AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT dated as of January 4, 2008 between HAWK CORPORATION and NATIONAL CITY BANK, as Rights Agent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of January 4, 2008 (the “Agreement”), is made and entered into between HAWK CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and NATIONAL CITY BANK, as Rights Agent (the “RightsAgent”).

WHEREAS, on November 13, 1997, the Board of Directors of the Company (i) authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at the close of business on January 16, 1998 (the “EffectiveDate”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Series E Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 par value, of the Company, having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in that certain Rights Agreement between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company (the “OriginalRightsAgent”) dated as of January 16, 1998 (the “OriginalAgreement”), and (ii) authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Effective Date and the Distribution Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined) and, subject to the provisions of Section 22 of this Agreement, with respect to Common Shares that shall become outstanding after the Distribution Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date;

WHEREAS, the Rights Agent succeeded the Original Rights Agent as rights agent under the Original Agreement on December 13, 2000; and

WHEREAS, on December 13, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company reviewed the Original Agreement and certain other materials relating to stockholder rights plans and, in accordance with Section 27(b) of the Original Agreement, a majority of the Disinterested Directors (as defined in the Original Agreement) authorized the Company to amend and restate the Original Agreement as set forth herein;

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

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

(a)            “AcquiringPerson” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Class A Common Shares (other than as a result of a Permitted Offer (as hereinafter defined)) or was such a Beneficial Owner at any time after the date hereof, whether or not such Person continues to be the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Class A Common Shares, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock ownership plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any person organized, appointed or established by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.  In any case, an Exempt Person (as such term is hereinafter defined), so long as such Person remains an Exempt Person, is not an Acquiring Person and an acquisition of Class A Common Shares by an Exempt Person is not a Triggering Event, so long as such acquisition is an Exempt Event.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Person shall become an “AcquiringPerson:”  (i) as the result of an acquisition of Class A Common Shares by the Company that, by reducing the number of shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Class A Common Shares then outstanding; (ii) as the result of such Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Class A Common Shares then outstanding as determined above solely as a result of an Exempt Event; provided, however, that if a Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Class A Common Shares then outstanding by reason of such a share acquisition by the Company or the occurrence of such an Exempt Event and such Person shall, after becoming the Beneficial Owner of any such Class A Common Shares, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Class A Common Shares by any means whatsoever (other than as a result of the subsequent occurrence of an Exempt Event, a share acquisition by the Company, a stock dividend or a subdivision of the Class A Common Shares into a larger number of shares or a similar transaction), then such Person shall be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person;” or (iii) if (A) within five Business Days after such Person would otherwise have become an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of this subclause (iii)), such Person notifies the Board of Directors that such Person did so inadvertently, and (B) within two Business Days after such notification (or such greater period of time as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors, but in no event greater than five Business Days), such Person divests itself of a sufficient number of Class A Common Shares so that such Person is the Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the outstanding Class A Common Shares.

(b)            “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(c)            “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that, for purposes of this Agreement, the terms “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall not include any Person that is an Exempt Person.

(d)            A Person shall be deemed the “BeneficialOwner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficiallyown,” any securities:

(i)            that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly;

(ii)            that such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right or obligation to acquire (whether such right or obligation is exercisable or effective immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; 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 if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); and providedfurther, that prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, a Person shall not be deemed to be the “Beneficial Owner” of or to “beneficially own” securities issuable upon exercise of the Rights; or

(iii)                       that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) relating to the acquisition, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section l(d)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company.

Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to the contrary, (x) the phrase “thenoutstanding,” when used with reference to a Person’s Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company, shall mean the number of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person would be deemed to own beneficially hereunder, and (y) no Person is to be deemed a “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities owned by any other Person that is an Exempt Person.

(e)            “BusinessDay” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, federal holiday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Ohio are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

(f)            “CloseofBusiness” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

(g)            “ClassACommonShares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean shares of the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.

(h)            “ClassBCommonShares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean shares of the Class B Non-Voting Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.

(i)            “CommonShares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock.  “CommonShares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or 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.

(j)            “DistributionDate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3 hereof.

(k)            “ExchangeAct” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(l)            “ExemptEvent” shall mean (i) the acquisition of additional Common Shares by an Exempt Person, so long as such Person does not cease to be an Exempt Person under Section 1(n), or (ii) with respect to any Person, the acquisition by such Person of Beneficial Ownership of Class A Common Shares solely as a result of the occurrence of a Triggering Event and the effect of such Triggering Event on the last proviso of Section 1(d)(ii), other than a Triggering Event in which such Person becomes an Acquiring Person.

(m)                       “ExemptPerson” shall mean:  (i) the Company; (ii) any Subsidiary; (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary; (iv) any Person holding Common Shares for any such employee benefit plan or for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of such employee benefit plan; (v) Norman C. Harbert, his spouse or issue, any trust of which Mr. Harbert and/or his spouse is the grantor of or of which Mr. Harbert, his spouse, his issue or any charity is a beneficiary, the Harbert Family Limited Partnership, an Ohio limited partnership, and any Person controlled, directly or indirectly, by Mr. Harbert; and (vi) Ronald E. Weinberg, his spouse or issue, any trust of which Mr. Weinberg and/or his spouse is the grantor of or of which Mr. Weinberg, his spouse, his issue or any charity is a beneficiary, the Weinberg Family Limited Partnership, an Ohio limited partnership, and any Person controlled, directly or indirectly, by Mr. Weinberg; provided, however, that an Exempt Person shall cease to be an Exempt Person at the time that all or any part of such Exempt Person’s interest in the Common Shares becomes reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report) as part of a “group” (as that term is used in Rule 13d-5(b) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, or any successor provision) that beneficially owns 15% or more of the then outstanding Class A Common Shares and includes one or more Persons (including any Affiliate or Associate thereof) who are not Exempt Persons and who individually or in the aggregate beneficially own in excess of 1% of the then outstanding Class A Common Shares (other than any group that may arise solely because of the Stockholders’ Voting Agreement, dated November 22, 1996, by and among Norman C. Harbert, the Harbert Family Limited Partnership, Ronald E. Weinberg, the Weinberg Family Limited Partnership, Byron S. Krantz, the Krantz Family Limited Partnership and the Company, as may be amended from time to time).

(n)            “FinalExpirationDate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.

(o)            “InterestedStockholder” shall mean any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person or any other Person in which any such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate has an interest which represents in excess of 5% of the total combined economic or voting power of such Person, or any other Person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of, or in concert with, any such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate.

(p)            “NASDAQ” shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System.

(q)            “PermittedOffer” shall mean a tender or exchange offer for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms determined, prior to the purchase of shares under such tender or exchange offer, by the Board of Directors to be adequate (taking into account all factors that such directors deem relevant) and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders (other than the Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof on whose behalf the offer is being made) taking into account all factors that such directors may deem relevant.

(r)            “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, association, joint venture or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

(s)            “PreferredShares” shall mean the Series E Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company, having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation attached hereto as Exhibit A.

(t)            “PurchasePrice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) hereof, subject to adjustment as set forth in Section 7(b) hereof.

(u)            “RedemptionDate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

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

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

(x)            “SharesAcquisitionDate” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such; provided, that if such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring Person pursuant to Section 1(a) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be deemed to have occurred.

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

(z)            “TriggeringEvent” shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or any Section 13 Event.

Section 2.                                 Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of Common Shares) 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.  In the event the Company appoints one or more Co-Rights Agents, the respective duties of the Rights Agents and any Co-Rights Agents shall be as the Company shall determine.  The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event be liable for, the acts of any such co-Rights Agent.

Section 3.                                 Issue of Rights Certificates.

(a)            Until the earlier of (i) the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the close of business on the tenth day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Company’s Board of Directors) after the date of the commencement by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock ownership plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan or employee stock ownership plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to commence (which intention to commence remains in effect for five Business Days after such announcement), a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person (including, in the case of both (i) and (ii), any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights), the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “DistributionDate,” (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate Rights Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Rights Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying Common Shares (including a transfer to the Company); provided, however, that if a tender offer is terminated prior to the occurrence of a Distribution Date, then no Distribution Date shall occur as a result of such tender offer.  As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “RightsCertificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held.  As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

(b)            As promptly as practicable following the Effective Date, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Series E Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “SummaryofRights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Effective Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.  With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Effective Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto.  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 Shares outstanding on the Effective Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares.  As a result of the execution of the Original Agreement, each Common Share outstanding as of the Close of Business on January 16, 1998 shall, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, also represent one Right and shall, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, represent the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock.

(c)            Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Effective Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights and shall bear the following legend:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Hawk Corporation and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as Rights Agent, dated as of January 16, 1998 (the “RightsAgreement”), as amended from time to time, the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Hawk 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.  Hawk Corporation will mail to the holder of this certificate a summary of the Rights Agreement (as in effect on the date of mailing) without charge promptly after receipt of a written request therefor.  Under certain circumstances, Rights that are or were beneficially owned by Acquiring Persons or their Affiliates or Associates (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) and any subsequent holder of such Rights may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.  In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the Effective Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.

Section 4.                                 Form of Rights Certificate.

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

(b)            Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights which are null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) of this Agreement, any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, and any Rights Certificate transferred pursuant to a plan, arrangement or understanding that the Board of Directors has determined is part of or has, as a primary purpose or effect, the avoidance of Section 7(e) shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

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

The provisions of Section 7(e) of this Rights Agreement shall be operative whether or not the foregoing legend is contained on any such Rights Certificate.

Section 5.                                 Countersignature and Registration.  The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Vice-Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.  The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned.  In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.

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

Section 6.                                 Transfer, Split-Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.  Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, other securities, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase.  Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.  Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.  Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split-up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

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

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

(a)            Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the appropriate form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the total number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or other securities, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the close of business on January 4, 2018 (the “FinalExpirationDate”), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “RedemptionDate”), (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, or (iv) the consummation of a transaction contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof.

(b)            The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $70.00, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in the next sentence and in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that, at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case, each Common Share outstanding following such subdivision, combination or consolidation shall continue to have a Right associated therewith and the Purchase Price following any such event shall be proportionately adjusted to equal the result obtained by multiplying the Purchase Price immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event. The adjustment provided for in the preceding sentence shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.

(c)            Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the appropriate form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the Preferred Shares (or other securities, as the case may be) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 6 hereof by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k), thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent) certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have elected to deposit the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder into a depositary, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share 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 will direct the depositary agent to comply with such requests, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate.  In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of the Company pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

In addition, in the case of an exercise of the Rights by a holder pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), the Rights Agent shall return such Rights Certificate to the registered holder thereof after imprinting, stamping or otherwise indicating thereon that the rights represented by such Rights Certificate no longer include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement and if less than all the Rights represented by such Rights Certificate were so exercised, the Rights Agent shall indicate on the Rights Certificate the number of Rights represented thereby which continue to include the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii).

(d)            In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise (except pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, or the Rights Agent shall place an appropriate notation on the Rights Certificate with respect to those Rights exercised.

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

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

(g)            On a date no later than January 4, 2011, and at least once prior to each successive three year anniversary of that date, a committee composed of non-management members of the Board of Directors who have been determined by the Board of Directors to be “independent directors” in accordance with the American Stock Exchange listing standards (the “TIDECommittee”) shall meet to review the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including whether the termination or modification of this Agreement is in the best interests of the Company, its stockholders and any other relevant constituencies of the Company.  Following each meeting, the TIDE Committee shall communicate its conclusions to the full Board of Directors, including any recommendation based on its review as to whether this Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be terminated.  The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of any such recommendations adopted by the Board of Directors promptly after any such action is taken by the Board of Directors.  The TIDE Committee, when reviewing the terms and conditions of this Agreement, shall have the power and authority (i) to set its own agenda and to retain at the expense of the Company such legal counsel, investment bankers and other advisors as it deems appropriate in order to assist it to carry out its foregoing responsibilities under this Agreement, and (ii) to review all information of the Company and consider all factors it deems relevant to any such review.

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

Section 9.                                 Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.  The Company covenants and agrees that at all times prior to the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares, or any authorized and issued Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights and, after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, shall, to the extent reasonably practicable, so reserve and keep available a sufficient number of Common Shares (and/or other securities) which may be required to permit the exercise in full of the Rights pursuant to this Agreement.

So long as the Preferred Shares (and, after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, Common Shares or any other securities) issuable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares (or other securities) reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares or other securities (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and non-assessable shares or securities.

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

The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the Shares Acquisition Date (or, if required by law, at such earlier time following the Distribution Date as so required), a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder) until the date of the expiration of the rights provided by Section 11(a)(ii).  The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under the blue sky laws of the various states.

Section 10.                                 Preferred Shares Record Date.  Each person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open.

Section 11.                                 Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights.  The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

(a)            (i)            In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares or (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) and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of 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 Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.  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)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii).

(ii)            In the event that any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, shall become an Acquiring Person, then proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall, for a period of 60 days after the later of the occurrence of any such event or the effective date of an appropriate registration statement under the Act pursuant to Section 9 hereof, have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of Class A or Class B Common Shares, as the case may be (or, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share), as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company’s Class A Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares being referred to as the “AdjustmentShares”); provided, however, that if the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is also subject to the provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions of Section 13 hereof shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).  Holders of Class B Common Shares that exercise Rights associated with such Class B Common Shares in accordance with this Section 11(a)(ii) shall only be entitled to receive Class B Common Shares upon such exercise.

(iii)                       In the event that there shall not be sufficient treasury shares or authorized but unissued (and unreserved) Common Shares to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) and the Rights become so exercisable (and the Board of Directors has determined to make the Rights exercisable into fractions of a Preferred Share), notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent necessary and permitted by applicable law, each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, (x) a number of (or fractions of) Common Shares (up to the maximum number of Common Shares which may permissibly be issued) and (y) one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share or a number of (or fractions of) other equity securities of the Company (or, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, debt) which the Board of Directors has determined to have the same aggregate current market value (determined pursuant to Sections 11(d)(i) and (ii) hereof, to the extent applicable) as one Common Share (such number of, or fractions of, Preferred Shares (or other equity securities or debt of the Company) being referred to as a “capitalstockequivalent”), equal in the aggregate to the number of Adjustment Shares; provided, however, if sufficient Common Shares and/or capital stock equivalents are unavailable, then the Company shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares or capital stock equivalents for issuance upon exercise of the Rights, including the calling of a meeting of stockholders; and provided, further, that if the Company is unable to cause sufficient Common Shares and/or capital stock equivalents to be available for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, then each Right shall thereafter represent the right to receive the Adjusted Number of Shares upon exercise at the Adjusted Purchase Price (as such terms are hereinafter defined).  As used herein, the term “AdjustedNumberofShares” shall be equal to that number of (or fractions of) Common Shares (and/or capital stock equivalents) equal to the product of (x) the number of Adjustment Shares and (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares (and/or capital stock equivalents) available for issuance upon exercise of the Rights and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Adjustment Shares otherwise issuable upon exercise in full of all Rights (assuming there were a sufficient number of Common Shares available) (such fraction being referred to as the “ProrationFactor”).  The “AdjustedPurchasePrice” shall mean the product of the Purchase Price and the Proration Factor.  The Board of Directors may, but shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive Common Shares and capital stock equivalents upon exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights.

(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 and privileges as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as 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 outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current per share market price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon the exercise of one Right.  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 determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent.  Preferred Shares 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 (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of the Preferred Shares on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by a the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on 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 share market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right.  Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d)            (i)            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)(i)) 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 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 the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current 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 sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the 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 NASDAQ, such other exchange or market 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 a majority of members of the Board of Directors.  If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Security, the fair value of the Security on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors or by an independent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors.  The term “TradingDay” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.  Subject to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof, if any Security is not publicly held or so listed or traded, the “current per share market price” of such Security shall mean the fair market value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors or by an independent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent.

(ii)            For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “currentpersharemarketprice” of the Preferred Shares (or one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i).  If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “currentpersharemarketprice” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Class A Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one thousand.  If neither the Class A Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “currentpersharemarketprice” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors or by an independent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent.

(e)            Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 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-thousandth of a Preferred Share, or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security, as the case may be.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment or (ii) the Final Expiration Date.

(f)            If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) 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 Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any 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 Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 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-thousandths 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) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and 11(c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of Preferred Shares covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment of the Purchase Price by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

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

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

(k)            Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities 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 such number of fully paid and non-assessable one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(1)            In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share, Common Shares or other securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon 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 to the contrary in this Section 11 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 (i) any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv) stock dividends, or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

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

(o)            The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action the purpose of which is to, or if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that the effect of such action is to, materially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

(p)            The exercise of rights under Section 11(a)(ii) shall only result in the loss of rights under Section 11(a)(ii) to the extent so exercised and shall not otherwise affect the rights represented by the Rights under this Rights Agreement, including the rights represented by Section 13.

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 accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment therein contained.

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

(a)            In the event that, on or following the Shares Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any Interested Stockholder, or if in such merger or consolidation all holders of Common Shares are not treated alike, (y) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with, any Interested Stockholder or, if in such merger or consolidation all holders of Common Shares are not treated alike, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger (other than, in a case of any transaction described in (x) or (y), a merger or consolidation which would result in all of the securities generally entitled to vote in the election of directors (“votingsecurities”) of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into securities of the surviving entity) all of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and the holders of such securities not having changed as a result of such merger or consolidation), or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Interested Stockholder or Persons or, if in such transaction all holders of Common Shares are not treated alike (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which does not violate Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as provided in Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of freely tradable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable (without taking into account any adjustment previously made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)) hereof and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; and (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.

(b)            “PrincipalParty” shall mean (i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation (including, if applicable, the Company if it is the surviving corporation); and (ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions; provided, however, that in any of the foregoing cases:  (A) if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding twelve month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, “PrincipalParty” shall refer to such other Person; (B) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value; and (C) in case such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in clauses (A) and (B) above shall apply to each of the chains of ownership having an interest in such joint venture as if such party were a “Subsidiary” of both or all of such joint venturers and the Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or indirect interests in such Person bear to the total of such interests.

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

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

(ii)            use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate; and

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

The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.  The rights under this Section 13 shall be in addition to the rights to exercise Rights and adjustments under Section 11(a)(ii) and shall survive any exercise thereunder.

(d)            Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the provisions of this Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in clauses (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if:  (i) such transaction is consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer (or a wholly owned Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons); (ii) the price per Common Share offered in such transaction is not less than the price per Common Share paid to all holders of Common Shares whose shares were purchased pursuant to such Permitted Offer; and (iii) the form of consideration offered in such transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such Permitted Offer.  Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights hereunder shall expire.

Section 14.                                 Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a)            The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For 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 of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors or by an independent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors. 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 or by an independent investment banking firm selected by the Board of Directors, such determination shall be provided in writing to the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent.

(b)            The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are one one-thousandths or integral multiples of one one-thousandth 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-thousandth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandths 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, provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts.  In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not one one-thousandths or integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share.  For purposes of this 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)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(c)            Following the occurrence of one of the transactions or events specified in Section 11 giving rise to the right to receive Common Shares, capital stock equivalents (other than Preferred Shares) or other securities upon the exercise of a Right, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares or units of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractions of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities.  In lieu of fractional shares or units of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates, at the time such Rights are exercised as herein, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a share or unit of such Common Shares, capital stock equivalents or other securities.  For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value shall be determined in the manner set forth in Section 11(d) hereof for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise and, if such capital stock equivalent is not traded, each such capital stock equivalent shall have the value of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share.

(d)            The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives the right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional share upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).

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

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

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

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

(c)            subject to Section 6 and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificate or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

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

Section 17.                                 Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.  No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the 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 Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

Section 18.                                 Concerning the Rights Agent.  The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine penalty, claim, demand, cost or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) as a result of anything done, suffered or omitted to be done by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement or the performance of its duties and responsibilities and exercise of its rights hereunder, including, without limitation, the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly.  The costs and expenses of enforcing this right of indemnification will also be paid by the Company.

The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties and responsibilities and the exercise of its rights hereunder, in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, or any 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 or opinion of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.

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

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

Section 20.                                 Duties of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties or obligations, other than the duty of good faith, shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a)            Before the Rights Agent acts or refrains from acting, the Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company, an employee of the Rights Agent, or otherwise), 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 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 Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of an Acquiring Person and the determination of the current per share market price of any Security) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice-Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

(c)            The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable court of competent jurisdiction).

(d)            The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature on such Rights Certificates) 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 be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or any adjustment required under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or otherwise or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt of the certificate described in Section 12 hereof); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares, Common Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares, Common Shares or other securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

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

(g)            The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties and the exercise of its rights hereunder and certificates delivered pursuant to any provision hereof from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice-Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and is authorized to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in good faith or lack of action in accordance with instructions of any such officer or any delay in acting while waiting for advice or instructions.

(h)            The Rights Agent and any stockholder, 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 Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such stockholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

(i)            The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officer and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, omission, 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, omission, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the selection and continued employment thereof (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). The Rights Agent will not be under any duty or responsibility to ensure compliance with any applicable securities laws in connection with the issuance, transfer or exchange of Rights Certificates.

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

(k)            If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause (1), (2) and/or (3) thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.

(l)            The provisions of Section 18 hereof and this Section 20 shall survive the exercise, exchange, redemption or expiration of the Rights, the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent and the termination of this Agreement.

Section 21.                                 Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 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 Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.  If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.  If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (i) a corporation or other legal entity organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any other state of the United States, so long as such corporation or other legal entity complies with the applicable rules and requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, as such rules and requirements may be amended or modified from time to time, is authorized to exercise stock transfer or corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 (or such lower number as approved by the Board of Directors), or (ii) an affiliate of a corporation described in clause (i) 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 Shares or Preferred Shares and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates.  Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

Section 22.                                 Issuance of New Rights Certificates.  Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the earliest of the Redemption Date, the Final Expiration Date and the consummation of a transaction contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof, the Company (i) shall with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes or debentures issued by the Company, and (ii) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that no Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

Section 23.                                 Redemption and Termination.

(a)            (i)            The Board of Directors may, at its option, redeem all, but not less than all, the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “RedemptionPrice”), at any time prior to the earlier of (A) a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, or (B) the Final Expiration Date.  The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the “current per share market price,” as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Shares at the time of redemption) or cash; provided that if the Company elects to pay the Redemption Price in Common Shares, the Company shall not be required to issue any fractional Common Shares and the number of Common Shares issuable to each holder of Rights shall be rounded down to the next whole share.

(ii)            In addition, subject to Section 23(a)(iii), the Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time following a Shares Acquisition Date but prior to any Section 13 Event, redeem all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price in connection with any merger, consolidation, sale or other transfer (in one transaction or in a series of related transactions) of assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) in which all holders of Common Shares are treated alike and not involving (other than as a holder of Common Shares being treated like all other such holders) an Interested Stockholder.

(b)            In the case of a redemption permitted under Section 23(a)(i), immediately upon the date for redemption set forth (or determined in the manner specified in) in a resolution of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. In the case of a redemption permitted only under Section 23(a)(ii), evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and represent only the right to receive the Redemption Price upon the later of ten Business Days following the giving of such notice or the expiration of any period during which the rights under Section 11(a)(ii) may be exercised.  The Company shall promptly give public notice 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 ten days after such date for redemption set forth in a resolution of the Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, 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 Shares.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.  Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.

(c)            The Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights in accordance with this Agreement and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Shares, and upon such action, all outstanding Rights and Rights Certificates shall be null and void without any further action by the Company.

Section 24.                                 Exchange.

(a)            The Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Shares of the Company at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction involving either the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “ExchangeRatio”).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or any trustee, administrator or fiduciary of such a plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.

(b)            Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to Section 24(a) hereof 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 Common Shares equal to the number of such rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.  The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged.  Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c)            In any exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Company, at its option, may substitute Preferred Shares (or equivalent preferred shares, as such term is defined in Section 11(b) hereof) for some or all of the Common Shares exchangeable for Rights, at the initial rate of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (or equivalent preferred share) for each Common Share, as appropriately adjusted to reflect adjustments in the voting rights of the Preferred Shares pursuant to the terms thereof, so that the fraction of a Preferred Share delivered in lieu of each Common Share shall have the same voting rights as one Common Share.

(d)            The Board of Directors shall not authorize any exchange transaction referred to in Section 24(a) hereof unless at the time such exchange is authorized there shall be sufficient Common Shares or Preferred Shares issued but not outstanding, or authorized but unissued, to permit the exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24.

Section 25.                                 Notice of Certain Events.

(a)            In case the Company shall 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 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), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which does not violate Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer) in one 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 or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which does not violate Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action to the extent feasible and file a certificate with the Rights Agent to that effect, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the 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 20 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 20 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

(b)            In case of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, then (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, 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) hereof and (ii) all references in the preceding Section 25(a) to Preferred Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer also, if appropriate, to Common Shares and/or, if appropriate, other securities of the Company.

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

Hawk Corporation

200 Public Square

Suite 30-5000

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Attention:  Corporate Secretary

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

National City Bank

Suite 635 – LOC 01-3116

629 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Attention:  Shareholder Services Administration

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

Section 27.                                 Supplements and Amendments.

(a)            Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing Common Shares.

(b)            From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, however, that this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen, pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence, (A) a time period relating to when the Rights may be redeemed at such time as the Rights are not then redeemable, or (B) any other time period unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights.

(c)            Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Rights Agent shall not be obligated to enter into any supplement or amendment that adversely affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, liabilities, obligations or immunities under Section 18 or Section 20 of this Agreement or that otherwise has a material adverse effect on the rights or obligations of the Rights Agent.

(d)            Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.

Section 28.                                 Determination and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc.  The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board of Directors, or the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including, without limitation, a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement and whether any proposed amendment adversely affects the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates).  For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares or other securities outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares or any other securities of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement.  All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board of Directors in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights Certificates and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights Certificates.

Section 29.                                 Successors.  All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

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

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

Section 32.                                 Descriptive Headings.  Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

Section 33.                                 Governing Law.  This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.

Section 34.                                 Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Attest:                                                                                      HAWK CORPORATION

By: /s/ Marc C. Krantz                                                          By: /s/ Ronald E. Weinberg

       Assistant Secretary                                                               Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer and President

Attest:

NATIONAL CITY BANK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norman C. Harbert and Byron S. Krantz, being the Chairman of the Board and Secretary, respectively, of Hawk Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certify that:

Pursuant to authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation by the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, and pursuant to the provisions of Section 151 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Board of Directors, at a telephonic meeting held on November 13, 1997, duly adopted a resolution creating a new series of Serial Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation, as follows:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority expressly vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Certificate of Incorporation, a new series of Serial Preferred Stock of the Corporation is hereby created (the “Series E Preferred Stock”), of which the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, and qualifications and restrictions, shall be as follows:

Section 1.                                 Designation and Amount.  There shall be a series of the Serial Preferred Stock of the Corporation that shall be designated as the “Series E Preferred Stock,” par value $0.01 per share, and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 100,000.  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 E Preferred Stock to a number less than that of the shares then outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the Corporation.

Section 2.                                 Dividends and Distributions.  The holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, out of any funds legally available and when and as declared by the Board of Directors, dividends and other distributions of the same kind but at the rate of 1,000 times the aggregate amount per share of the dividends or other distributions received by the holders of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the “CommonStock”).  Dividends and other distributions shall be declared and paid to the holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock of record, on such dates respectively preceding the payment thereof as may be fixed by the Board of Directors in declaring any such dividends, at the same time that dividends or other distributions are declared and paid to holders of shares of Common Stock.  Such dividends shall not accrue or be cumulative.  In the event the Corporation shall, at any time after the January 16, 1998 (the “EffectiveDate”), (i) declare any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

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

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

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

(c)            Except as set forth herein, holders of shares of Series E 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 shares of Class A Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

Section 4.                                 Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series E 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 Serial Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Serial Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

Section 5.                                 Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  The holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall, in case of liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, be entitled to receive in full, out of the assets of the Corporation, including its capital, an amount equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of Common Stock, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time (i) declare any dividend on shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.  Except as set forth above, the holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall have the same rights and shall be treated in the same manner with respect to any liquidation, dissolution or winding up as holders of shares of Common Stock.

Section 6.                                 Consolidation, Merger, Etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the holders of shares of Series E Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Effective Date (i) declare any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series E 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 are outstanding immediately prior to such event.

Section 8.                                 Redemption.  The Series E Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

Section 9.                                 Ranking.  The Series E Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Serial Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall specifically provide otherwise.

Section 10.                                 Amendment.  The Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the shares of Series E Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 2/3%) of the outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

Section 11.                                 Fractional Shares.  Shares of Series E Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that are one one-thousandths or integral multiples of one one-thousandths of a share, which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of the holders of Series E Preferred Stock.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed and subscribed this Certificate of Designation, and hereby affirm the foregoing as true under the penalties of perjury, as of this _____ day of __________, 199___.

__________________________________________

Name:  Ronald E.  Weinberg

Title:    Chairman of the Board

Attest:

____________________________________

Name: Byron S. Krantz

Title:   Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Certificate No. R-_____                                                                    ____________ Rights

This certifies that _________________________, or _______ registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement dated as of January 16, 1998 (the “RightsAgreement”) between HAWK CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and National City Bank, as Rights Agent (the “RightsAgent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M. (Cleveland, Ohio time) on January 4, 2018 at the office of the Rights Agent in New York, New York, one one-thousandth of a fully-paid, nonassessable share of Series E Preferred Stock (the “PreferredStock”) of the Company, at a purchase price of $70.00 per one one-thousandth of a share (the “PurchasePrice”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the appropriate Form of Election to Purchase duly executed.  The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of January 16, 1998, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date.  As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

____________________

*	The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable and shall replace the preceding sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates.  Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company and are also available upon written request to the Company.

This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exercised for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of shares of Preferred Stock as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.  If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised (other than pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement) in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.  If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in whole or in part pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) of the Rights Agreement, the holder shall be entitled to receive this Rights Certificate duly marked to indicate that such exercise has occurred as set forth in the Rights Agreement.

Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, and the redemption price may be satisfied by issuing Common Shares (pursuant to Section 23(a)(i) of the Rights Agreement).  In addition, the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate may be exchanged by the Company at its option at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right.

No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise of any Rights or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

No holder, as such, of this or any other Rights 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 that may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented hereby or thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any other Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 of the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or other distributions, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company.

Dated:  January 4, 2008

Attested by:                                                                                      HAWK CORPORATION

By:________________________________                            By:_________________________________

     Byron S. Krantz                                                                                Ronald E. Weinberg

     Secretary                                                                                           Chairman of the Board

Countersigned:

By:_______________________________

      Sharon R. Boughter

     Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder

desires to transfer the Rights Certificate)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Please print name and address of transferee)

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

Dated: _______________________

_____________________________

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

______________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

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

Dated: ________________________

______________________________

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

______________________________

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights

represented by the Rights Certificate)

To:            HAWK CORPORATION

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ____________________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock or other securities, cash or assets issuable upon the exercise of the Rights and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of and deliverable to:

______________________________________________________________________________

(Please insert social security or other identifying number)

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

(Please print name and address)

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

______________________________________________________________________________

(Please insert social security or other identifying number)

______________________________________________________________________________

 

______________________________________________________________________________

(Please print name and address)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

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

(2)            the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are o are not o being sold, assigned or transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person;

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

Dated: ______________________

____________________________

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

_____________________________

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 13, 1997, the Board of Directors of Hawk Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class A Common Shares”) and Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Class B Common Shares” and together with the Class A Common Shares, the “CommonShares”), of the Company.  The dividend was paid to the stockholders of record as of 5:00 P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on January 16, 1998 (the “EffectiveDate”), and with respect to Common Shares issued thereafter until the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) and, in certain circumstances, with respect to Common Shares issued after the Distribution Date.  Except as set forth below, each Right, when it becomes exercisable, entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series E Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “PreferredShares”), at a price of $70.00 per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “PurchasePrice”), subject to adjustment.  The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of January 4, 2008 (the “RightsAgreement”), between the Company and National City Bank, as Rights Agent (the “RightsAgent”).

The Rights are attached to all certificates representing outstanding Common Shares, and no separate Right Certificates (as hereinafter defined) have been distributed.  The Rights will separate from the Common Shares on the earliest to occur of (i) the first date of public announcement that a Person (defined in the Rights Agreement), alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates (defined in the Rights Agreement), other than those that are exempt persons, has acquired beneficial ownership (as defined in the Rights Agreement) of 15% or more of the outstanding Class A Common Shares (except pursuant to a Permitted Offer); or (ii) the close of business on the tenth (10th) business day (or such later date as the Board of Directors may determine) following the commencement of, or first public announcement of an intention to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in any Person becoming an Acquiring Person (as hereinafter defined), including, in the case of both (i) and (ii), any such date which is after the date of this Rights Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights (the earliest of such dates being called the “DistributionDate”).  A Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, whose acquisition of Common Shares causes a Distribution Date pursuant to clause (i) above is an “AcquiringPerson.”  The first date of public announcement that a Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, has become an Acquiring Person is the “SharesAcquisitionDate.”

The Rights Agreement provides that until the Distribution Date the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares.  Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange, or expiration of the Rights), new Common Share certificates issued after the Effective Date upon transfer or new issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference.  Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange, or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the Effective Date, even without such notation or a copy of the Summary of Rights to Purchase Series E Preferred Shares being attached thereto, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate.  As promptly as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“RightCertificates”) will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date (and to each initial record holder of certain Common Shares issued after the DistributionDate), and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at 5:00 P.M., Cleveland, Ohio time, on January 4, 2018, unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.  Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.

In the event that any Person other than certain exempt persons becomes an Acquiring Person (except pursuant to a Permitted Offer), each holder of a Right will have (subject to the terms of the Rights Agreement) the right to receive upon exercise the number of Common Shares, or, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (or, in certain circumstances, other securities of the Company) having a value (immediately prior to such Triggering Event, as defined the Rights Agreement) determined in accordance with a formula based on the then Purchase Price divided by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Class A Common Shares (the “Flip-InRight”).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the occurrence of the event described above, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof will be null and void.  A “PermittedOffer” shall mean a tender or exchange offer for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms determined, prior to the purchase of shares under such tender or exchange offer, by the Board of Directors to be adequate (taking into account all factors that the directors deem relevant) and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders (other than the Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof on whose behalf the offer is being made) taking into account all factors that such directors may deem relevant.

In the event that, at any time following the Shares Acquisition Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the holders of all of the outstanding Common Shares immediately prior to the consummation of the transaction are not the holders of all of the surviving corporation’s voting power, or (ii) more than 50% of the Company’s assets or earning power is sold or transferred, in either case with or to an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof, or any other person in which such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate has an interest, or any person acting on behalf of or in concert with such Acquiring Person, Affiliate or Associate, or, if in such transaction all holders of Common Shares are not treated alike, then each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right (the “Flip-OverRight”) to receive, upon exercise, common shares of the acquiring company having a value determined in accordance with a formula based on the then Purchase Price divided by 50% of the then current per share market price of the common stock of such acquiring company.  The holder of a Right will continue to have the Flip-Over Right whether or not such holder exercises or surrenders the Flip-In Right.

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share or other securities 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 Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than the then current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular quarterly cash dividends or a dividend payable in preferred shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than “equivalent preferred shares,” as defined in the Rights Agreement).

The Purchase Price is also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares, or a stock dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price.  No fractional one-thousandths of a Preferred Share will be issued, and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise.

At any time prior to the earlier to occur of (i) a person becoming an Acquiring Person or (ii) the expiration of the Rights, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right (the “RedemptionPrice”), which redemption shall be effective upon the action of the Board of Directors.  The Company may at its option pay the Redemption Price in cash or Common Shares.  Additionally, the Company may redeem the then outstanding Rights in whole, but not in part, at the Redemption Price after a Shares Acquisition Date and before the expiration of any period during which the Flip-Over Right may be exercised in connection with a merger or other business combination transaction or series of transactions involving the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated alike but not involving (other than as a holder of Common Shares being treated like all other such holders) any Person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of, or in concert with, any Acquiring Person, or its Affiliates or Associates.  Upon the effective date of the 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.

At any time after a Person becomes an Acquiring Person but before such Acquiring Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the “Beneficial Owner” (defined in the Rights Agreement) of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, the Company may, at its option, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (other than those owned by the Acquiring Person, together with any Affiliates and Associates of such Acquiring Person, which have become null and void) at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction involving either the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares occurring after the date of the Rights Agreement (the “Exchange Ratio”).  Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering the exchange of any Rights 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 Common Shares equal to the number of such rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.

While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to stockholders of the Company, stockholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income should the Rights become exercisable or upon the occurrence of certain events thereafter.

Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company may supplement or amend any provision of the Rights Agreement without the approval of the holders of Common Stock.  From and after the Distribution Date, the Company generally may supplement or amend the Rights Agreement without the approval of the holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).

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

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