RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.2
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
and
CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C.,
as Rights Agent
Dated as of September 1, 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||
| Section 1. | Certain Definitions | 2 | ||
| Section 2. | Appointment of Rights Agent | 4 | ||
| Section 3. | Issue of Right Certificates | 5 | ||
| Section 4. | Form of Right Certificates | 6 | ||
| Section 5. | Countersignature and Registration | 6 | ||
| Section 6. | Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates | 7 | ||
| Section 7. | Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights | 8 | ||
| Section 8. | Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates | 9 | ||
| Section 9. | Availability of Preferred Shares | 9 | ||
| Section 10. | Preferred Shares Record Date | 10 | ||
| Section 11. | Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares and Number of Rights | 11 | ||
| Section 12. | Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares | 17 | ||
| Section 13. | Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earnings Power | 17 | ||
| Section 14. | Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares | 21 | ||
| Section 15. | Rights of Action | 22 | ||
| Section 16. | Agreement of Right Holders | 22 | ||
| Section 17. | Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder | 23 | ||
| Section 18. | Concerning the Rights Agent | 23 | ||
| Section 19. | Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent | 24 | ||
| Section 20. | Duties of Rights Agent | 24 | ||
| Section 21. | Change of Rights Agent | 26 | ||
| Section 22. | Issuance of New Right Certificates | 27 | ||
| Section 23. | Redemption | 27 | ||
| Section 24. | Exchange | 28 | ||
| Section 25. | Notice of Certain Events | 29 | ||
| Section 26. | Notices | 30 | ||
| Section 27. | Supplements and Amendments | 31 | ||
| Section 28. | Successors | 31 | ||
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| Section 29. | Benefits of this Amendment | 31 | ||
| Section 30. | Severability | 31 | ||
| Section 31. | Governing Law | 32 | ||
| Section 32. | Counterparts | 32 | ||
| Section 33. | Descriptive Headings | 32 | ||
EXHIBITS
| Exhibit A | Form of Articles of Amendment | |
| Exhibit B | Form of Right Certificate | |
| Exhibit C | Form of Summary of Rights |
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AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the “Amendment”), dated as of September 1, 1999, between Flow International Corporation, a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., a New Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company and First Interstate Bank, Ltd. (the predecessor in interest to the Rights Agent) are parties to a certain Rights Agreement dated as of June 7, 1990 (the “Agreement”).
WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have heretofore entered into a Rights Agreement dated as of June 7, 1990 (as amended; the “Agreement”). In connection therewith, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one common share purchase right (the “Original Right”) for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the close of business on June 7, 1990 (the “Record Date”), and the Board of Directors further authorized and directed the issuance of one Original Right (subject to adjustment) with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms were defined in the Agreement), with each Original Right having the rights assigned to it under the Agreement. Pursuant to Section 27 of the Original Rights Agreement, the parties hereto hereby amend and restate the Original Rights Agreement to read in its entirety in the form hereof. The Board of Directors of the Company has approved the amendment and restatement such that as of September 1, 1999, each Original Right shall be deemed to be a common share purchase right (a “Right”) having the rights assigned to it pursuant to this Amendment. As used herein the term “adoption of this Amendment” shall refer to the adoption of the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement and the term “after the date of this Agreement” or “after the date hereof shall mean after September 1, 1999. The Board of Directors has also authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may be adjusted hereafter pursuant to the terms of this Agreement) with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the date of this Agreement and the earliest to occur of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined). Each Right shall represent the right to purchase one share of Common Stock.
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AGREEMENT
In consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions.
For purposes of this Amendment, the following terms have the meaning indicated:
“Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock then outstanding other than as a result of a Permitted Offer, but shall not include any Exempt Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an “Acquiring Person” as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, increase the number of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by such Person above the number of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by such Person at the time of the last such share purchase by the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person”, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Amendment.
“Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as in effect on the date of this Amendment.
A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, shall be deemed to have “Beneficial Ownership” of and shall be deemed 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 Amendment;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (1) 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, (2) securities which such Person has a right to acquire on the exercise of Rights at any time prior to the time a Person
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becomes an Acquiring Person, or (3) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the time a Person becomes an Acquiring Person if such Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof (“original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) or Section 11(n) with respect to an adjustment to original Rights; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security by reason of such agreement, arrangement or understanding if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to subparagraph (ii)(B) above) or disposing of any securities of the Company.
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking or trust institutions in the State of Washington, or the State in which the principal office of the Rights Agent is located, are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
“close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Seattle time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Seattle time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
“Common Stock” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the common stock, $.01 par value, of the Company. “Common Stock” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or, in the case of an unincorporated entity, the equivalent equity interest) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.
“Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.
“Exempt Person” shall mean (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter denned) of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, and (iv) any entity or trustee holding Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or funding other employee benefits for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.
“Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
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“Nasdaq Stock Market” shall mean the stock market operated by The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
“Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.
“Permitted Offer” shall mean a tender offer or an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company at a price and on terms determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, after receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms, to be (a) fair to shareholders (taking into account all factors which the Board of Directors deems relevant) and (b) otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and which the Board of Directors determines to recommend to the shareholders of the Company.
“Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of a Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the form of Articles of Amendment attached to this Amendment as Exhibit A.
“Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such or such earner date as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person.
“Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, and any corporation or other entity that is otherwise controlled by such Person.
“Threshold Percentage” shall mean 10%.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.
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Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.
(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement by any Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of such Person (other than an Exempt Person) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming, or after the consummation of which any Person would be, an Acquiring Person (including any such date which is after the date of this Amendment and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (1) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof and not by separate Right Certificates, and (2) the Rights and the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will promptly notify the Rights Agent thereof, will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent, if requested and provided with a shareholder list by the transfer agent of the Common Stock, will send) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) for each share of Common Stock so held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) On the Record Date, the date of this Amendment, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”)* by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof. Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date, also shall constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby.
(c) Certificates issued for Common Stock (including, without limitation, upon transfer of outstanding Common Stock, disposition of Common Stock out of treasury stock or issuance or reissuance of Common Stock out of authorized but unissued shares) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption 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 hereof to certain rights as set forth in a an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of September 1, 1999, between Flow International Corporation and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., may be amended from time to time (the “Rights Agreement”), the
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terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Flow International Corporation. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Flow International Corporation will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights owned by or issued or transferred to any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and certain transferees thereof may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate, except as otherwise provided herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.
Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), the omission of a legend shall not affect the enforceability of any part of this Amendment or the rights of any holder of the Rights.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates.
The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and which do not increase the duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Amendment, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of the Nasdaq Stock Market or of any other stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Sections 11 and 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President, any of its Vice Presidents or its Treasurer either manually or by facsimile signature and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
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Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the Person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Amendment any such Person was not such an officer.
(b) Following the Distribution Date and receipt by the Rights Agent of the list of record holders of the Rights, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 11(a)(ii) and 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under this Section unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, at any time after the Distribution Date and prior to the close of business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
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incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in part upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at any time which is both after the Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of (i) the close of business on September 1, 2009 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”) or (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $45.00, shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 7.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the Preferred Shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or governmental charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof, in cash or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) requisition from (A) any transfer agent for the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of shares of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) the Company or the depositary agent, as the case may be, scrip or depositary receipts representing interests in such number of Preferred Shares as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) promptly after receipt of such certificates, scrip or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iii) when appropriate, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the exercisable Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by
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the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment or election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof as the Company or Rights Agent shall reasonably request.
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 canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Amendment. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all canceled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares (to the extent available and subject to Section 11(a)(iii) herein) that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.
(b) At such time, if any, as the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable (but only to the extent that the Board of Directors determines that it is reasonably likely that the Rights will be exercised), all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or listed on any other exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(c) The Company may prepare and file, as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (i) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (ii) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
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requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities or (B) the Final Expiration Date. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed 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 provide promptly a copy of all such announcements to the Rights Agent. Notwithstanding any provision of this Amendment to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until a registration statement under the Securities Act (if required) shall have been declared effective.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (and, following the time that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, other securities, as the case may be) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates therefor (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares (or other securities) 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 or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares (or other securities) in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates, scrip or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares (or other securities) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by that holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date.
Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company are dosed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which
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the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends or other distributions, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares and Number of Rights.
The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.
(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Amendment (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Share transfer books of the Company were open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii), the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(ii) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(ii) Subject to Section 24 and except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)(ii), in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Amendment, and, in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company’s Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event. Notwithstanding anything in this Amendment to the contrary, however, from and after the time (the “invalidation time”) when any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are beneficially owned by (C) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (D) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the invalidation time or (E) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee prior to or concurrently with the invalidation time pursuant to either
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(1) a transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (2) a transfer which the Board of Directors has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall be null and void without any further action and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of this Amendment. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) 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 its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after the invalidation time, no Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph (and of which the Rights Agent has been notified) shall be canceled. From and after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 13(a) hereof, any Rights that theretofore have not been exercised pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii) shall thereafter be exercisable only in accordance with Section 13 and not pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exercise of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall substitute, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights (other than the Rights), options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Common Stock (“preferred share equivalents”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or preferred share equivalents at a price per Preferred Share or preferred share equivalent (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or preferred share equivalents) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares and preferred share equivalents outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares and preferred share equivalents which the aggregate offering price of the total number of
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Preferred Shares and/or preferred share equivalents so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares and preferred share equivalents outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or preferred share equivalents to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares and preferred share equivalents owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, 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 such record date had not been fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share, and the denominator of which shall be such current per Preferred Share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof), Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to but not including such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after but not including the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the
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current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day shall be the last gale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported by the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the Nasdaq Stock Market or the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Stock is not publicly traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.
For the purposes of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in this Section 11(d). If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to this Section 11(d) (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Bights Agent.
(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any share or 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 requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than the Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other
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shares so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a) through (c) and 11(h) hereof, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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), subject to the provisions of Sections 11(a) and 13, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (A) the number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to such adjustment by (B) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (and promptly deliver a copy of such announcement 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 day 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 may, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and
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countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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 one one-hundredth of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Shares or other shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares or other such shares 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 (and shall provide the Rights Agent with notice of such election) to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash or Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares Stock shall not be taxable to such shareholders.
(n) Anything in this Amendment to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that at any time after the date of this Amendment and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in any such case, (i) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable
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immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and (ii) each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under Section 11(a)(ii) and this Section 11(n), the adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be in addition and prior to any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).
(o) The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, unless such action is approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 or 13 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts and computation accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock or the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof (if so required under Section 25 hereof). The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained and shall neither have any duty with respect to nor be deemed to have knowledge of any such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earnings Power.
(a) In the event, directly or indirectly, at any time after any Person has become an Acquiring Person, (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into any other Person and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger; (ii) any Person shall consolidate with the Company, or any Person shall merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the Common Stock shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or of the Company) or cash or any other property; (iii) the Company shall effect a statutory share exchange with the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company being exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person, cash or property, or (iv) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person (other than the Company or one or more of its wholly owned Subsidiaries); or, if
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upon the consummation of any of the events set forth in the preceding clauses (i) through (iv) there is an Acquiring Person, then upon the first occurrence of any such event (a “Section 13 Event”), proper provision shall be made so that: (1) each holder of record of a Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Amendment and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and freely tradable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party (as defined herein) not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event and (B) dividing that product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Stock of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; provided, however, that the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party issuable upon exercise of each Right shall be further adjusted as provided in Section 11(f) of this Amendment to reflect any events occurring in respect of such Principal Party after the date of such Section 13 Event; (2) such Principal Party shall thereafter, be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Amendment; (3) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party; and (4) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the shares of its Common Stock thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights, provided that, upon the subsequent occurrence of any consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets or other extraordinary transaction in respect of such Principal Party, each holder of a Right shall thereupon be entitled to receive, upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price as provided in this Section 13 (a), such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property which such holder would have been entitled to receive had such holder, at the time of such transaction, owned the Common Stock of the Principal Party receivable upon the exercise of a Right pursuant to this Section 13 (a), and such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, reservation of shares of stock) as may be necessary to permit the subsequent exercise of the Rights in accordance with the terms hereof for such cash, shares, rights, warrants and other property.
(b) “Principal Party” shall mean
(i) in the case of any transaction described in (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof: (A) the Person that is the issuer of the securities into which the shares of Common Stock of the Company are converted in such merger, consolidation or exchange, or, if there is more than one such issuer, the issuer the shares of Common Stock of which have the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding, or (B) if no securities are so issued, (1) the Person that is the other party to the merger, if such Person survives said merger, or, if there is more than one such Person, the Person the shares of Common Stock of which have
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the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding or (2) if the Person that is the other party to the merger does not survive the merger, the Person that does survive the merger (including the Company if it survives) or (3) the Person resulting from the consolidation; and
(ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (iv) of the first sentence in Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions, or, if each Person that is a party to such transaction or transactions receives the same portion of the assets or earning power so transferred or if the Person receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power cannot be determined, whichever of such Persons as is the issuer of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value of shares outstanding; provided, however, that in any such case described in the foregoing clause (b)(i) or (b)(ii), (1) if the Common Stock of such Person is not at such time or has not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and if such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which is and has been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person, or (2) if such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Stock of all of which is and has been so registered, the term “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market value, or (3) if such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the owners having an interest in the venture as if the Person owned by the joint venture was a Subsidiary of both or all of such joint venturers, and the Principal Party in each such case shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as its interest in such Person bears to the total of such interests.
(c) The Company shall not consummate any Section 13 Event unless prior thereto the Company and the Principal Party involved therein shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent an agreement confirming that the requirements of Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof shall promptly be performed in accordance with their terms and that such consolidation, merger, exchange, sale or transfer of assets shall not result in a default by the Principal Party under this Amendment as the same shall have been assumed by the Principal Party pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (b) hereof and providing that, as soon as practicable after executing such agreement pursuant to this Section 13, the Principal Party will:
(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act, if necessary, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the earlier of the close of business on the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, and similarly comply with applicable state securities laws;
(ii) use its best efforts, if the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall be listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or on a national securities exchange, to
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list or admit to trading (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on the Nasdaq Stock Market or such securities exchange or, if the Common Stock of the Principal Party shall not be listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or a national securities exchange, to cause the Rights and the securities receivable upon exercise of the Rights to be reported by such other system then in use;
(iii) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 (or any successor form) under the Exchange Act; and
(iv) obtain waivers of any rights of first refusal or preemptive rights in respect of the Common Stock of the Principal Party subject to purchase upon exercise of outstanding Rights.
(d) In case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a transaction referred to in this Section 13 has a provision in any of its authorized securities or in its articles or certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13), in connection with, or as a consequence of the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than the then current market price per share thereof (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Stock of such Principal Party at less than such then current market price, or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provision in connection with the issuance of the Common Stock of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13, then, in such event, the Company hereby agrees with each holder of Rights that it shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been canceled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.
(e) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after a Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, enter into any transaction of the type contemplated by clauses (i) - (iv) of Section 13(a) hereof if (i) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger, exchange, sale, transfer or other transaction there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights, (ii) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger, sale, transfer of other transaction, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the Principal Party for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates or Associates or (iii) the form or nature of organization of the Principal Party would preclude or limit the exercisability of the Rights.
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(f) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers, consolidations, statutory share exchanges or sale or other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share 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, or by scrip; provided, however, that (i) if the Company issues such scrip, then such scrip shall not confer upon the holder any voting or other rights of a shareholder of the Company, but the Company shall from time to time, upon demand of any holder of such scrip and the surrender of scrip for fractional Preferred Shares aggregating one whole Preferred Share, issue one whole Preferred Share to such holder and (ii) if the Company issues depositary receipts pursuant to any such agreement, such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the purposes of this
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Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
Section 15. Rights of Action.
All rights of action in respect of this Amendment, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), on his own behalf and for his own benefit, may enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided therein and in this Amendment. 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 Amendment and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Amendment.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders.
Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the 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 Certificates or the Common Stock certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
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Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.
No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any 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 this Amendment), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(a) The Company agrees to pay in a timely manner to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, administration, execution and any amendment of this Amendment and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, which shall include, but not be limited to, reasonable compensation for services rendered by officers and employees of the Rights Agent which are in addition to the ministerial and administrative services performed by the Rights Agent under this Amendment. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent, its officers, employees, agents and directors for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Amendment, including without limitation the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly against the Rights Agent, its officers, employees, agents and directors. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.
(b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected by the Company and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its acceptance and administration of this Amendment in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares (or for scrip or depositary receipts evidencing fractional interests in Preferred Shares) or Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have notice of any action or event unless such notice was given as provided above.
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Section 19. 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 stock transfer or corporate trust powers of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Amendment without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Amendment, 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 Amendment.
(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 Right Certificates so countersigned; and in cue 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 Amendment.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent undertakes only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Amendment 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 of its choice (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 Amendment 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 any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the
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Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full 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 Amendment in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Amendment 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 Amendment or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Amendment or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any transfer to an Acquiring Person (unless the Company has delivered written notice of such Acquiring Person prior to such transfer) or any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 and 24, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 12, describing such change or 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 Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Amendment or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or other securities 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 Amendment.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any person reasonably believed by the Rights Agent to be one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.
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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 Rights Agent under this Amendment. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person or legal entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(j) 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 not been completed to certify the holder is not an Acquiring Person (or an Affiliate or Associate thereof), the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.
The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Amendment upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and, following the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by United States mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent 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 Common Stock by registered or certified mail, and following the Distribution Date, to the holders of the Right Certificates by United States mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be either (a) a corporation or other entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or the State of Washington or New York (or of any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business in the State of Washington or New York), in good standing, having an office or depositary drop in the State of Washington or New York, which is authorized to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has or is a subsidiary of a corporation which has at the time of
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its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million, or (b) an Affiliate of a corporation or other entity described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock and Preferred Shares, and, following the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Amendment or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such forms as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Amendment. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii) under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii) upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a contractual obligation of the Company in each case existing prior to the Distribution Date, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.
Section 23. Redemption.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth day following the Stock Acquisition Date, subject to extension by the Board of Directors as provided in Section 27 hereof, or (ii) the close of business on the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.0001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (the redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the current market price of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at such later time as the Board of
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Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall promptly give public notice (including prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of any such redemption; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board of Directors may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.
Section 24. Exchange.
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof and subject to adjustment as set forth in clause (c) below (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than an Exempt Person), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of shares of Common Stock aggregating 50% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (and prompt notice thereof to the Rights Agent); 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 the Rights Agent and to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
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(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company may, in its discretion, take such action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event that the Company shall determine not to take such action or shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors, at its option shall (i) adjust the Exchange Ratio to permit the Company to use all of its issued but not outstanding and its authorized but unissued Common Stock to effectuate a full exchange of all of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights or (ii) substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.
(d) The Company shall not, in connection with any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i)) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(a) In case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares) or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or 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 or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect any statutory share exchange with the outstanding Common Stock of the Company being exchanged for stock or other securities of any other corporation or cash or other property, (vi) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or (vii) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which
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shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, 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 the Preferred Shares 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 the Common Stock and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any event described in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 shall occur then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring prior to the Distribution Date, the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 13 hereof.
Section 26. Notices.
Notices or demands authorized by this Amendment to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Flow International Corporation
23500 – 64th Avenue South
Kent, Washington 98032
Attention: Secretary
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Amendment to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.
Seattle Administration
520 Pike Street, Suite 1220
Seattle, Washington 98101
Attention: Ms. Ardis Dee Henderson
Notices or demands authorized by this Amendment to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
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Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.
The Company may from time to time supplement or amend this Amendment without the approval of the Rights Agent or any holders of Right Certificates in order (i) to extend the Final Expiration Date or, provided that at the time of such amendment no Person has become an Acquiring Person, the period during which the Rights may be redeemed, (ii) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions of this Amendment, (iii) prior to the time that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, to otherwise change or supplement any provision in this Amendment in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, or (iv) subject to clause (i) of this Section 27, from and after the time that any Person become an Acquiring Person, to otherwise change or supplement any provision in this Amendment in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the Rights Agent or holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company and, if requested by the Rights Agent, an opinion of counsel, which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment.
Section 28. Successors.
All the covenants and provisions of this Amendment by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Benefits of this Amendment.
Nothing in this Amendment 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 Common Stock) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Amendment; but this Amendment 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 Common Stock).
Section 30. Severability.
If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Amendment or applicable to this Amendment 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 Amendment shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. In the event the Amendment to the Original Rights is deemed to be invalid, this Amendment shall be deemed to create a new right (the “New Right”). Such New Rights shall be deemed to have been issued as set forth herein and shall possess all of the rights and preferences set forth herein.
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Section 31. Governing Law.
This Amendment and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Washington 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; provided, however, that the effect of any provision on the rights, duties and obligations of the Rights Agent shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. Counterparts.
This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings.
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Amendment are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
[the remainder of this page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ RONALD W. TARRANT | |
| Name: | Ronald W. Tarrant | |
| Title: | Chairman, President and CEO | |
| CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C. | ||
| By: | /s/ THOMAS L. COOPER | |
| Name: | Thomas L. Cooper | |
| Title: | Assistant Vice President | |
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Exhibit A
FORM
of
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
of
SERIES B JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Flow International Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Washington (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation:
Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), and the number of shares constituting the Series B Preferred Stock shall be 200,000. 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 B 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 B Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation and of any other junior 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 being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (i) $1 or (ii) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all noncash 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 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 B Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
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(by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) 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 B Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section 2 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 $1 per share on the Series B 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 B Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B 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 B 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 B Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which
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is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series B Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not: (i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock; (ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; (iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock; or (iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series B Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series B Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
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Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series B Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series B Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding
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sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Rank. The Series B Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series of any other class of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Amendment. The Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series B Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chairman of the Board and attested by its Secretary this 1st day of September, 1999
Chairman of the Board
Attest:
Secretary
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Exhibit B
Form of Right Certificate
| Certificate No. R- | Rights |
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AS $.0001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
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 Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of September 1, 1999 (the “Rights Agreement”), between Flow International Corporation, a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C. (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard time, on September 1, 2009, at the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid nonassessable share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company, at a purchase price of $45 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above and the Purchase Price as of September 1, 1999, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share 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.
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This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.0001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $.01 per share.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
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WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal. Dated as of the day of September, 1999.
| ATTEST: | FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | |||||||
| By: | ||||||||
| Name: | Ronald W. Tarrant | |||||||
| Title: | Chairman, President and CEO | |||||||
Countersigned;
| CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, L.L.C. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
| FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________________________________________________________ | ||
| hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _________________________________________________________________________ | ||
| _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | ||
| (Please print name and address of transferee.) | ||
| _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | ||
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.
Dated: , 1999.
| Signature |
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
| Signature |
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Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the Rights represented by the Right Certificate.)
| To: | FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION |
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number.
(Please print name and address.)
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to.
Please insert social security
or other identifying number.
(Please print name and address.)
Dated: , 19
| Signature |
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Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States.
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate - continued
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
| Signature |
NOTICE
The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
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Exhibit C
FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT AMENDMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT AMENDMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On June 7, 1990, the Board of Directors of Flow International Corporation (the “Company”) adopted a Preferred Share Purchase Rights Plan which was designated to maximize stockholder value, and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (the “Original Rights”) for each outstanding share of common stock, no par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). The Original Rights contain provisions to protect stockholders in the event of an unsolicited attempt to acquire the Company, including a gradual accumulation of shares in the open market, a partial or two-tier tender offer that does not treat all stockholders equally, or a squeeze-out merger and other abusive takeover tactics which the Board believes are not in the best interests of our stockholders.
By their terms, the Original Rights expire June 17, 2000. The term of the Original Rights has been extended, however, for another ten year period, expiring September 1, 2009 (the “Rights”). In addition, the Board has authorized other changes to the Original Rights. Such changes are set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement Amendment”) between the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, LLC, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) at a price of $45.00 per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. This amount differs from the initial “strike” price of $15.00 for the Original Right. The difference represents proportional increase in the Company’s common stock price over the past eight years and, in the opinion of the Board, represents the fair and proper price for which the Rights may be exercised.
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement or awareness by the Board of Directors that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) have acquired beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, other than pursuant to a Permitted Offer (as defined below) or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make., a tender offer or exchange offer the
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consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, other than pursuant to a Permitted Offer (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate. The Original Rights provided for a 20% threshold as opposed to a 10% threshold for the Right. The Board of Directors feels that because of the Company’s current capitalization (and lack of large shareholder), it is reasonable to allow the Board to take action at the 10% level.
A “Permitted Offer” is a tender offer or an exchange offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company at a price and on terms determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, after receiving advice from one or more investment banking firms, to be (i) fair to shareholders (taking into account all factors which the Board of Directors deems relevant) and (ii) otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and which the Board of Directors determines to recommend to the shareholders of the Company.
The Rights Agreement Amendment provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuances of Common Stock will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement Amendment by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire on September 1, 2009 (the “Final Expiration Date”) unless the Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a price, or securities convertible into Preferred Stock with a conversion price, less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above). With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in the Purchase Price.
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No fraction of a share of Preferred Stock (other than fractions in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share) will be issued and, in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be nude based on the closing price on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Stock or a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 per share but will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per share of Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, the holder of shares of Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $100.00 per share but will entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per share of Common Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock will have 100 votes, voting together with the shares of Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of Common Stock are exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per share of Common Stock. These rights are subject to adjustment in the event of a stock dividend on the shares of Common Stock or a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the shares of Common Stock.
In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right at the then current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, such number or fraction of shares of Preferred Stock equivalent in value to such number of shares of Common Stock) having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
In the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person, the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person which will have become void) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise of the Right at the then current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of the person with whom the Company has engaged in the foregoing transaction which number of shares at the time of such transaction will have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the occurrence of an event described in the prior paragraph, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will
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have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock par Right (subject to adjustment).
At any time prior to the close of business on the day 10 days after an Acquiring Person becomes such, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.0001 per Right (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any 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 the Redemption Price.
For so long as no person has become an Acquiring Person, the Company may amend the Rights in any manner. After a person has become an Acquiring Person, the Company may amend the Rights in any manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
A copy of the Rights Agreement Amendment has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Rights Agreement Amendment is available free of charge from the Company.
FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
23500 - 64th Avenue South
Kent, Washington 98032
Attn: Secretary
(253) 850-3500
This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement Amendment, as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO
AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This AMENDMENT NO. 1 (the “Amendment No. 1”) dated as of October 29, 2003, is to the AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of September 1, 1999, between Flow International Corporation, a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC (formerly known as ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.), a New Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company and First Interstate Bank, Ltd. (the predecessor in interest to the Rights Agent) are parties to a certain Rights Agreement dated as of June 7, 1990 (the “Original Rights Agreement”).
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the Original Rights Agreement, the Company and the Rights Agent have heretofore entered into an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of September 1, 1999 (as amended, the “Amendment”), whereby the parties hereto amended and restated the Original Rights Agreement to read in its entirety in the form of the Amendment.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the Amendment, the Company has determined that it is desirable to amend the Amendment as set forth herein, and the Rights Agent is willing to amend the Amendment as set forth herein.
AGREEMENT
In consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS.
The following defined terms are hereby amended and restated to read in their entirely as follows:
“ACQUIRING PERSON” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock then outstanding other than as a result of a Permitted Offer, but shall not include any Exempt Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an “ACQUIRING PERSON” as the result of an acquisition of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial
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Owner of the Threshold Percentage or more of the Common Stock of the Company then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, increase the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by such Person above the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company beneficially owned by such Person at the time of the last such share purchase by the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an “ACQUIRING PERSON.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that Person who would otherwise be an “ACQUIRING PERSON,” as defined pursuant to the preceding sentences of this definition, has become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “ACQUIRING PERSON”, as defined pursuant to the preceding sentences of this definition, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “ACQUIRING PERSON” for any purposes of this Amendment or (2) if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that Person who would otherwise be an “ACQUIRING PERSON,” as defined pursuant to the preceding sentences of this definition, has become such inadvertently, and such Person (a) prior to the applicable Distribution Date enters into a standstill agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Company and (b) agrees to divest a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an “ACQUIRING PERSON”, as defined pursuant to the preceding sentences of this definition within no more than one year from the date of such agreement, then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “ACQUIRING PERSON” for any purposes of this Amendment; PROVIDED that such person shall become an “ACQUIRING PERSON” if such Person (x) materially breaches such standstill agreement (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) and either (i) such breach is not waived in writing by the Company or (ii) such Person fails to cure such breach within five Business Days after receipt of notice of such breach from the Company or (y) fails to divest such Common Stock within the time period agreed.
“STOCK ACQUISITION DATE” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such or such earlier date as a majority of the Board of Directors shall become aware of the existence of an Acquiring Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the “STOCK ACQUISITION DATE” with respect to a Person who would have been an “ACQUIRING PERSON” but for the application of clause (2) of the last sentence of the definition of “ACQUIRING PERSON” shall be deemed to be (x) the day immediately following the end of the five Business Day cure period specified in subclause (x) of clause (2) of the last sentence of the definition of “ACQUIRING PERSON” in the event such breach has not been waived in writing by the Company or such Person shall have failed to cure such breach or (y) the last day of the time period agreed with the Company for such Person to divest Common Stock if such Person shall have failed to divest such stock pursuant to subclause (y) of clause (2) of the last sentence of the definition of “ACQUIRING PERSON”.
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SECTION 2. FULL FORCE AND EFFECT.
Except as amended hereby, the Amendment shall remain unchanged and shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 3. COUNTERPARTS.
This Amendment No. 1 may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 4. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS.
Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Amendment No. 1 are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment No. 1 to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ STEPHEN R. LIGHT | |
| Name: | Stephen R. Light | |
| Title: | President and CEO | |
| MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Amendment No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of October 19, 2004 (this “Amendment”), is entered into by and between Flow International Corporation, a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC (formerly known as ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.), a New Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent are party to that certain Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of September 1, 1999, as amended as of October 29, 2003 (as so amended, the “Rights Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company has approved and adopted this Amendment at a meeting of the directors duly called and held; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to and in accordance with Section 27 of the Rights Agreement, the parties desire to further amend the Rights Agreement as set forth in this Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreement set forth herein and in the Rights Agreement, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Amendment. Each of the following sections of the Rights Agreement are hereby amended such that each reference to 10% in such section shall be changed to 15%:
(a) the definition of “Threshold Percentage” in Section 1 of the Rights Agreement; and
(b) page one and page two of Exhibit C to the Rights Agreement.
2. Full Force and Effect. Except as amended hereby, the Rights Agreement shall remain unchanged and shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of any conflict between this Amendment and the Rights Agreement or any part of either of them, the terms of this Amendment shall control.
3. Counterparts. This Amendment 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.
4. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Amendment are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment No. 2 to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ STEPHEN D. REICHENBACH | |
| Name: | Stephen D. Reichenbach | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ THOMAS L. COOPER | |
| Name: | Thomas L. Cooper | |
| Title: | Client Services Manager | |
