of record of 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 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier. The failure to give notice required by this Section 24 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.
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(b) In case a Section 11(a)(ii) Event is proposed, then, in any such case, the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to the Rights Agent and to each registered holder of Rights, to the extent feasible, in accordance with Section 25, notice of the occurrence of such event or proposal of such transaction which notice shall specify the proposed event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii), upon consummating such transaction, shall similarly give notice thereof to each holder of Rights.
Section 25. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right to or on behalf of the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
EVINE Live Inc.
6740 Shady Oak Road
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344
Attention: Russell Nuce, Chief Strategy Officer
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Davis & Gilbert LLP
1740 Broadway
New York, New York 10019
Attention: Brad Schwartzberg, Esq.
Subject to the provisions of Section 20, any notice or demand authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or by the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
1110 Centre Point Curve, Suite 101
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
Attention: Relationship Management
Notices or demands authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the registered holder of any Right Certificate or Right shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent.
44 |
Section 26. Supplements and Amendments. Subject to extension by the Board by amendments, prior to the Close of Business on the tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement (including without limitation amendments that increase or decrease the Purchase Price or Redemption Price or accelerate or extend the Final Expiration Date or the period in which Rights may be redeemed), without the approval of any holders of the Rights or shares of Common Stock. From and after the Close of Business on the tenth calendar day after the Stock Acquisition Date, the Company may and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right 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 which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Right Certificates (other than any interest an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person has other than as a holder of Rights). 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 26, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Prior to the Stock Acquisition Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of shares of Common Stock. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but shall not obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations or immunities under this Plan. In addition, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, no supplement or amendment to this Plan shall be made that extends the Expiration Date.
45 |
Section 27. Successors. All of the covenants and provisions of this Plan 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 28. Benefits of this Plan. Nothing in this Plan shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Plan but this Plan shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the shares of Common Stock).
Section 29. Governing Law. This Plan and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Minnesota and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such state applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such state.
Section 30. Counterparts. This Plan 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. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Plan by facsimile or electronic mail shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Rights Agreement.
Section 31. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Plan are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions.
Section 32. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Plan 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 Plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Plan would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 22 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.
46 |
Section 33. Determination and Actions by the Board, etc. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Plan 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 Plan, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Plan, and (ii) make all determinations or judgments deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan (including without limitation a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend this Plan) or otherwise contemplated by this Plan. All such actions, calculations, interpretations, judgments 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 to any liability to the holders of the Rights Certificates. The Rights Agent is entitled always to assume the Board acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.
[signature page follows]
47 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Plan to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
Attest: | EVINE LIVE INC. |
By: | /s/ Timothy Peterman | By: | /s/ Russell Nuce | |
Name: | Timothy Peterman | Name: | Russell Nuce | |
Title: | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer | |
WELLS FARGO BANK N.A.
By: | /s/ Darcie Rummel | |
Name: | Darcie Rummel | |
Title: | Officer |
[Signature Page to Shareholder Rights Plan]
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION, PREFERENCES AND RIGHTS
OF SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK
($0.01 PAR VALUE)
OF
EVINE Live Inc.
Pursuant to Section 302A.401 of the Business Corporation Act
of the State of Minnesota
I, Russell Nuce, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of EVINE Live, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the Business Corporation Act of the State of Minnesota (the "Corporation"), in accordance with the provisions of Section 302A.401 thereof, DO HEREBY CERTIFY:
That pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors") by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Articles”), a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors on July 10, 2015, adopted the following resolution creating a series of four hundred thousand (400,000) shares of preferred stock of the par value of $0.01 per share designated as Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the
Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Articles, a series of preferred stock of the Corporation be, and it hereby is, created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the relative rights and preferences of the shares of such series, are as follows:
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION AND AMOUNT. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock” (the "Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock") and shall have a par value per share of $0.01, and the number of shares constituting the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall be four hundred thousand (400,000). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation convertible into Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock.
A-1 |
SECTION 2. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.
(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of preferred stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock with respect to dividends or distributions, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date, 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10.00 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after July 23, 2015 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a small number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 $10.00 per share on the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 determination of holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 45 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
A-2 |
SECTION 3. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.
(C) (i) If at any time dividends on any Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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”) that 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 Cumulative 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 Cumulative 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.
A-3 |
(ii) During any default period, such voting right of the holders of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 shareholders, and thereafter at annual meetings of shareholders, 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 that 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 cumulative 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 Cumulative 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 shareholder or shareholders 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 Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, 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 such holder at such holder’s 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 shareholder or shareholders 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 shareholders.
(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 that 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.
A-4 |
(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 Articles or the Corporation’s by-laws (the “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 Articles 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
SECTION 4. REACQUIRED SHARES. Any shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 of the Corporation and may be reissued as part of a new series of preferred stock to be established by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein or as otherwise required by law.
SECTION 5. 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 (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) junior to the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall have received $10.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock and Common Stock, respectively, holders of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock and Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.
A-5 |
(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, that rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.
(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare 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 automatically 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 6. CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, ETC. In the event 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 Cumulative 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 Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 7. NO REDEMPTION. The shares of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
SECTION 8. RANKING. The Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of preferred stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets.
SECTION 9. AMENDMENT. The Articles shall not be further amended in any manner that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior Participating Cumulative 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.
SECTION 10. FRACTIONAL SHARES. Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that 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 Cumulative Preferred Stock.
A-6 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights and does affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury this 13th day of July 2015.
EVINE Live Inc. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | Russell Nuce | |
Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer | |
|
A-7 |
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Right Certificate]
Certificate No. R- | _________Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER JULY 13, 2025, SUBJECT TO EARLIER REDEMPTION OR EXPIRATION PURSUANT TO THE SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $0.001 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. THE RIGHTS EVIDENCED BY THIS CERTIFICATE SHALL NOT BE EXERCISABLE, AND SHALL BE VOID SO LONG AS HELD BY A HOLDER IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATION FOR THE ISSUANCE TO SUCH HOLDER, OR THE EXERCISE BY SUCH HOLDER, OF THE RIGHTS IN SUCH JURISDICTION SHALL NOT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED OR BE OBTAINABLE. The beneficial owner of the Rights represented by this Right Certificate may be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate (as defined in the SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN) of an Acquiring Person or a subsequent holder of a Right Certificate beneficially owned by such Persons. Accordingly, under certain circumstances as provided in the Rights Agreement, this Right Certificate and the Rights represented hereby will be null and void.
B-1 |
Right Certificate
EVINE Live Inc.
This certifies that ____________________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Shareholder Rights Plan, dated July 13, 2015, as amended, restated, renewed or extended from time to time (the “Plan”) between EVINE LIVE INC., a Minnesota corporation (“Company”), and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association (“Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Plan) and prior to 5:00 P.M. New York time on July 13, 2025, at the office or offices of the Rights Agent, or its successors as Rights Agent, designated for such purpose, one one-thousandth of a fully paid, nonassessable share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (a “Unit”), at a purchase price of $9.00, as the same may from time to time be adjusted in accordance with the Plan (“Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender or this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and included Certificate duly completed and executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of ________, 20___, based on the Units as constituted at such date.
As provided in the Plan, the Purchase Price and the number of Units which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events and, upon the happening of certain events, shares of Common Stock or other securities other than Units, or other property, may be acquired upon exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, as provided by the Plan.
B-2 |
As more fully set forth in the Plan, from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event (as such term is defined in the Plan), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Plan), (ii) a transferee of such Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate), or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Plan, a transferee of such Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with such Acquiring Person becoming such, such Rights shall become null and void without any further action, 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, whether under the Plan or otherwise.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which terms, provisions and conditions are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Plan reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities of the Rights Agent, the Company and the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Plan are on file at the principal executive office of the Company and will be mailed to shareholders upon request to the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the registered holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Units as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled the holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender hereof, the Right Certificate indicating the remaining Rights represented thereby or another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be (x) redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the Close of Business on (i) the tenth calendar day after Stock Acquisition Date, and (ii) the Final Expiration Date, or under certain other conditions as specified in the Plan, and (y) exchanged, after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Plan), at the option of the Board of Directors of the Company, for one share of Common Stock of the Company as set forth in the Plan.
B-3 |
No fractional Units, shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities (other than fractions of a share of Preferred Stock represented by Units) shall be required to be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, and in lieu thereof, as provided in the Plan, a holder otherwise entitled to fractions of shares of Common Stock, Units or other securities (other than fractions of a share of Preferred Stock represented by Units) may receive an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the then current value of a shares of Common Stock or such other securities.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Units, shares of Preferred Stock, shares of Common Stock or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Plan or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors, or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Plan) or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Plan.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
B-4 |
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal, dated as of __________ __, ____.
ATTEST: | EVINE Live Inc. | |||
By: | By: | |||
Title | Title: | |||
Countersigned:
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
Rights Agent | ||
By: | ||
Authorized signature |
B-5 |
[Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if
such holder
desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED __________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
(Please print name and address of transferee) |
______________ Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ____________________ Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: _____________, 20__ | ||
Signature | ||
(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed:*
* |
Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
|
B-6 |
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
[ ] are
[ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Plan);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned
[ ] did
[ ] did not
acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated: ______________, 20__
Signature: | ||
(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed:*
* | Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
B-7 |
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if registered holder desires to Exercise the Right Certificate.)
To: EVINE LIVE INC.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ____________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the number of one one-thousandths of a share of Preferred Stock, shares of Common Stock or other securities issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates representing such share(s) or other securities be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number | |
(Please print name and address) |
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the remaining such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number | |
(Please print name and address) |
Dated: ________________, 20__
Signature | |
(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of the Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed: *
* |
Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
|
B-8 |
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate
[ ] are
[ ] are not
being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Plan);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned
[ ] did
[ ] did not
acquire the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate from any Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any transferee of such Persons.
Dated: ______________, 20__
Signature: | ||
(Signature must conform in all respects to the name of holder as written upon the face of this Right Certificate, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.) |
Signature Guaranteed:*
* |
Signature must be guaranteed by an “Eligible Guarantor Institution” pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
B-9 |
EXHIBIT C
EVINE LIVE INC.
SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THE RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
UNITS OF
PREFERRED STOCK
On July 10, 2015, a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors of EVINE Live Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company, payable to shareholders of record on July 23, 2015, and issuable as of that date. Except in the circumstances described below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company (“Preferred Stock” and each one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, a “Unit”) at a price of $9.00 per Unit (the “Purchase Price”). The rights of a holder of a Unit are substantially equivalent to the rights of a holder of a share of Common Stock. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Shareholder Rights Plan (the “Plan”) between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association (the “Rights Agent”).
The Company has generated substantial operating losses and other tax attributes in previous years which, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), the Company may in certain circumstances use to offset current and future earnings and thus reduce its future federal income tax liability (subject to certain requirements and restrictions. However, if the Company experiences an “Ownership Change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Code and the treasury regulations thereunder (“Section 382”), its ability to use the tax attributes could be substantially limited or lost altogether. In order to seek to avoid an “Ownership Change”, the Board of Directors adopted the Plan.
As discussed below, initially the Rights will not be exercisable, certificates will not be sent to shareholders and the Rights will automatically trade with the Common Stock.
C-1 |
The Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates, and Rights relating to shares of Common Stock not represented by certificates will be represented by notation on the records of the Company, until the close of business on the earlier to occur of (i) the tenth calendar day after the day on which a public announcement or filing that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has become an “Acquiring Person”, which is defined as a person who, at any time after the date of the Rights Agreement, has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding , subject to certain exceptions as described below, or (ii) the tenth day (or a later date determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) after the commencement of a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in a person becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of these dates is called the “Distribution Date”).
As soon as practicable following a Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will, if requested to do so by the Company, mail separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) to holders of record of shares of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and those separate certificates alone will evidence the Rights from and after the Distribution Date.
Each of the following persons will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, even if they have acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock of the Company then outstanding: (i) the Company, (ii) any subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan or employee stock plan of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company; (iv) any “direct public group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.382-2T(j(2(ii); (v) any person who the Board of Directors of the Company determines prior to the time the person would otherwise be an Acquiring Person, should be exempted from being an Acquiring Person; (vi) any person who would otherwise be an Acquiring Person upon the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Plan, unless and until such person, or any affiliate of such person, acquires beneficial ownership of any additional shares of Common Stock after the first public announcement by the Company of the adoption of the Plan; (vii) any person who as the result of an acquisition of shares of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the person to 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; or (viii) any person who inadvertently may become an Acquiring Person, so long as the person promptly enters into, and delivers to the Company, an irrevocable commitment to promptly divest, and thereafter promptly divests beneficial ownership of sufficient shares of Common Stock so that the person ceases to be an Acquiring Person. In addition, no person shall be an Acquiring Person if the Board of Directors shall have affirmatively determined in light of the intent and purposes of the Plan or other circumstances facing the Company, that such person should not be deemed an Acquiring Person. A person (other than any “direct public group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.382-2T(j)(2(ii)) will be treated as the beneficial owner of 4.99% or more shares of the Common Stock if, in the determination of the Board of Directors, that person would be treated as a “5-percent shareholder” for purposes of Section 382 (substituting “4.99” for “5” each time “five” or “5” is used in or for purposes of Section 382.
C-2 |
The Rights are not exercisable until after the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire upon the earliest of (i) the date on which all of the Rights are redeemed as described below, (ii) the date on which the Rights are exchanged as described below, (iii) the consummation of a reorganization transaction entered into by the Company resulting in the imposition of stock transfer restrictions that the Board of Directors determines will provide protection for the Company’s tax attributes similar to that provided by this Plan, (iv) the close of business on the effective date of the repeal of Section 382, or any other change, if the Board of Directors determines that this Plan is no longer necessary or desirable for the preservation of the Company’s tax attributes, (v) the date on which the Board of Directors determines that the Company’s tax attributes have been applied within the meaning of Section 382 and that this Plan is no longer necessary to preserve those tax attributes, (vi) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board of Directors determines that none of the Company’s tax attributes may be carried forward, (vii) the close of business on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of the Plan or the date of the Company’s 2016 annual meeting of shareholders, if the Plan shall not have been approved by the Company’s shareholders, (viii) the close of business on the date of the third annual meeting of shareholders following the last annual meeting of shareholders of the Company at which this Plan was most recently approved by share holders, unless the Plan is re-approved by shareholders at that third annual meeting of shareholders, and (ix) the close of business on July 13, 2025.
C-3 |
The Purchase Price, and the number of Units, shares of Common Stock or other securities or property issuable upon exercise of the Rights, are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution: (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock; (ii) upon the grant to holders of Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Stock or convertible securities at less than the current market price of the Preferred Stock; or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). The Purchase Price is also subject to adjustment from time to time in the event of a Common Stock dividend on, or a subdivision or combination of, the shares of Common Stock.
In the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then each holder of record of a Right, other than the Acquiring Person, will thereafter have the right to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price, that number of shares of Common Stock having a value at the time the person becomes an Acquiring Person equal to twice the Purchase Price. Any Rights that are or were at any time, on or after the Distribution Date, beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person will become null and void. After such an event, to the extent that insufficient shares of Common Stock are available for the exercise in full of the Rights, holders of Rights will receive upon exercise a number of shares of Common Stock to the extent available and then Units or other securities of the Company, assets, or cash, in proportions determined by the Company, so that the aggregate value received is equal to twice the Purchase Price.
No fractional shares of Common Stock or Units will be required to be issued upon exercise of the Rights and, in lieu thereof, a payment in cash equal to the fraction of the then current value of a share of Common Stock may be made.
At any time after a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board may exchange all of part of the outstanding Rights (other than those held by an Acquiring Person) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange rate of one share of Common Stock (and, in certain circumstances, a Unit) for each Right. The Company will promptly give public notice of any exchange (although failure to give notice will not affect the validity of the exchange).
C-4 |
At any time until close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or the filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person (and prior to the giving of notice of the exchange or redemption, as applicable to the holders of the Rights), or thereafter under certain circumstances, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right.
Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing exchange or redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate, and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive (if applicable) the shares of Common Stock of the Company(or Units) issuable in connection with the exchange or the Redemption Price without any interest thereon.
Until the close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or a filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, or thereafter under certain circumstances, the Company may amend the Rights in any manner. The Company may also amend the Rights Agreement after the close of business on the tenth calendar day after the day a public announcement or filing is made indicating that a person has become an Acquiring Person, to cure ambiguities, to correct defective or inconsistent provisions or in any manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote or to receive dividends.
The issuance of the Rights is not taxable to the Company or to shareholders under presently existing federal income tax law, and will not change the way in which shareholders can presently trade the Company’s shares of Common Stock. If the Rights should become exercisable, shareholders, depending on then existing circumstances, may recognize taxable income.
A copy of the Plan has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-K filed on July 13, 2015. A copy of the Plan is available free of charge from either the Rights Agent by writing to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120, Attention: Relationship Management, or the Company by writing to EVINE Live Inc., 6740 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344, Attention: Russell Nuce, Acting General Counsel. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plant, which is incorporated in this summary description by reference.
C-5 |